Technology
Isentropic's highly reversible heat engine/heat pump is a fundamental advance in energy processing machines. It has three critical features:
- Exceptional efficiency - 99% isentropic efficiency is, we believe, a record. Turbines have an isentropic efficiency of ~90%
- High reversibility - the machine works both as an engine and a heat pump (an engine turns a temperature difference into work, a heat pump turns work into a temperature difference - every fridge has one). High reversibility means that if it first turns electricity into a temperature difference, it can then regenerate most of the electricity from the temperature difference it has created. No other machine to date can do this efficiently.
- Gas cycle machine - no use of damaging refrigerants, chemicals or water
These three features provide radical new possibilities in electricity storage, energy production, heating, cooling, compression and expansion.
Isentropic's machine is a reciprocating device but quite unlike existing machinery. It is based on four significant innovations:
- Machine layout - the machine re-imagines the first Ericsson cycle of 1833
- Construction - aircraft techniques have massively reduced piston weight and cost
- Valving - a completely new approach has virtually eliminated pressure losses
- Sealing - a new sealing concept gives ultra-low friction and very long life
The Isentropic machine can be used for:
- Pumped Heat Electricity Storage
- Heating and Cooling
- Solar Generation
Heating and Cooling
It is a high efficiency air-cycle heat pump. It delivers significant improvements in efficiency and uses no enviornmentally damaging refrigerants. It is low cost and straightforward to manufacture.
Solar Generation
It is a high efficiency external heat engine that allows for the efficient and low cost generation of solar thermal power via a concentraing system. It can work with conventional solar collectors to deliver efficiencies as good as large steam turbines but in sizes down to 100kW. This will enable efficient, low cost and small scale CSP close to demand (rooftops) for the first time. It also does not suffer significant performance losses as the temperature drops.
