Kent R. Mccord

Bio: Kent R. Mccord is an academic researcher from UTC Power. The author has contributed to research in topics: Organic Rankine cycle & Rankine cycle. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 3 publications receiving 156 citations.

Organic rankine cycle mechanically and thermally coupled to an engine driving a common load

Abstract: The shaft (20) of an engine (19) is coupled to a turbine (28) of an organic Rankine cycle subsystem which extracts heat (45-48, 25) from engine intake air, coolant, oil, EGR and exhaust. Bypass valves (92, 94, 96, 99) control engine temperatures. Turbine pressure drop is controlled via a bypass valve (82) or a mass flow control valve (113). A refrigeration subsystem having a compressor (107) coupled to the engine shaft uses its evaporator (45a) to cool engine intake air. The ORC evaporator (25a) may comprise a muffler including pressure pulse reducing fins (121, 122), some of which have NOx and/or particulate reducing catalysts thereon.

Rankine cycle power plant heat source control

Abstract: Provision is made in an organic rankine cycle power plant for modulating the flow of hot gases from a thermal source to the evaporator. The modulation device may be a blower on the downstream side of the evaporator or a valve on the upstream side thereof. The modulation device is controlled by generation of a digital signal to enable or disenable the modulation device and an analog signal for adjusting the position of the modulation device.

Waste Heat Utilization Device for Internal Combustion Engine

Abstract: A waste heat utilization device (2) for an internal combustion engine has a Rankine cycle (8) that recovers waste heat from an internal combustion engine (4), a generator (30) that is rotationally driven by an expander (14) and converts a rotational drive force into electric power, a converter (32) that controls the rotational speed of the expander (14) through the generator (30), refrigerant-condition detecting means (22, 24, 26, 28) that detects the pressure and temperature of a refrigerant passing through the expander (14), and a controller (34) that calculates pressure ratio Rp of the refrigerant in the immediate upstream and downstream of the expander (14) and specific heat ratio K of the refrigerant passing through the expander (14) on the basis of the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant, which have been detected by the refrigerant-condition detecting means (22, 24, 26, 28), calculates a preset pressure ratio Rps of the pressure ratio Rp by multiplying predetermined volume ratio Rv of the expander (14) by the specific heat ratio K, and specifies rotational speed N of the expander (14) to the converter (32) on the basis of the pressure ratio Rp and the preset pressure ratio Rps.

Waste heat recovery system

Abstract: The waste heat recovery system includes a Rankine cycle device in which working fluid circulates through a pump, a boiler, an expander and then through a heat exchanging device, heat exchange occurs in the boiler between the working fluid and intake fluid that is introduced into an internal combustion engine while being cooled. The heat exchanging device includes a condenser condensing the working fluid, a receiver connected downstream of the condenser and storing liquid-phase working fluid, a subcooler connected downstream of the receiver and subcooling the liquid-phase working fluid, and a selector device serving to change the ratio of the condenser to the subcooler. The waste heat recovery system further includes a determination device for determining required cooling load for the intake fluid, and a controller for controlling the selector device depending on the required cooling load determined by the determination device.

System And Method For Cooling A Combustion Gas Charge

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for cooling a combustion gas charge prior. The combustion gas charge may include compressed intake air, exhaust gas, or a mixture thereof. An evaporator is provided that may then receive a relatively high temperature combustion gas charge and discharge at a relatively lower temperature. The evaporator may be configured to operate with refrigeration cycle components and/or to receive a fluid below atmospheric pressure as the phase-change cooling medium.

Heat Engine and Heat to Electricity Systems and Methods with Working Fluid Mass Management Control

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure generally provide a heat engine system and a method for regulating a pressure and an amount of a working fluid in a working fluid circuit during a thermodynamic cycle. A mass management system may be employed to regulate the working fluid circulating throughout the working fluid circuit. The mass management systems may have a mass control tank fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit at one or more strategically-located tie-in points. A heat exchanger coil may be used in conjunction with the mass control tank to regulate the temperature of the fluid within the mass control tank, and thereby determine whether working fluid is either extracted from or injected into the working fluid circuit. Regulating the pressure and amount of working fluid in the working fluid circuit selectively increases or decreases the suction pressure of the pump to increase system efficiency.

Optimized system for recovering waste heat

Abstract: 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.