The cheapest DIY way I can think of to make a recovered heat engine is to modify a air conditioning to basically run in reverse as an engine.
You would have to pick a system that has a compressor that can be used as a motor when under pressure (or one that can easily be modified to work). The expansion valve will have to be replaced with a small positive displacement pump to pump the condensate into the boiler. I would use the cooling system to preheat the condensate before it enters the boiler to also recover some of that heat. I would also double up of the condenser to keep system pressures/temperatures under control. Actually in this situation the condenser will probably be the component that dictates how much power can be made.
As for the suggestion to just go with the turbo or turbo generator, I think its a great Idea but not exactly the same thing. In my mind the turbo recovers waste pressure not heat, so ideally you could benefit from having both at the same time. You have potential for bigger gains from heat recovery engine but its a lot harder to do and likely a lot bulkier for what you will get out of it.
|