US20080116691A1

US20080116691A1 - Energy generating system

Info

Publication number: US20080116691A1
Application number: US11/602,078
Authority: US
Inventors: Yao-Chang Lin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-11-20
Filing date: 2006-11-20
Publication date: 2008-05-22

Abstract

An energy generating system includes: an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber, and an exhaust pipe in fluid communication with the combustion chamber; a heat exchanging unit including a steam boiler defining an inner space for receiving water therein, a tortuous heating pipe disposed in the inner space in the steam boiler and connected to the exhaust pipe so as to receive a high temperature exhaust gas from the combustion chamber and so as to generate steam in the inner space in the steam boiler, and a steam turbine connected to the steam boiler so as to receive steam from the inner space in the steam boiler; and an energy output unit including a power generator connected to the steam turbine for generating electrical power.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an energy generating system, more particularly to an energy generating system with superior energy utilization efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a conventional energy generating system including an internal combustion engine 1, an output shaft 2, an exhaust pipe 3, and a treating unit 4. A fuel/air mixture is combusted in the internal combustion engine 1 so as to generate mechanical power to rotate the output shaft 2. During combustion of the fuel/air mixture, high temperature exhaust gas is produced in the internal combustion engine 1, and is subsequently delivered to the treating unit 4 for treatment, such as filtering and cooling.
However, the energy utilization efficiency of the conventional internal combustion engine 1 is limited because the exhaust gas still carries a considerable amount of energy that can be utilized.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an energy generating system that can provide superior energy utilization efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an energy generating system that can overcome the aforesaid drawback of the prior art.
According to this invention, an energy generating system comprises: an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber, and an exhaust pipe in fluid communication with the combustion chamber; a heat exchanging unit including a steam boiler defining an inner space for receiving water therein, a tortuous heating pipe disposed in the inner space in the steam boiler and connected to the exhaust pipe so as to receive a high temperature exhaust gas from the combustion chamber and so as to generate steam in the inner space in the steam boiler, and a steam turbine connected to the steam boiler so as to receive steam from the inner space in the steam boiler; and an energy output unit including a power generator connected to the steam turbine for generating electrical power.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional energy generating system;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the first preferred embodiment of an energy generating system according to this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the second preferred embodiment of an energy generating system according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 2, the first preferred embodiment of an energy generating system 10 according to the present invention is shown to include an internal combustion engine 20, a heat exchanging unit 30, and an energy output unit 40.
The internal combustion engine 20 includes an output shaft 213, a combustion chamber 212 for combusting a fuel/air mixture to generate a mechanical power to drive the output shaft 213 and an exhaust gas having a temperature ranging from 800 to 1000° C., and an exhaust pipe 214 in fluid communication with the combustion chamber 212. Gasoline, diesel, or gas can be used as a fuel for the internal combustion engine 20. The heat exchanging unit 30 includes: a steam boiler 31 defining an inner space 311 for receiving water therein; a tortuous heating pipe 32 disposed in the water in the inner space 311 in the steam boiler 31 and connected to the exhaust pipe 214 so as to receive the high temperature exhaust gas from the combustion chamber 212 and so as to generate steam by vaporizing the water in the inner space 311 in the steam boiler 31 using the high temperature exhaust gas; and a steam turbine 34 connected to the steam boiler 31 so as to receive steam from the inner space 311 in the steam boiler 31. The energy output unit 40 includes a power generator 41 connected to the steam turbine 34 for generating electrical power.
In this invention, the heat exchanging unit 30 further includes a steam pipe 331 interconnecting the steam boiler 31 and the steam turbine 34 and transporting the steam to the steam turbine 34 from the inner space 311 in the steam boiler 31. The steam turbine 34 includes a turbine housing 341, a turbine blade unit 342 disposed in the turbine housing 341, and a spindle 343 co-movably connected to the turbine blade unit 342 and connected to the power generator 41 of the energy output unit 40. The turbine blade unit 342 is driven to rotate by the steam from the inner space 311 in the steam boiler 31 so as to drive the spindle 343 to co-rotate therewith, which, in turn, provides mechanical power to the power generator 41 of the energy output unit 40 for generating electrical power.
In addition, the heat exchanging unit 30 includes a condensing unit 35 interconnecting the steam turbine 34 and the steam boiler 31. The condensing unit 35 includes a tortuous condensing pipe 351 connected to the steam turbine 34, a condensate-storage container 352 connected to the tortuous condensing pipe 351, and a pump 353 connected to the condensate-storage container 352 and the steam boiler 31 for transporting condensate (i.e., water) from the condensate-storage container 352 to the inner space 311 in the steam boiler 31.
It should be noted herein that the volume of water in the inner space 311 in the steam boiler 31 is smaller than the volume of the inner space 311 in the steam boiler 31 such that an upper chamber 313 is formed in the top part of the inner space 311 in the steam boiler 31 for receiving the steam vaporized from the water in the steam boiler 31. The steam boiler 31 further includes a safety valve 312 connected to the upper chamber 313 in the steam boiler 31 for releasing steam when the steam pressure in the upper chamber 313 exceeds a predetermined value.
Preferably, the heat exchanging unit 30 includes a discharging pipe 322 connected to the tortuous heating pipe 32 for releasing the exhaust gas, which has been cooled by the water in the steam boiler 31, into the atmosphere.
In this embodiment, the energy output unit 40 further includes a storage battery 42 connected to the power generator 41, and a motor 43 connected to the storage battery 42 such that the motor 43 can be driven by the electrical power generated by the power generator 41.
FIG. 3 illustrates the second preferred embodiment of the energy generating system 10 according to this invention. This preferred embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that the internal combustion engine 20 further includes an energy generator 22 connected to the output shaft 213 so as to generate electrical power. The storage battery 42 and the motor 43 can be dispensed with in this preferred embodiment.
According to the present invention, since the heat exchanging unit 30 is directly connected to the exhaust pipe 214 so as to convert heat of the exhaust gas into useful power, the energy utilization efficiency of the energy generating system 10 is enhanced as compared to the conventional internal combustion engine 1.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. An energy generating system comprising:

an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber, and an exhaust pipe in fluid communication with said combustion chamber;

a heat exchanging unit including a steam boiler defining an inner space for receiving water therein, a tortuous heating pipe disposed in said inner space in said steam boiler and connected to said exhaust pipe so as to receive a high temperature exhaust gas from said combustion chamber and so as to generate steam in said inner space in said steam boiler, and a steam turbine connected to said steam boiler so as to receive steam from said inner space in said steam boiler; and

an energy output unit including a power generator connected to said steam turbine for generating electrical power.

2. The energy generating system of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanging unit further includes a steam pipe interconnecting said steam boiler and said steam turbine.

3. The energy generating system of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanging unit further includes a condensing unit interconnecting said steam turbine and said steam boiler and including a tortuous condensing pipe connected to said steam turbine, a condensate-storage container connected to said tortuous condensing pipe, and a pump connected to said condensate-storage container and said steam boiler for transporting condensate from said condensate-storage container to said inner space in said steam boiler.

4. The energy generating system of claim 1, wherein said steam boiler includes a safety valve for releasing steam.

5. The energy generating system of claim 1, wherein said steam turbine includes a turbine housing, a turbine blade unit disposed in said turbine housing, and a spindle co-movably connected to said turbine blade unit and connected to said power generator of said energy output unit.

6. The energy generating system of claim 1, wherein said energy output unit further includes a storage battery connected to said power generator, and a motor connected to said storage battery.

7. The energy generating system of claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine further includes an output shaft.

8. The energy generating system of claim 7, wherein said internal combustion engine further includes an energy generator connected to said output shaft.