| CPC F03B 17/005 (2013.01) [F05B 2210/13 (2013.01); F05B 2220/20 (2013.01)] | 22 Claims |
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1. An energy conversion system comprising:
a riser conduit (20) comprising a first liquid;
a down-comer (19) comprising a second liquid, the down-comer (19) in fluid communication with the riser conduit (20), the second liquid comprising the first liquid and a finely divided material in suspension such that the second liquid has a higher specific gravity than the first liquid, the down-comer (19) in fluid communication with a first tank (16) and a second tank (16A);
a converter device (24) arranged to convert energy of the first liquid into energy for output from the energy conversion system, and to discharge the first liquid thereafter;
a recirculator (17, 18) in fluid communication with the down-comer (19) arranged to recirculate a third liquid to maintain the finely divided material in suspension, the third liquid comprising the second liquid and a further finely divided material in suspension so that the third liquid has a higher specific gravity than the second liquid, the recirculator (17, 18) arranged to discharge the third liquid to mix with the first liquid from the converter device (24) to form the second liquid; and
a pressurizable separation tank (22) arranged to receive the second liquid from the down-comer (19), separate the first liquid from the finely divided material, and discharge the first liquid to the riser conduit (20) and the third liquid to the recirculator (17, 18),
wherein the first tank (16) and the second tank (16A) are arranged between the converter device (24) and the down-comer (19), to receive the first liquid discharged from the converter (24) and to supply the first liquid to the down-comer (19), and
wherein a height of liquid in the first and second tanks (16, 16A) is maintained below a predetermined threshold.
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