Author - Vladimir Sukhanov, April 2008

Copyright - Vladimir Sukhanov 2000, 2003

Natural hydrologic cycle is a widely recognized phenomenon. Water evaporates from the ground and water reservoir surfaces, generally, due to the Sun heat, then moves to the superstructure atmospheric layers where it is condensed, and precipitates onto the ground surface, but on higher levels compared with evaporation surfaces. In this process water is also purified and desalted. From the higher levels water flows to its main evaporation points, forming streams like brooks and rivers where water power plants could be established. Flowing to the lower surface layers with lower potential energy, water in the Earth's gravitational field performs work that can be utilized.

Natural hydrologic cycle principle is used in the gravity-heat power system (USA patent No. 3953971, International class. F03G7/04 of May 4, 1976).

In this system the temperature difference between ground surface layers (the mountain foot and its top) is used to produce electric power and obtain fresh water. The temperature difference does not change much with change of height, and the system effectiveness is quite moderate, which can be named as its drawback.

The system utilizes free environmental energy. Its efficiency (converted to the process maintaining energy) tends to infinity.

The author proposes a new gravity-heat power system that can substitute modern heat power plants. It contains all installation components as per USA patent No. 3953971 except for the heat exchanger on the ground surface whose functions are performed by a conventional steam boiler.

• X_m - fluid flow,
• T - time of operation,
• g - acceleration of gravity,
• H - tower height between the steam boiler and the freezer (condenser).

This formula does not allow for vapor density of operating fluid.

The vapor density is insignificant as compared with the operating fluid density.

Energy P, required to maintain operation:

Efficiency K - of the system should not be lower than 80%

X_mT(gH - q)/X_mT_q 0,8

H 1,8 q/g

Here is H 21 kilometers and K will be less than 80% of heat which will be lost in too long pipelines.

For mercury q = 285 x 10³(J/kg). It has density many more than the water. Therefore H 3,9 kilometers is realiztic height. In that case we can use a mountain slope or a barrel of mine.

For water at preasure 225,2 kg/cm³ and T = 374 degree Celsius has next vaporization energy q = 113 x 10³(J/kg) and H 21 kilometers.

To obtain efficiency that equals 120% the following is required:

Or H = 25,4 kilometers.

Construction of such towers is too complicated for modern technology. Therefore, a stratospheric balloon that is linked to the ground surface by a flexible twin-core hose rope may be used. One core is designed to send down fluid and the other to send up vapor. Flowing down to the ground surface through the hose, the fluid will generate fluid column pressure. The fluid will cross water-turbine generator cascades, after each of which the fluid pressure will decrease and the fluid will continue its way down.

There is an alternative. To make the tower several times lower the evaporation (at the tower foot) and condensation (at the tower/mountain top) should be phased (in the form of cascade) at various pressure values and with utilization of the same heat energy. For this purpose a heat carrier is used that will transfer heat from the tower (mountain) top to its foot. This operation will enable the tower height segmentation into H/n sections where n is the number of grades in a cascade.

Cascade structure is shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 1
Cascade

1. ground surface,
2. tower component or the smoke-stack of the steam boiler,
3. steam boiler,
4. steam pipe,
5. heat exchanger and condenser,
6. pressure pipeline,
7. water-turbine generator,
8. heat exchanger and evaporator,
9. circulation pump,
10. pipeline of the heat carrier circulation.

The cascade works next way. Work fluid evaporates in steam boilder 3 at that heat energy for efficient support of the cascade expenses. The steam from steam boilder 3 lifts by steam pipe 4 on tower height 2 and condeses in heat exchanger 5. Condensant in pipeline 6 makes push of fluid pillar, under act of which work fluid does through water-turbine generator 7 and make work for getting energy. Then the fluid comes into heat exchanger and evaporator 8. At that heat energy, which was taken at stream condense into fluid in heat exchanger 5, together with heat carrier comes to heat exchanger 8 for evaporation the fluid in it. From the heat exchanger 8 steam comes into pipeline 4 and then all cycle repeats.

Circulate of heat carrier through pipeline 10 realizes the pumps 9.

From one step to other presure of condense and evaporation of the fluid decreases. That gives decrease of work temperature from step to step and use the heat energy from steam boiler 3 repeated. Limit of the cascade length is heat lost in pipelines, in steam pipe and equipments of the cascade and also quality of heater exchangers (temperature differential on which they can work).

Cascade (operating fluid, water) with 500 meters of height can contain several dozens of grades (50 and more). In this case the cascade efficiency may approach 120%.

Decreasing the tower height to 500 meters (for water) will allow for utilization of conventional water-turbine generators and standard equipment.

In the proposed cascade the heat energy is required to maintain the cascade working capacity when Earth's gravitational field energy is utilized. In the author's opinion there are still other ways to use gravitation.

The system scale is its main drawback. Therefore, partial utilization of the proposed principle may seem more attractive. The proposed engineering solution was simple.

In a thermal power station the condenser is installed on the top of the tower (mountain). After the condenser the water lift in the water tower finished at the steam boiler pressure pipe (omitting the pump that was no longer necessary). Energy required for pressure pipe operation was saved. In other words, the water tower was utilizing the Earth's gravitation at the conventional juncture of vapor condensation in the steam plant.

Such proposal was made on June 17, 1982 in the patent application USSR N3453603/06, (101161) ICI: F22D11/00, F01K13/00, F01K17/04 (Fig. 2). However, the utilization of free and environmentally friendly gravity energy did not arouse interest even on the part of patent experts.

The invention belongs to enegetic field, namely, to equipment of heat station.

Subject of the invention is to increase coefficient of officiency of electro-station. That subject is reached next way. In known heat-electro-station, which has steam generator contested with pipeline and condensator, it is offered the condensator to place on hill, for example, on dam of hydro-electro-station (HES). Hydro-electro-station is shown in Fig 2.

Fig. 2
System

where

1 - steam generator,
2 - turbo-generator,
3 - steam pipe of high preasure,
4 - condensator,
5 - heat isolated staem pipe of low presuare,

The Hydro-electro-station works next way. Steam of high presure from steam generator 1 comes in turbo-generator 2 from which pressed steam lifts through pipeline 5 to condensator 4. There the steam condensates and amass in low part of the condensator 4. The condensator 4 makes presure of fluid pillar in steam generator 1, which agrees with his work pressure, by means of pipeline 8.

Useing the suggested invention lets us to make heat-electro-station in which pump for give the water in steam generator will be expeled. Economy effect will be got for economy of energy, which is needed for work pumps at give the water in steam generator.

The author - Suhanov Vladimir Nikolaevich

It was registered in VNTIC the 01 of december 2000 by N 72200000039.

The article was published in the book "Inventive Creation" in Russian in 2003.

Published by Faraday Lab. Magazine "New Energy Technologies" No 5-6, 2003. ISSN 1684-7288.

Copyright - Vladimir Sukhanov 2000, 2003