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Title: Method and system for converting solar energy into electricity
Claims: I claim: 1. A method for converting solar energy into electricity by means of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an organic liquid reservoir having an ejector nozzle positioned at the inlet port of a MHD generator; (b) providing a liquid alloy reservoir in fluid communication with said inlet port; (c) providing a solar energy absorber and heating said organic liquid to its boiling temperature by means of the solar energy absorbed by said absorber so as to form high pressure vapors of the organic liquid; (d) directing the organic liquid vapors through said liquid alloy so as to form a two-phase mixture of a discontinuous vapor phase and a continuous liquid alloy phase and to propel said mixture through said MHD - generator; (e) separating the vapors from the two-phase mixture; (f) condensing said vapors into liquid; and (g) recycling the organic liquid and the separated alloy liquid to their respective reservoirs, whereby solar heat energy is converted into mechanical energy and said mechanical energy is conterted into electrical energy in said generator. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said solar energy absorber is adapted to heat liquid disposed therein and to effect movement of said heated liquid through conduit means to heat said organic liquid. 3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said organic liquid is adapted to boil at a temperature below the boiling temperature of the liquid disposed in said absorber. 4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the liquid disposed in said absorber is water and said organic liquid is adapted to boil at a temperature below the boiling temperature of said water. 5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said liquid alloy is a liquid NaK alloy. 6. A method for converting solar energy into electricity by means of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an organic liquid reservoir having an ejector nozzle adapted to emit organic liquid vapors; (b) providing a liquid alloy reservoir in fluid communication with said ejector nozzle; (c) providing a solar energy absorber and heating said organic liquid to its boiling temperature by means of the solar energy absorbed by said absorber so as to form high pressure vapors of the organic liquid; (d) directing said organic - liquid vapors through said liquid alloy to form a jet of two-phase mixture of a discontinuous vapor phase and a continuous liquid alloy phase; (e) directing a jet of said mixture into a separator wherein the vapors are separated from the liquid alloy while the propelled liquid metal is directed to pass through said MHD - generator: (f) condensing said vapors into liquid; and (g) recycling the organic liquid and the separated alloy liquid to their respective reservoirs whereby solar heat energy is converted into mechanical energy and said mechanical energy is converted into electric energy in said generator. 7. A system for converting solar energy into electrical energy, comprising (a) a magnetohydrodynamic generator (14) having inlet and outlet ports; (b) liquid alloy reservoir means (16) for supplying a liquid alloy to said inlet port; (c) organic liquid reservoir means (8) for storing a quantity of an organic liquid having a boiling temperature less than that of water; (d) solar energy absorption means (2, 46) responsive to the energy of the sun for boiling the organic liquid in said organic liquid reservoir to the vapor phase; (e) ejector nozzle means (12) for directing the organic liquid, vapors through said liquid alloy to form a jet of a two-phase mixture of a discontinuous vapor phase and a continuous liquid alloy phase and to propel said liquid alloy through the magnetohydrodynamic generator; (f) separator means for separating the vapors from the two-phase mixture; (g) condensing means for condensing said vapors into liquid; and (h) recycling means for returning the organic liquid and the alloy liquid to their respective reservoirs, whereby solar energy is converted into mechanical energy, and mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy. 8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said solar energy absorber is adapted to heat liquid disposed therein and to effect movement of said heated liquid through conduit means to heat said organic liquid. 9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said MHD-generator includes a plurality of parallelly disposed electricity producing liquid carrying channels, said channels being electrically connected in series. 10. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein permanent magnets are utilized in said MHD-generator for applying the necessary magnetic field to the liquid alloy-carrying-channels thereof. 11. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the separator means is positioned between the liquid alloy reservoir, wherein the MHD generator and said mixture is propelled through said separator, and further wherein the liquid alloy is separated from the propelling vapors during its propelled flow and substantially only said liquid alloy is directed to said magnetohydrodynamic generator. Other info: Inventors: Branover, Herman (Beer-Sheva, IL, US) Application Number: 791530 Filing Date: 1977-04-27 Publication_date: 1980-03-04 Assignee: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Beer-Sheva, IL) Primary Class(es): 310/11 60/641.8, 310/306 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Duggan, Donovan F. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Laubscher; Lawrence E. |
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