SBIR Phase I: Thermal Engine with Metastable Power Extraction Step (TEMPES)

SBIR 第一阶段：具有亚稳态功率提取步骤 (TEMPES) 的热机

• 批准号: 1346150
• 负责人: Greg Mungas
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Firestar Engineering, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2014-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1346150&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Thermal; Engine; Metastable

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop critical measurements necessary for eventually producing a high efficiency Thermal Engine with Metastable Power Extraction Step (TEMPES). The TEMPES thermodynamic power cycle is designed primarily for low-temperature power generation and waste heat recovery. The basic operating principle of the TEMPES engine is a closed 2-cycle cylinder piston assembly that converts heat energy in a working fluid to mechanical energy using an innovative thermodynamic power cycle. The method of conversion from heat energy to work is accomplished via formation of metastable non-equilibrium states in a portion of the thermodynamic cycle. Unlike states that are thermodynamically equilibrated, metastable states incorporate a temporal component and history required for fixing the state. Metastable state formation and state trajectories have been previously demonstrated in our lab providing a means for conducting a preliminary analysis of a theoretical TEMPES power cycle. The awarded research work will expand this knowledge base by producing an experimental set-up more closely tailored to closed cycle configurations for ultimate power generation. This experimental configuration will allow detailed characterizations of metastable states and the mechanisms by which these states form and collapse back into equilibrated thermodynamics states.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is related to the vast supply of low grade waste heat that could be converted into useful energy. The TEMPES technology can be the core of a scalable electricity generation system using low-grade waste heat as its primary energy source. Recovery of low-grade waste heat can potentially reclaim trillions of BTUs annually from industrial waste heat sources, concentrating solar plants, geothermal plants, and waste-water treatment facilities and convert this energy back into useful work. Low temperature power conversion technology at temperatures 350 C is enabling for waste heat recovery power generation, solar trough power generation, and geothermal power generation at both consumer level and large grid scale energy applications.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I期项目将开发最终生产具有亚稳态功率提取步骤（Tempes）的高效率热引擎所需的关键测量。 Tempes热力学功率周期主要是为低温发电和废热回收而设计的。 Tempes发动机的基本操作原理是一种封闭的2循环缸活塞组件，它使用创新的热力学功率循环将工作流体中的热能转换为机械能。从热能到工作的转化方法是通过在热力学循环的一部分中形成亚稳态的非平衡状态的。与热力学平衡的状态不同，亚稳态的状态包含固定状态所需的时间成分和历史。以前在我们的实验室中已经证明了亚稳态状态的形成和状态轨迹，该实验室提供了一种对理论Tempes功率周期进行初步分析的方法。奖励的研究工作将通过生产更紧密地针对封闭循环配置的实验设置来扩展这一知识基础，以供最终发电。这种实验构型将允许对亚稳态状态的详细特征以及这些状态形成并崩溃为平衡的热力学状态的机制。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力与可以转化为有用能量的低级废物的广泛供应。 Tempes技术可以是使用低级废热作为其主要能源的可扩展发电系统的核心。低级废热的回收可能每年从工业废物热源，浓缩太阳能电厂，地热植物和废水处理设施中恢复数万亿的BTU，并将这种能量转换为有用的工作。低温电源转换技术在温度下350 C可用于废热恢复发电，太阳槽发电以及消费者水平和大型网格尺度能源应用的地热发电。