Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckm
Just a slightly different track to suggest. Instead of using water as your working fluid, could you use refrigerant (R-134a)? The lower specific heat and boiling point will help your efficiency (even though the heat energy extracted may be the same as with water, turbines and the like run via temperature/pressure differences). Then, with an aftercooler condenser, you may be able to use the phase change to extract energy more efficiently by generating a higher pressure diffential. The circuit would be muffler/exchanger --> turbine or other expander --> aftercooler condenser (probably just an automotive condenser unit) --> check valve --> muffler/exchanger.
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Thats EXACTLY what I have had in mind. The only thing is weather the fluid will work by natural convection or not (it WILL if the fluid can become steam, but I dont know if it stays in a fluid state).
Another thing, doesn't R-134a have to be pressurized? That (1) raises the boiling point and (2) makes the system a tiny bit more complicated than a non pressured system.