(19)
(11) EP 2 345 799 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
02.11.2011 Bulletin 2011/44

(43) Date of publication A2:
20.07.2011 Bulletin 2011/29

(21) Application number: 10166699.8

(22) Date of filing: 21.06.2010
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
F01K 23/04(2006.01)
F01K 27/02(2006.01)
 F01K 23/06(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR
Designated Extension States:
BA ME RS

(30) Priority: 30.06.2009 US 494358

(71) Applicant: General Electric Company
Schenectady, NY 12345 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Ast, Gabor
    85748 Garching, Bavaria (DE)
  • Frey, Thomas Johannes
    85051 Ingolstadt, Bavaria (DE)
  • Huck, Pierre Sebastien
    80801 Munich (DE)
  • Kopecek, Herbert
    85399 Hallbergmoos (DE)
  • Bartlett, Michael Adam
    11769 Stockholm (SE)

(74) Representative: Bedford, Grant Richard 
Global Patent Operation - Europe GE International Inc. 15 John Adam Street
London WC2N 6LU
London WC2N 6LU (GB)

   


(54) Optimized system for recovering waste heat


(57) A waste heat recovery system (10) includes at least two integrated rankine cycle systems (12, 14) coupled to at least two separate heat sources (18, 38, 40, 42, 44, 64, 78) having different temperatures. The first rankine cycle system (12) is coupled to a first heat source (18) and configured to circulate a first working fluid. The second rankine cycle system (14) is coupled to at least one second heat source and configured to circulate a second working fluid. The first and second working fluid are circulatable in heat exchange relationship through a cascading heat exchange unit (34) for condensation of the first working fluid in the first rankine cycle system (12) and evaporation of the second working fluid in the second rankine cycle system (14). At least one bypass unit (24, 58, 59, 65, 72, 80, 88, 96, 102, 108) is configured to divert at least a portion of the first working fluid to bypass the first evaporator (16), the first expander (30), the cascaded heat exchange unit (34), or combinations thereof; at least a portion of the second working fluid to bypass the second expander (46), the cascaded heat exchange unit (34), or combinations thereof.







Search report