Gradient Energy
The potential of harnessing an energy differential in the form a Gradient of such things such as
Temperature,
Pressure,
or in a
Concentration Gradient
in the density of a substance, holds a vast array of challenges.
The
electrochemical
or charge
potential
contained in various specific materials provides an opportunity for the exploration of Electromagnetic
Gradient
energy.
Short Cycle Regeneration is an approach that uses minimal storage reserves, rather than relying on rapid cycle recharging
from compatible
symbiotic modules
from within the overall process to produce electricity on demand.
Temperature Gradient
Temperature Gradient Energy
Generation
on a Short Cycle Regeneration basis from both traditional Heat Exchange technologies
and expanding the developments in novel temperature exploitation present new and existing opportunities.
A number of
opportunities
exist at various points across the process to harness the
potential contained within the
temperature differential
that is inherent at each stage.
Not only harnessing the Temperature Gradient between
Hot & Cold,
but capturing finer tuned differences between
hot & warm, warm & cool and also cool & cold process points.
The low hanging fruit allows the opportunity to install mechanisms such as stirling engines to convert
the potential energy into kinetic motion or
electricity.
Broad temperature gradients resulting from a process such as compressed air expansion (extreme cooling)
used to condense steam (a high heat source) may yield a large potential of regenerating or a maintained
temperature range.
From nano or micro to small scale or larger scale electric generation,
harvesting even incremental amounts of energy contribute to the overall efficiency of the operation.
Tapping into technologies such as Solid State Thermoelectric
Seebeck effect
devices like
Thermo Electric Generators (TEG) & Solar Thermo Electric Generators (STEG) may add a measurable percentage
to the system output.
Stirling Engines
Electricity generation or kinetic motion may be harnessed from a temperature gradient differential
with the use of a
Stirling Engine.
The recovery of
Waste Heat
at strategic locations throughout the Recovery 2.0 operation represents a huge untapped potential.
Stirling Engines may represent a range from small to industrial scale
electricity
generation.
Thermo Electric Generators (TEG)
The direct Electricity generation from harvesting a temperature gradient differential
with the use of solid state Thermo Electric Generators (TEG).
This approach may be ideal for micro or small
scale
energy recovery.
Innovative design of industrial scale solid state
Direct to Electricity
TEG devices and TEG
Stacks
may allow for the incorporation into the
Heat Exchange
system of a Recovery 2.0 operation.
The ongoing normal operations of a Recovery 2.0 process may provide a virtually perpetual
Hotside/Coldside
thermal gradient
to drive a passive energy
harvesting module.
TEG Stacks
Creating Thermo Electric Generators (TEGs) that can operate efficiently in a wide range of temperature
ranges
may present meaningful harvesting opportunities.
The possibility of implementing TEG Stacks, in specific industrial applications that process a strong Cold Side Heat sink,
may generate an extraordinary quantity of previously untapped power.
Stacking TEG Generators in layers in a wide thermal gradient area may amplify the yield output substantially.
If traditional single TEGs yield about a 5% efficiency, under the right conditions a TEG Stack may deliver a yield from
each TEG in the stack.
The accumulation of the output of each TEG in the stack may add up to be equivalent or greater than other
traditional heat engines.
TEG Pipes
Transferring thermal working fluids through specially designed Piping allows for the harvesting of any thermal gradients
that may exist between the inside diameter surface and the outside surface diameter of the pipe.
Thermo Electric Generating Pipes TEG Pipes essentially take advantage of semiconductor materials sandwiched around
piping or
pipelines
in order to passively harvest direct to electricity DC current.
Cooling Radiator Heat Exchangers
Thermo Electric Generating Heat Exchangers designed as modular cooling radiators TEG Rads may become a standard
component in the Modular energy
Harvesting cubes.
Seebeck Effect Devices
Nano or micro charge flows may be
harvested
from gradient temperature differentials with the use of
simple
Seebeck Effect
Devices that take advantage of the
Seebeck Co-Efficient.
Many of todays more sophisticated energy systems are build on the Seebeck principals,
we rely on
Heat Engine
cycles to power our world.
As we enter the energy transition era and begin to explore decarbonized alternatives we may revive some of the older ideas
and approaches such as the
Stirling Engine.
Once we decide that heat is a viable form of energy and when we wish to scavenge heat and harvest the
hot side / cold side
gradient differential, then many new variations of the Seebeck effect may be developed.
Designing a thermal energy
harvesting
system with compatible
heat excangers
may take advantage of simple Seebeck devices,
thermocouples and thermocouple piles too multiply the yield across a wide range of the
thermal spectrum.
The realm of solid state direct to electricity
Generators
holds a particularly interesting and largely untapped potential.
Concentration Gradient
Concentration or Content Density Gradient -
Natural equilibrium balancing force - Osmosis - Diffusion
Osmotic Power may create a
Pressure Gradient,
Pressure Retarded Osmosis
Different forms of Osmosis are commonly encountered in the
Water Desalination
process.
The natural equilibrium forces of diffusion of Gases and Liquid solutions may be harnessed
either with or without the use of permeable membranes and may be invoked on a forward or reverse basis.
Salinity Gradient
The potential energy contained in salt water by harnessing osmotic pressure from the Salinity Gradient is one method
to extract electricity.
An alternative approach to extract energy from the
salinity gradient
is with a reverse electro dialysis device
designed to generate electricity.
Since the Recovery 2.0 system handles salt in various forms, at different stages of the process, the opportunity to design
a flexible approach or novel solution exists.
From incoming
waste waster
and brine feed stocks the Recovery 2.0 system thermally concentrates brines to whatever
saturation level or Salinity Gradient is desired all the way to dry
salts
and solids.
Some early work has been done to explore the potential of harvesting energy from the Salinity Gradient in
waste water
with the use of Microbial Fuel Cells.
Pressure Gradient
Pressure is a unique form of potential energy that may be harnessed in several methods across the Recovery 2.0 system.
One of the most common sources of harvested pressure energy is captured from the
Phase Change
of working fluids.
The gradients of pressure span a wide range from slight vibrations at a low frequency up to and encompassing
high intensity waves transferred from mass in
motion.
Acceleration or Motion invokes the impact of particles of mass contained in all gases including air, liquids and solids.
There are several sources from which pressure may be
Harvested
and several opportunities to
generate
or transfer energy but the most exciting maybe the potential of
Accumulation & Storage.
The implementation of
Pressure Engines
and
Pressure Exchangers
may present additional opportunities for capturing pressure energy.
Osculating Pressure Systems
isolating pressure energy, wind, compressed air.
Pressure Energy Harvesting
By far the most common method of producing electrical energy is by converting the pressure in a
working fluid
into rotational motion with the use of a turbo mechanism.
A turbine creates
rotary motion
that spins an electromagnetic generator.
The movement of the generators magnet / coil combination induces an electrical current.
This type of electricity output is commonly referred to as Electromagnetic
Induction.
Pressure Energy
Harvesting
in all of its various forms such as sound, pressure waves and all types of Kinetic Vibration
presents a huge and largely untapped area.
Common Sources of Pressure
| Type | Pressure Source |
| # 1. |
Pumped Working Fluids
Pumped Hydro/Water, Compressed Air |
| # 2. | Phase Change Expansion Ratio |
| # 3. | Combustion Gas Expansion |
| # 4. | Sensible Heat Expansion of a Gas |
| - - | - - - |
| # 5. | Vibrational Wave Pressure |
| - - | other |
Pressure Energy Storage
Pressure may be stored in a number of ways and one broad classification of a storage method is
in the form of pressurized fluids.
This applies to both pressurized non-compressible liquids and compressed gasses.
Compressed Gases
Compressed Gases are typically stored in some sort of pressure vessel after being pressurized, commonly via a
compressor pump or other pressurization methods.
One of the most popular Compressed Gas is simply
Compressed Air
The energy sector has shawn a spotlight on CO2 with interest as a working fluid in projects such as geothermal and
Pumped Heat
Energy Storage.
Pressurized Liquids
Pressurized non-compressible liquids are commonly used to produce hydraulic cylinder power (kinetic motion)
or may be used to drive a high
torque
slow speed hydraulic motor.
Pressure is also used to create artificial head pressure.
Historically water has been stored in
Hydro Accumulator Towers
which allowed for the manipulation of a controlled artificial head pressure.
Energy may be stored in pressurized hydraulic oils and may be connected to an accumulation system that facilitates
the stable holding of volumes of storage.
Accumulation & Consolidation
The ability to
Consolidate
Pressurized Energy that is accumulated in different volumes over different time intervals is a unique advantage
of pressurized fluid storage.
Pressure Energy Discharge
The distribution of Pressure Energy provides a flexible option that maximizes the time shifting value
between the time it is accumulated and the time when it is released.
Energy storage in pressurized fluids is a stable, discretionary longer term storage option.
Pressure Generation & Transfer
The Recovery 2.0 system attempts to take advantage of the natural flow of
fluids
from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure wherever possible.
Attempting to understand the
relationship
of fluid dynamics & thermal dynamics and how to best manipulate
temperature and pressure
within the Recovery 2.0 process presents an ongoing challenge.
The symbiotic advantage of operating a process such as The Recovery 2.0 system provides opportunities to
capitalize on the inter-working synergy.
An example this synergy is demonstrated in the
Pressurized Hydro Storage
module. While charging the Hydro Accumulator Tower the incoming water flow may be used as a liquid piston
to compress the volume of trapped air contained in the system.
At any discretionary pressure point the compressed air may be defused to an adjoining compressed air storage module.
There is an opportunity to
harvest energy
while the air transfers from the Hydro Accumulator into the compressed air storage module.
Maintaining the controlled flexibility to defuse the air flow back and forth between the water and air storage columns
may allow for the opportunity to manipulate the pressures as the respective sides charge and discharge.
Connecting the compressed air storage modules into the backbone of the
Compressed Air Pipeline
will add additional flexibility and capacity.
In addition, the Hydro Accumulator Tower may possibly be combine with parts of the Thermal Energy
storage banks.
Pressure Engine
Traditional Heat Engines are based on the combination of
Temperature and Pressure
to focus the output of energy and torque.
The development of a system that functions as a Pressure Engine is a method of creating a continuos pressure zone.
One example of a Pressure Engine is a system that creates a concentrated low pressure zone by evacuating volumes of air
from a confined area, this air flow may be used to become the feedstock for the Recovery 2.0
air compression
pumps and the source for the
Condensing
modules.
This evacuation air flow may act as a vacuum draw to accelerate the
wind tunnel
system.
The creation, manipulation or management of pressure zones provides the opportunity to harness energy
with the use of a
Bio Lung
style of system.
Pressure Exchanger
The introduction of a rotary pressure exchange apparatus allows for the transfer of pressure between two separate streams,
a low pressure stream and a high pressure fluid flow.
The input of a high pressure fluid flow, directed through graduated intake ports, drives the rotation of a series of
cylindrical columns.
As these columns rotate past the fixed ducted input and output ports the fluids are allowed to fill and exit the
individual cylinders creating a unique fluid dynamic flow.
The Pressure Transfer Exchange effect is created when the flow acts as a fluid piston within each cylinder
as the fluids enter and are expelled.
This action is comparable to a compression pump as the high pressure stream acts on the temporarily confined low pressure stream.
The net result of this Pressure Exchanger reaction is a conversion of the low pressure fluid stream into
a high pressure stream, and conversely the incoming high pressure stream becomes a low pressure flow.
Osculating Pressure Systems
Osculating Pressure Systems typically operate on a principle of a repetitive and reversible flow of fluids
within a constricted or confined channel.
The fluid flows may consist of either liquids or gases that are directed through a harvesting/generating device
such as a turbine arrangement.
One example of such a harvesting opportunity is contained in a
Pressurized Hydro Storage
system, where an osculating air flow between the hydro accumulator tower and
the compressed air storage may be harnessed with an
Osculating
energy harvesting device such as an
Air Turbine.
Wells Turbine
Capturing multi-direction flows of fluids that may be harnessed with the use of devices such as a Wells Turbine to
convert pressure flows into electrical energy.
The possibility to operate a piston driven or pressure modified
Stirling Engine,
or linear induction generator may also exist.
We recognize several points throughout the Recovery 2.0 process that may be tapped to harvest pressure flows such as the
Wind
Energy harvesting system, the
Compressed Air
management system and the Air Exhaust Module.
Energy Storage
- Battery Banks
- Thermal Energy Storage
- Compressed Air Storage
- Exothermic Element Storage
Short Cycle Regeneration
- Hydro Energy
- Wind Energy
- Gravity Energy
- Gradient Energy
Energy Sources
- Solar
- Electricity
- Waste Heat
- Optional Sidestreams
Understanding Energy & Recovery
- Energy as a Commodity
- Recovered Energy
