CN116888406A

CN116888406A - Heating system and method

Info

Publication number: CN116888406A
Application number: CN202280015207.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 安德鲁·阿特金斯; 雷蒙德·科尔斯; 鲍勃·戴伊; 克里斯多夫·基; 巴里·马利奇亚; 罗伯特·莱特
Original assignee: Byc LLC
Current assignee: Byc LLC
Priority date: 2021-02-26
Filing date: 2022-02-28
Publication date: 2023-10-13
Also published as: GB2604853B; WO2022180413A1; PE20240095A1; EP4214443A1; CL2023002502A1; CA3202203A1; US20230408144A1; AU2022227978A1; KR20230151099A; GB202102818D0; JP2024507040A; GB2604853A; AU2022227978A9; IL305220A

Abstract

A heating system, the heating system comprising: a liquid supply system; a unit configured to receive liquid from the liquid supply system, to provide heating of the liquid, and to output a heated fluid; a work extraction system configured to extract useful work from the heated fluid output by the unit; wherein the unit comprises: (i) A receptacle arranged to define an interior portion for receiving a liquid to be heated, and (ii) a plurality of electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to a fluid in the interior portion; and wherein the electrode is configured to apply electrical energy to said fluid in the inner portion to generate one or more bubbles of plasma for releasing energy to said fluid and the receptacle in the inner portion to provide heating of the fluid in the inner portion.

Description

Heating system and method

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of systems and methods for generating heat. In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing heated fluids using cells.

Background

In general, power generation and/or heating may involve the combustion of some fuel. For example, fossil fuels may be used in combustion processes that heat water to produce steam and/or hot water. Steam may be generated for driving the turbine, which in turn may be used to generate electricity. Hot water may be generated for use in a heating system wherein the hot water is circulated throughout a building to provide heating to the building. Electricity can also be used to produce hot water, such as in an electric boiler. It is desirable to provide increased efficiency for such power generation and/or heating.

Disclosure of Invention

Aspects of the disclosure are set out in the independent claims, with optional features set out in the dependent claims. Aspects of the disclosure may be provided in combination with each other, and features of one aspect may be applied to other aspects.

In one aspect, a heating system is provided, the heating system comprising: a liquid supply system; a cell (cell) configured to: receiving liquid from a liquid supply system, providing heating to the liquid, and outputting the heated fluid; a work extraction system configured to extract usable work from the heated fluid output by the unit. The unit comprises: (i) A receptacle arranged to define an interior portion for receiving a liquid to be heated, and (ii) a plurality of electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to a fluid in the interior portion. The electrodes are configured to apply electrical energy to the fluid in the inner portion to generate one or more bubbles of plasma for releasing energy to the fluid and the receptacle in the inner portion to provide heating of the fluid in the inner portion.

Embodiments may enable provision of a high energy heated fluid from which work may be extracted. Work may be extracted from the high energy heated fluid to provide heating and/or power generation. Embodiments may provide an efficient system for generating heat and/or power. The unit may comprise a plasma unit (e.g. a fuel unit generating a plasma).

The system may further include a controller configured to: (i) Receiving a signal indicative of at least one operating parameter of the unit, and (ii) controlling operation of the heating system based on the operating parameter. The controller may be configured to control operation of the heating system such that heat and/or plasma generation in the cell is above a threshold level. Controlling operation of the heating system may include controlling at least one of: (i) The supply of liquid to the cell by a liquid supply system, and (ii) the electrical energy applied by the electrodes. The controller may be configured to control operation to maintain at least one operating parameter of the unit within a selected range (e.g., to provide a selected level of performance to the unit).

The controller may be configured to control the supply of liquid to the unit and/or the electrical energy applied by the electrodes based on the obtained indication of the need for heating to be provided by the unit. In the case that the obtained indication of demand represents an increased demand for heating to be provided by the unit, the controller may be configured to increase at least one of: (i) the temperature of the liquid supplied to the cell, (ii) the pressure of the liquid supplied to the cell, (iii) the amount of liquid supplied to the cell, and (iv) the amount of electrical energy applied by the electrodes. For example, controlling such operation may facilitate an increase in cell output (e.g., providing more heated fluid and/or plasma generation within the cell).

The signal indicative of the at least one operating parameter may comprise an indication of the quality and/or quantity of plasma generation within the cell. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the heating system such that the quality and/or quantity of plasma generation is maintained within a selected range. For example, the controller may be configured to provide at least a threshold amount of plasma generation. The threshold amount/selected range of plasma generation may be selected such that sufficient plasma generation occurs to provide a heating system with selected heating characteristics (e.g., such that the amount of heated fluid generated is within a selected range).

The signal indicative of the quality and/or quantity of plasma generation may comprise an indication of at least one of: (i) the pressure and/or temperature of the fluid output from the cell, (ii) the amount and/or type of electromagnetic energy present within the cell, (iii) chatter associated with the power supply to one or more of the electrodes, (iv) current flow and/or voltage associated with one or more of the electrodes, and (v) fluid flow dynamics within the cell. For example, a higher pressure and/or temperature (e.g., for fluid output from the cell) may indicate increased plasma generation. Also, a higher rate of increase in pressure/temperature may indicate greater plasma generation. For example, an increase in any of the electromagnetic activity within the cell and/or the dithering associated with the power supply may provide an indication of an increase in plasma generation. For example, a sudden change in current or voltage may provide an indication of any change in plasma generation. This may provide an indication of an impending arc when the current begins to increase. For example, the controller may be configured to reduce or stop applying the voltage to the first electrode in case the current change exceeds a threshold (or the rate of change of the current exceeds a threshold), e.g. if the current increases too much. For example, the voltage may be monitored to identify any drop in voltage, such as in response to an arc providing a reduced resistance to current flow. For example, an indication of increased turbulence of fluid flow within the cell may provide an indication of increased plasma generation.

The controller may be configured to control at least one of: (i) Controlling the supply of liquid to the cell based on the electrical energy to be applied by the plurality of electrodes, and (ii) controlling the electrical energy to be applied by the plurality of electrodes based on the supply of liquid to the cell. For example, when increasing the supply of liquid and/or electrical energy, the controller may control the supply of electrical energy/liquid (respectively) in accordance with a change in another supply. The change in one supply may be selected based on the change in another supply (e.g., the increase/decrease of one may be selected in proportion to the increase/decrease of the other supply). The signal indicative of the at least one operating parameter may include an indication of a temperature associated with at least one of the cell, the fluid in the cell, and the fluid output from the cell. The controller may be configured to control at least one of: (i) electrical energy applied by the electrodes, (ii) a supply of liquid to the cell, and (iii) an external heater to increase the temperature of the cell, fluid in the cell, and/or fluid output from the cell if the indication of temperature is below a threshold level. The controller may be configured to increase the electrical energy applied by the electrodes to provide increased heating and/or to decrease the flow of liquid through the unit if the indication of temperature is below a threshold level.

The interior surface of the receptacle of the unit may comprise an electromagnetic energy absorbing material arranged to convert incident photons into heat. At least a portion of the receptacle may be conductive. For example, the interior surface of the receptacle may be configured to generate heat in response to photons incident on the surface. The receptacle (e.g., an interior surface of the receptacle) may be configured to heat a fluid within the interior portion in response to heat generated by incident photons (e.g., and/or other particles such as electrons). The receptacle may be configured to provide conductive heating of the fluid within the inner portion. The receptacle may be made of metal, for example, the receptacle may be made of steel. The receptacle may be formed from a variety of different materials. The receptacle may be provided with one or more layers or sleeves. For example, the unit may comprise a sleeve in an inner portion within the receptacle. The sleeve may be arranged to fit within the inner portion (e.g. the sleeve may be located adjacent to the inner portion of the receptacle). A plurality of such sleeves may be provided. Each sleeve may be arranged to provide different absorption/conduction characteristics to other areas of the receptacle/unit. For example, the receptacle may be made of a first material (e.g., steel) and a sleeve made of a second material (e.g., aluminum) may be inserted into the receptacle. The receptacle and/or sleeve may include a coating to further facilitate absorption and/or conduction. For example, a gold coating may be applied.

The liquid supply system may be configured to supply liquid under pressure to the unit. The unit may be arranged to hold the fluid under pressure in the receptacle. For example, the receptacle may include one or more compression devices configured to hold an inner portion of the receptacle under pressure, and/or the receptacle may be sufficiently rigid to resist expansion under pressure applied from within the inner portion. The liquid supply system may be configured to heat the liquid prior to supplying the liquid to the unit. The liquid supply system may be configured to increase heating of the liquid prior to supplying the liquid to the unit in the event that heat and/or plasma generation of the unit is below a threshold level. The system may be arranged to provide a variable continuous liquid supply to the unit.

The plurality of electrodes may include: (i) An anode arranged to provide a conductive path for current to be applied to the fluid in the inner portion, and (ii) a cathode arranged to provide a conductive path remote from the inner portion for current received from the anode through the fluid in the inner portion. The plurality of electrodes may further comprise a counter electrode arranged to provide an additional conductive path towards or away from the fluid in the inner portion. The anode and cathode (and e.g. the counter electrode) may be arranged concentrically with each other. The anode, cathode and balance electrode may have the same coefficient of thermal expansion. The counter electrode may be disposed away from the conductive path between the anode and the cathode. For example, the conductive path from the anode to the cathode may be radially outward. The counter electrode may be offset from the anode/cathode in different directions (e.g., along the longitudinal axis). The balance electrode may be closer to the anode than the cathode. For example, the counter electrode may extend substantially perpendicular (e.g., perpendicular) to the current path from the anode to the cathode (e.g., the counter electrode may be parallel to the anode).

The cell may include a resistive element disposed between the anode and the cathode, e.g., the resistive element may include quartz or borosilicate glass material (e.g., a high resistance material that may withstand high temperatures and/or high pressures). The resistive element may have sufficient resistance such that the resistive element may act as an electrical insulator. The resistive element may be arranged on a conductive path between the anode and the cathode, for example to provide an increased resistance between the anode and the cathode. For example, the resistive element may be positioned radially outward from the anode and radially inward from the cathode (e.g., at a location where the conductive path from the anode to the cathode extends radially outward).

The system may be configured to provide additional heating to one or more components of the unit (e.g., during start-up mode). The unit may include a heating element to provide such heating. For example, the heater may be located near the unit, and/or the heating element may be integrated within a portion of the unit. The heater may be included in an end cap of the unit (e.g., a cartridge heater may be disposed within the end cap of the unit). In some examples, such heating may be provided by a resistive heating element. The resistive heating element may be part of the cell (e.g., a voltage may be applied to a component such as an anode or resistive element to provide resistive heating, or to additional resistive heating elements or regions of the cell). Such heating may be provided to increase a temperature associated with at least one of: the cell, the fluid within the cell, and the fluid output from the cell to the point where the plasma is excited. For example, heating may be provided until bubbles (e.g., air bubbles) are present.

The liquid supply system may be configured to supply a fluid (e.g., water) to the cell that exhibits, at least in part, non-newtonian properties under expected conditions within the cell. For example, where the liquid is configured to resist rapid expansion of the plasma within the cell. The system may further include a filtering device configured to filter the fluid output from the unit. The work extraction system may comprise at least one of: (i) a regulator for mass transfer of heat and/or pressurized fluid, (ii) a heat exchanger for transferring heat to a working fluid, and (iii) a power generation system, such as a steam-based power generation system. The heated fluid produced by the unit may itself be used for a subsequent application, or may alternatively be used to heat one or more other fluids for a subsequent application. For example, the heated fluid produced by the unit may be used as a working fluid, or the heated fluid produced by the unit may be used to heat a separate fluid, which may then be used as a working fluid. The system may include a DC voltage source operable to apply a DC voltage to each of the electrodes.

In one aspect, a system is provided, the system comprising: a unit configured to heat a liquid provided to the unit, the unit comprising: an inlet for receiving a liquid to be heated and an outlet for outputting a heated fluid; a power management system configured to control application of electrical energy to the unit to control heating of the fluid in the unit; a work extraction system coupled to the outlet and configured to extract usable work from the heated fluid output by the unit; and a fluid management system coupled to the inlet of the unit and configured to: (i) Supplying a liquid to be heated to the unit, and (ii) treating the heated fluid that has been output by the unit and used by the work extraction system.

The units may include units disclosed herein. The work extraction system may include the work extraction systems disclosed herein. The fluid management system may comprise a liquid supply system as disclosed herein, for example for supplying liquid to be heated to the unit.

The fluid management system may include: (i) A liquid supply coupling for coupling the system to a supply of liquid to be heated, and (ii) a drain coupling for draining heated fluid that has been output by the unit and used by the work extraction system. The fluid management system may include a pump coupled to the liquid supply coupler and the inlet of the unit, wherein the pump is operable to supply liquid under pressure to the unit. The work extraction system may include a heat engine. The outlet of the unit may be coupled to the first engine inlet to enable the heated fluid output from the unit to drive the engine. The heat engine may be coupled to a generator configured to generate electricity in response to actuation of the engine. The outlet of the unit may also be coupled to the first heat exchanger. The first engine outlet may be coupled to the first heat exchanger such that heated fluid from the unit that has passed through the engine is directed to the first heat exchanger for heating. The first heat exchanger may be coupled to the second engine inlet to enable the reheated fluid from the heat exchanger to further drive the engine. The engine may be arranged to drive fluid entering through the first and second engine inlets at different ratios. At least one of the engine and the first heat exchanger may be coupled to a second heat exchanger configured to further extract heat from the heated fluid output by the unit.

The fluid management system may include a filter for filtering the heated fluid output from the unit. The work extraction system may comprise at least one of: a thermal management system configured to receive the heated fluid that has been output from the unit and to use the heated fluid as a heat source or in a heat exchanger; and a power generation system configured to receive the heated fluid that has been output from the unit and to generate power using the heated fluid. The power generation system may be coupled to a power management system to provide generated power to the power management system. The power management system may include an external coupler for coupling to an external power source. The power management system may be configured to receive power from an external source and/or to provide power generated by the power generation system to the external source.

In one aspect, a method of providing a heated fluid to extract useful work from the heated fluid is provided, the method comprising: supplying a liquid to be heated to a unit, wherein the unit comprises: (i) A receptacle arranged to define an interior portion for receiving a liquid to be heated, and (ii) a plurality of electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to a fluid in the interior portion; controlling operation of the plurality of electrodes to apply electrical energy to the fluid in the interior portion to generate one or more bubbles of plasma; generating heat in the receptacle proximate the interior portion in response to the receptacle receiving incident photons (e.g., further including electrons) associated with the bubbles of the plasma in the interior portion; the receptacle is used to conductively heat the fluid in the inner portion.

In one aspect, a method of controlling operation of a heating system is provided, the heating system comprising a unit comprising: (i) A receptacle arranged to define an interior portion for receiving a liquid to be heated, and (ii) a plurality of electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to a fluid in the interior portion, the method comprising: controlling operation of the electrode to apply electrical energy to the fluid in the interior portion to generate one or more bubbles of plasma for releasing energy from the plasma to the fluid in the interior portion and the receptacle to provide heating of the fluid in the interior portion, wherein controlling operation of the electrode comprises: receiving a signal indicative of at least one operating parameter associated with a cell and/or a fluid associated with the cell; operating in a "cold start" mode when the operating parameter indicates heating and/or plasma generation below a threshold level; and operating in a "normal" mode when the operating parameter indicates heating and/or plasma generation above a threshold level; wherein operating in the cold start mode includes controlling at least one of: (i) electrical energy applied by the electrodes, (ii) supply of liquid to the cell, and (iii) operation of an external heater to increase the temperature of the cell and/or fluid associated with the cell if the operating parameter indicates heating and/or plasma generation below a threshold level.

Aspects of the present disclosure may also provide one or more computer program products comprising computer program instructions configured to control a processor to perform any of the methods disclosed herein.

Drawings

Some examples of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary heating system.

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary heating system.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary cell.

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary heating and power generation system.

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary heating and power generation system.

In the drawings, like reference numerals are used to designate like elements.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems for generating heat and/or power. Such a system may provide heating of a liquid to produce a heated fluid. The heated fluid may then be used for heating purposes and/or for power generation purposes. To generate a heated fluid, a liquid may be supplied to the unit. Electrical energy may be applied to the liquid held in the cell via one or more electrodes of the cell. Application of this electrical energy to the fluid within the cell causes the bubbles within the cell to form plasma bubbles. Each bubble of the plasma will be a localized region of higher pressure/temperature than the fluid surrounding it. The surrounding fluid may limit the expansion of the plasma bubbles so that they will emit electromagnetic energy when electrical energy is still applied. For example, photons may be emitted from atoms (or molecules) within a plasma bubble. These emitted photons may in turn heat up the material they are incident on. This may provide for heating of the housing of the unit and/or of the fluid within the unit, for example. This in turn enables the unit to output heated fluid for heating and/or power generation system 500. The heated fluid may comprise a liquid and/or a gas, and in some cases, the heated fluid may also comprise some plasma material.

An exemplary heating system will now be described with reference to fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a heating system 50. The heating system 50 includes a liquid supply system 10, a cell 100, and a work extraction system 20. The unit 100 includes a fluid inlet 12 and a fluid outlet 22. The unit 100 has a receptacle 120 defining an interior portion 125 of the unit 100. The cell 100 also includes a plurality of electrodes, including a first electrode 111 and a second electrode 112 as shown. The unit 100 may comprise a plasma unit (e.g., a fuel unit that generates a plasma).

The receptacle 120 of the unit 100 encloses an interior portion 125. The fluid inlet 12 provides a flow path for fluid into the interior portion 125 of the unit 100. The fluid outlet 22 provides a flow path for fluid out of the interior portion 125 of the unit 100. The interior portion 125 of the unit 100 may also be sealed by the receptacle 120. The liquid supply system 10 is coupled to the fluid inlet 12 of the unit 100. The work extraction system 20 is coupled to the fluid outlet 22 of the unit 100. The coupling between the liquid supply system 10 and the fluid inlet 12 and the coupling between the work extraction system 20 and the fluid outlet 22 is shown as an annular flow path. However, it should be understood that this is purely for illustrative purposes and that any suitable flow path may be provided. Further, although not shown in the figures, the work extraction system 20 may also be coupled to the liquid supply system 10 (e.g., to facilitate pressurizing and/or heating of liquid to be supplied to the interior portion 125).

The first electrode 111 is at least partially disposed within the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. The second electrode 112 may also be at least partially disposed within the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. The first and second electrodes 112 are arranged concentrically. The first electrode 111 extends within a central region of the inner portion 125 of the cell 100. The second electrode 112 is arranged radially outwardly from the first electrode 111. The second electrode 112 may be cylindrical, and the first electrode 111 may be cylindrical. In the example shown in fig. 1, the first electrode and the second electrode 112 are coaxially arranged. The second electrode 112 is located near an interior surface of the receptacle 120 (however, in some examples, the second electrode 112 may be integrated with the receptacle 120, e.g., to form a portion of the receptacle, and/or the portion of the receptacle 120 may be provided with the second electrode 112, e.g., if the portion of the receptacle is electrically conductive).

The first end of the first electrode 111 is located outside the inner portion 125 of the receiving portion 120. A second end of the first electrode 111 remote from the first end is located within the interior portion 125 of the receptacle 120. The second electrode 112 may extend along part or all of the length of the inner portion 125 of the receptacle 120. At least one end of the second electrode 112 may extend out of the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. Although not shown in fig. 1, the first electrode and/or the second electrode 112 may each be coupled to a power source. For example, each electrode may have an end that extends outside of the inner portion 125 (e.g., into the receptacle 120), and the end may be coupled to a power source. In some examples, the receiving portion 120 may be provided to be grounded, and the first electrode 111 may be connected to a positive terminal of a power supply.

The receiving portion 120 may be cylindrical. The fluid inlet 12 is arranged at an end of the receiving portion 120 opposite to the fluid outlet 22. The first and second electrodes 112 extend along an axis (e.g., a longitudinal axis of the unit 100) extending from the fluid inlet 12 to the fluid outlet 22. The fluid outlet 22 may be arranged vertically higher than the fluid inlet 12 (e.g., above the fluid inlet, such as directly above the fluid inlet).

The liquid supply system 10 is arranged to supply liquid to the unit 100. Liquid may be provided into the cell 100 through the fluid inlet 12. The liquid supply system 10 may include a liquid supply coupling, such as a liquid reservoir. The liquid supply system 10 is configured to control the delivery of such liquid to the unit 100. For example, the liquid to be supplied may include, in part or in whole, a fluid that exhibits non-newtonian behavior in the environment of the cell 100. The liquid may be water or an aqueous solution.

The work extraction system 20 is arranged to receive heated fluid from the unit 100. Heated fluid may be output from unit 100 through fluid outlet 22. The heated fluid may include a liquid and/or a gas. For example, the heated fluid may be a combination of gas and liquid, such as steam with some water droplets. The fluid outlet 22 is arranged such that the heated fluid can flow out of the unit 100 for use by the work extraction system 20. For example, steam generated within the unit 100 may rise and be exhausted through the fluid outlet 22. Work extraction system 20 is configured to utilize the heated fluid output from unit 100. Work extraction system 20 may be configured to receive the heated fluid and use the heated fluid as part of a supply of heated fluid (e.g., for heating purposes). Work extraction system 20 may be configured to receive the heated fluid and use the heated fluid to generate electricity. For example, the heated fluid may be used to drive an electrical generator, such as by using a steamer.

The receptacle 120 is configured to enclose an interior portion 125. The receptacle 120 is arranged to define an interior portion 125 to provide an area in which liquid may be heated. The interior surface of the receptacle 120 (e.g., the interior surface facing/defining the interior portion 125) may be configured to generate heat in response to incident photons (e.g., the receptacle 120 may be electrically conductive). The interior surface may include an area of the receptacle 120 located near the interior portion 125. The interior surface may include portions of the receptacle 120 and/or the interior surface may include additional components, such as layers/films disposed at the interior surface to generate heat in response to incident photons. For example, the interior surface may be configured to absorb electromagnetic energy, such as in the form of visible light. The interior surface is configured to warm when the interior surface receives incident photons. The interior surface is configured to provide heating of the fluid within the interior portion 125, for example, as the interior surface receives incident photons to warm. The receiving portion 120 may be made of metal such as steel. The receptacle 120 is configured to retain fluid under pressure in the inner portion 125.

The fluid inlet 12, the inner portion 125 and the fluid outlet 22 are arranged to define a flow path for fluid flowing through the inner portion 125 of the receptacle 120. The inner portion 125 is arranged to receive liquid to be heated through the fluid inlet 12. The unit 100 is arranged to heat the liquid in the inner portion 125 to provide a heated fluid. The fluid outlet 22 is arranged to provide a flow path for the heated fluid to leave the interior portion 125.

The first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112 are configured to provide a current flow path through the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. One of the electrodes 111, 112 may provide an anode and the other electrode may provide a cathode. For example, the first electrode 111 may provide an anode for introducing an electrical current into the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. While the second electrode 112 may provide a cathode for carrying current away from the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. The first and second electrodes 112 are spaced apart from each other. The first electrode 111 is arranged to receive a voltage such that there is a potential difference between the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112. The first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112 are arranged capacitively. The presence of fluid in the interior portion 125 may provide a conductive path between the first electrode and the second electrode 112. The fluid will provide a resistance between the two electrodes 111, 112. The first and second electrodes 112 with fluid in the cell 100 may effectively provide a circuit with capacitance and resistance. The first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112 are configured to provide a voltage stress to the fluid and/or plasma within the interior portion 125.

In operation, the liquid supply system 10 supplies liquid through the fluid inlet 12 and the liquid is supplied into the interior portion 125 of the unit 100. In this example, the liquid will be water, but other liquids may be used. The liquid supply system 10 operates to supply water to the unit 100 such that the unit 100 is filled with water. Any gas previously in the cell 100 may be forced out through the fluid outlet 22 of the cell 100. The unit 100 may then be substantially filled with water.

A voltage is applied to the first electrode 111 (anode). This will cause some current to flow into the water. Due to the resistance of the water, this current flow and resistance will cause some heating of the water (e.g. I ² R heating). This resistance heating process continues while a voltage is applied to the first electrode 111. As the temperature of the water within the interior portion 125 increases, microbubbles of the gas will begin to form in the water within the interior portion 125. Micro-gases of these gasesThe bubbles may be formed steam bubbles or released air bubbles that are originally present in the water supplied to the inner portion 125 of the unit 100. Thus, some air pockets will form within the liquid in the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. As the voltage is continuously applied to the first electrode 111, bubbles of plasma will be generated in the inner portion 125 of the accommodating portion 120. These bubbles will release energy to the surrounding fluid and the interior surface of the receptacle 120. This in turn provides for heating of the fluid within the interior portion 125.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, by applying a voltage to the first electrode 111, this will charge the capacitor provided by the first and second electrodes 112. As the fluid within the interior portion 125 heats up, the dielectric constant of the fluid may change, and this may change the capacitance of the cell 100 (e.g., between the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112). For example, in the case of water, the dielectric constant of water will decrease as the water warms up (and the dielectric constant of water will also decrease as the water becomes steam). In particular, when microbubbles of a gas (e.g., vapor) begin to form within the liquid in the interior portion 125, the microbubbles will provide localized regions of lower dielectric constant. This process can effectively provide a reduction in dielectric constant in the localized region. For example, in the case of water, the difference in dielectric constant between the bubbles formed in the water and the surrounding water may be about 40 times (e.g., the capacitance per unit volume of the bubbles may be 1/40 of the capacitance per unit volume of the surrounding water). During this process, the volumetric energy density of the fluid and/or plasma within the interior portion 125 will remain unchanged. The capacitance of this region will decrease due to the decrease in dielectric constant within the bubble. When the volumetric energy density remains the same and the capacitance decreases, the voltage per meter will increase accordingly (e.g., at e=1/2 CV ² To conserve energy). For example, in the case of water, the voltage will rise by a factor of approximately ≡40 per meter.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, the microbubbles of these gases (having a density lower than the surrounding liquid) will attempt to expand rapidly to their surroundings while electrical energy is still being applied to the first electrode 111. However, the surrounding liquid will resist such expansion, for example, due to the non-newtonian nature of the liquid under these conditions. This will cause the temperature and pressure of the microbubbles to increase rapidly. The capacitance of the microbubbles will in turn decrease further (e.g., resulting in an increase in dV/dr), resulting in a further increase in voltage stress across the bubble. In the case of sufficient voltage stress across the bubble, ionization may occur, resulting in the formation of a plasma within the bubble. Thus, one or more plasma bubbles may form in the liquid in the interior portion 125. The density of the plasma may be lower than the density of the gas, so that the plasma bubbles will further try to expand rapidly while still applying a voltage to the first electrode 111. In particular, this process of plasma bubble generation will occur rapidly, and each bubble of the plasma will expand rapidly. This in turn will create a non-newtonian fluid response in the liquid in the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. For example, in the case of water, the water does not immediately yield until the bubbles of the plasma attempting to expand generate a pressure wave. Thus, the bubbles of the plasma remain of a relatively fixed volume (e.g., the bubbles of the plasma may only expand relatively slowly). When the volume of the plasma remains relatively unchanged, the temperature and pressure within the bubble rapidly rise in response to the voltage stress generated by the voltage applied to the first electrode 111.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, to accommodate this high level of energy within the plasma bubble, the energy may be absorbed by atoms (and molecules) within the bubble. Thus, the energy level (e.g., state) of these particles may increase. Within the plasma, atoms may move their electrons to higher electron energy levels and/or the spin states of the particles may change. For example, the hydrogen atom spin state may transition from a lower energy secondary state of the hydrogen atom spin state to a higher energy normal state of the hydrogen atom spin state. Molecules may also move to higher rotational and/or vibrational energy levels and/or further fragmentation of these molecules may occur. Thus, the atoms within each bubble will be at a disproportionately high energy level (e.g., as compared to the fluid within the conventional fluid/inner portion 125).

Without wishing to be bound by theory, the plasma may emit photons to accommodate high energy within the plasma. Electrons may move to a lower energy electron state and/or, for atoms/molecules, may transition to a lower energy vibrational/rotational/spin state. It is this return to a lower energy configuration that results in the emission of photons (e.g., accommodating a drop in energy level according to the bohr model). Such emission of photons may occur over a relatively large range. In the case of water, a significant portion of this photon emission occurs in the visible spectrum.

Photons emitted from each plasma bubble will then be absorbed by the fluid or receptacle 120 in the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. In response to receiving such incident photons, the fluid and/or receptacle 120 will warm up as the photons are absorbed. The interior surface of the receptacle 120 may absorb a large number of these photons, among other things, thereby increasing the temperature. As the interior surface of the receptacle 120 warms, the receptacle will in turn provide conductive heating of the fluid within the interior portion 125. This may result in the occurrence of convection, thereby increasing turbulence of the fluid within the interior portion 125 of the unit 100. As a result of this process, the fluid within the interior portion 125 will warm. Most of the liquid provided to the interior portion 125 of the unit 100 may then evaporate to provide a gas (e.g., steam). It should be appreciated that in the context of the present disclosure, some of the fluid exiting the unit 100 may have some unconventional or at least lower energy configuration than the liquid provided to the unit 100. This is a result of the plasma generation and subsequent energy release occurring within the cell 100.

The heated fluid then passes through the fluid outlet 22. Typically, the heated fluid is in the form of steam (generated within the interior portion) that warms up and exits through the fluid outlet 22. The heated fluid is then used in the work extraction system 20 to extract usable work from the heated fluid. For example, the heated fluid may be used for power generation and/or heat distribution.

Further examples of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of a heating system 50. As with FIG. 1, the heating system 50 of FIG. 2 includes a liquid supply system 10, a unit 100, and a work extraction system 20. These components of the heating system 50 of fig. 2 are similar to those of the heating system of fig. 1, for example, the features of the heating system 50 of fig. 1 may be used in combination with the features of the heating system 50 of fig. 2.

The liquid supply system 10 may also include a liquid reservoir 14, a heater 16, and a pump 18. The unit 100 includes a fluid inlet 12, a fluid outlet 14, and a receptacle 120 defining an interior portion 125. The cell 100 comprises a first electrode 111 and a second electrode 112. Further, as shown in fig. 2, the cell 100 may include a third electrode 113 and a resistive element 115. The unit 100 may comprise a plasma unit (e.g., a fuel unit that generates a plasma).

The heating system 50 may also include a power supply 30 and a controller 40. The plurality of sensors are shown by black circles to illustrate possible sensing capabilities of the system 50. The sensors shown include a power sensor 41, a fluid inlet sensor 42, a first electrode sensor 43, a second electrode sensor 44, a third electrode sensor 45, a fluid outlet sensor 46, and an interior portion sensor 47.

The liquid supply system 10 may couple a liquid reservoir 14 to the fluid inlet 12 of the unit 100. The liquid reservoir 14 may be coupled to the fluid inlet 12 via a pump 18 and/or a heater 16 (both shown in fig. 2). The liquid supply system 10 is configured to provide liquid to the interior portion 125 of the unit 100. The liquid supply system may supply liquid from a liquid source, such as the liquid reservoir 14 shown in fig. 2, or the liquid supply system may include a coupling of a liquid supply (e.g., a tap water supply) for supplying liquid.

The first and second electrodes 112 may be arranged within the cell 100 as described above with reference to fig. 1. In addition, the third electrode 113 is also disposed in the inner portion 125 of the cell 100. The third electrode 113 is optional and may or may not be included. When included, the first end of the third electrode 113 may be located outside of the inner portion 125, and the third electrode 113 may extend from the first end to a second end that is located within the inner portion 125. The second end of the third electrode 113 may be located within the inner portion 125 proximate to the second end of the first electrode 111. The first electrode 111 and the third electrode 113 may be parallel (e.g., the first electrode and the third electrode may be coaxial). The second electrode 112 and the third electrode 113 may be parallel (e.g., coaxial). The first electrode 111 may extend into the inner portion 125 toward an opposite end of the receiving portion 120 from an exterior of the first end of the receiving portion 120. The third electrode 113 may extend into the inner portion 125 from outside of the opposite end of the container 120 toward the first end. The first electrode 111 and the third electrode 113 may extend into the interior portion 125 such that there is no spatial overlap between these electrodes 111, 113 (e.g., the respective second ends of the first and third electrodes do not contact/overlap). The second electrode 112 may extend along the length of the inner portion 125 from at or outside of the first end to at or outside of the opposite end. The distance between the second end of the first electrode 111 and the second end of the third electrode 113 may be smaller than the minimum distance between the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112. The third electrode 113 may be located at a position distant from an intended current path between the first electrode and the second electrode 112.

Resistive element 115 may also be included in inner portion 125. The resistive element 115 may also be cylindrical. The resistive element 115 may be arranged to increase the resistance of the conductive path between the first electrode 111 (anode) and the second electrode 112 (cathode). The resistive element 115 may extend around a majority of the inner portion 125 (e.g., along the length and width of the inner portion to block a majority of possible conductive paths from the anode to the cathode). The resistive element 115 may be located between the first electrode 111/third electrode and the second electrode 112. For example, the resistive element 115 may be located radially outward from the first electrode 111/third electrode 113, but not radially outward farther than the second electrode 112. The resistive element 115 may extend along part or all of the length of the inner portion 125. The resistive element 115 may be arranged in the current flow path between the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112, for example such that current needs to flow through the resistive element 115 to reach the second electrode 112 from the first electrode 111. The resistive element 115 may extend along one or both of the ends of the inner portion 125 (e.g., to reduce the likelihood of a conductive path from anode to cathode that may not be via the resistive element 115).

The power supply 30 may include a DC supply (e.g., there may be an AC-to-DC converter for providing DC). The power source 30 may be coupled to one or more components of the heating system 50. Fig. 2 shows a number of these possible couplings in solid lines. For example, these couplings may include some form of conductor to provide a conductive coupling from the power supply 30 to the components. The power supply 30 may be coupled to the first electrode 111, and/or any of the second electrode 112 and the third electrode 113. The unit 100 may also include a heater, such as a resistive heater (e.g., cartridge heater). The power source may also be coupled to the heater. As shown in fig. 2, the power source 30 may be coupled to the resistive element 115 (e.g., to provide resistive heating). However, it should be understood that the resistive element need not be coupled to a power source. Instead, the resistive element may be included only for increasing the resistance between the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112.

The controller 40 may be coupled to each of the sensors. The controller 40 may also be coupled to one or more of the power supply 30, the heater 16, and the pump 18. Fig. 2 shows these couplings in dashed lines. These couplings may be wired or wireless.

The liquid supply system 10 is configured to supply liquid to the interior portion 125 of the unit 100. The controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the liquid supply system 10. For example, the liquid supply system 10 may selectively heat (using the heater 16) and/or pressurize (using the pump 18) liquid from the liquid reservoir 14 that is to be provided to the interior portion 125 of the unit 100. The controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the heater 16 and/or the pump 18 to control the temperature and/or pressure of the liquid supplied to the unit 100.

The power supply 30 may be configured to apply a voltage to the first electrode 111 (e.g., to provide the operation described above with reference to fig. 1). The power supply 30 may also be configured to apply a voltage to the third electrode 113 (and/or a heater of the unit 100, for example). The power supply 30 may also be coupled to the second electrode 112 to receive current drawn therefrom. The power supply 30 may be configured to selectively apply a voltage, for example using a high voltage DC. The controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the power supply 30. For example, the controller 40 may be configured to control at least one of: the magnitude of the voltage applied by the power supply 30, the duration of the voltage applied, and/or the components to which the voltage is applied.

The third electrode 113 may be active or passive. When the third electrode is active, a voltage is applied to the third electrode 113. When the third electrode is passive, the third electrode 113 may be conductive to receive current within the interior portion 125, but not receive power from the power source 30. The third electrode 113 may be configured to provide a counter electrode (e.g., the third electrode may be arranged to counter the electric field/current generated within the inner portion 125). The controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the power supply 30 to selectively control whether (and/or how much) voltage is applied to the third electrode 113.

The resistive element 115 may be configured to have a relatively high resistance (e.g., as compared to the resistance of the electrodes and/or fluid within the inner portion 125). The resistive element 115 may have sufficient resistance to effectively provide an electrical insulator (between the anode and cathode).

In an example, the unit includes a heater configured to provide heating in response to application of a voltage thereto, e.g., to provide a resistance (I ² R) heating. The heater may be one area of the receptacle or a separate component configured to provide resistive heating (e.g., the heater may be integrated into a portion of the receptacle such as an end cap). The heater may be arranged to provide heating of the fluid in the interior portion 125 and/or the receptacle 120 in response to application of a voltage thereto. The controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the power supply 30 to selectively control whether (and/or how much) voltage is applied to the heater. In some examples, the heater may be provided by a resistive element 115.

The controller 40 may be configured to receive a signal indicative of at least one operating parameter of the operation of the unit 100. The controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the heating system 50 based on the received signal. For example, the controller 40 may be configured to control operation of at least one of the heater 16, the pump 18, and/or the power supply 30 based on the received signals. The controller 40 may be configured to control the heat and/or pressure of the liquid supplied to the inner portion 125. The controller 40 may be configured to control whether and/or how much voltage is applied to one or more of the first electrode 111, the third electrode 113, and/or the heater. In other words, the controller 40 may be configured to control the supply of liquid to the interior portion 125 of the cell 100 and/or the electrical energy applied by the electrodes of the cell 100.

The controller 40 may be configured to control operation based on signals received indicative of at least one of the one or more operating parameters of the unit 100. Signals may be received from one or more of the sensors. It should be understood that the exact nature of the received signal and/or the sensor receiving the signal is not to be considered limiting. FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary sensor that may provide information indicative of one or more operating parameters of system 50.

The power sensor 41 may be configured to provide an indication of the operation of the power supply 30. The power sensor 41 may be configured to provide an indication of the magnitude of the applied power (e.g., voltage), and/or the power sensor may provide any relevant feedback regarding the signal applied by the power supply 30. For example, the power supply sensor 41 may be configured to provide an indication of any chatter associated with the voltage applied by the power supply 30 (e.g., to the first sensor). The fluid inlet sensor 42 may be configured to provide an indication of at least one characteristic of the liquid to be supplied to the inner portion 125. This may include, for example, an indication of the pressure and/or temperature of the liquid to be supplied. As another example, the fluid inlet sensor 42 may be configured to provide an indication of one or more chemical characteristics of the liquid to be supplied to the interior portion 125 (e.g., an indication of a chemical composition of the liquid, such as a percentage of impurities/additives, etc.). The fluid outlet sensor 46 may be similar to the fluid inlet sensor 42. For example, the fluid outlet sensor 46 may be configured to provide an indication of the temperature, pressure, and/or chemical composition of the fluid output from the unit 100. The fluid outlet sensor 46 may be configured to provide an indication of any associated energy configuration change of the fluid exiting the unit 100 (e.g., whether any additional composition is present).

The first electrode sensor 43, the second electrode sensor 44, and the third electrode sensor 45 may be configured to provide an indication of one or more characteristics of the associated electrical energy present at the electrodes. The sensor may provide an indication of the voltage and/or current present at the associated electrode. For example, the electrode sensor may be configured to provide an indication of how the current and/or voltage changes over time at the electrode (e.g., to provide an indication of the time derivative of the current/voltage).

The internal portion sensor 47 is configured to provide an indication of a condition within the internal portion 125 of the unit 100. The inner portion sensor 47 may be located within the inner portion 125 of the receptacle 120, e.g., the inner portion sensor may be attached to an inner wall of the receptacle 120 (as shown in fig. 2). Alternatively, the inner portion sensor 47 may be located outside of the outer portion, but configured to provide some indication of the conditions within the inner portion 125. The inner portion sensor 47 may be configured to provide an indication of fluid flow dynamics within the inner portion 125, e.g., to provide an indication of whether any turbulence is present and/or how turbulent the flow is. This may include the use of a flow meter, a microphone, or any other suitable sensor. The internal portion sensor 47 may be configured to provide an indication of electromagnetic energy present within the interior portion 125 (e.g., an indication of the amount and/or type of electromagnetic radiation that is occurring). For example, the internal portion sensor 47 may include a suitable antenna to detect the presence of such electromagnetic energy/radiation, and/or the internal portion sensor may include some form of camera (e.g., as part of an optical fiber) configured to obtain an indication of the light present in the unit 100. The internal portion sensor 47 may be configured to provide an indication of an activity state occurring internally of the unit 100.

In operation, the heating system 50 of FIG. 2 operates in substantially the same manner as the heating system 50 described above with reference to FIG. 1. That is, the power supply 30 applies electrical energy (e.g., voltage) to the first electrode 111 to heat the fluid in the interior portion 125. This heating is caused by resistive heating and by heating of incident light emitted by the bubbles of the plasma within the interior portion 125. Further, a capacitance may be provided between the first electrode and the third electrode 113, and/or between the second electrode and the third electrode 113. This may provide a balancing effect for the electric field within the interior portion 125 of the cell 100. If the third electrode is set as a floating electrode (e.g., in a passive state), and if a voltage is applied to the third electrode 113 (e.g., in an active state), the third electrode 113 may provide a balancing effect.

Further, the controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the heating system 50 according to any one of a number of different control loops. Each control loop may provide a feedback loop in which data indicative of an operating parameter of the unit 100 (e.g., from a sensor) is obtained, and the controller 40 controls operation of the components of the heating system 50 based on the obtained data. The data may be obtained from any suitable sensor, such as any of the sensors shown in fig. 2 and described above. The controller 40 may control the operation of any suitable component of the heating system 50, such as controlling the supply of liquid to the interior portion 125 of the unit 100 (e.g., controlling the heater 16 or pump 18), and/or controlling the application of electrical energy by one or more of the electrodes (e.g., controlling the power supplied by the power supply 30).

Four exemplary control loops will now be discussed. In a first example, operation of the unit 100 will be described in a "normal" mode in which at least one characteristic is monitored and/or adjusted to provide increased operating efficiency of the unit 100. In the second example and the third example, the operation of the unit 100 will be described with respect to increasing and decreasing the unit 100 output, respectively. In a fourth example, operation when the unit 100 is in the "start-up" mode will be described.

In a first example, operation of the heating system 50 is controlled in a normal mode of continuous operation. Here, the controller 40 is configured to receive a signal indicative of an operating parameter of the unit 100, and the controller 40 is configured to control the operation of the system 50 such that the operating parameter remains within a desired range of performance of the unit 100. The unit 100 is designed to provide heated fluid as the output of the unit. Thus, the operating parameter may provide an indication of the output of the unit 100. For example, the operating parameters may provide an indication of how effectively the unit 100 is performing and/or an indication of the amount of heat generation provided by the unit 100 (e.g., the operating parameters may provide an indication of the amount/temperature of heated fluid generated per unit time by the unit 100). It should be appreciated that in the context of the present disclosure, the unit performance itself need not be determined, but rather the controller 40 may control the operation of the unit 100 based on an indication of the unit performance.

The controller 40 may be configured to receive an indication of unit performance. The indication of the performance of the unit may provide an indication of the operational status of the unit 100. This may include an indication of the amount/temperature of heated fluid produced by the unit 100 and/or an indication of the quality of plasma generation occurring within the unit 100. The indication may be based on (e.g., may be an indication of) the temperature and/or pressure of the heated fluid produced by the unit 100. Such an indication may be obtained using the fluid outlet sensor 46, for example. The indication may be based on the temperature/pressure of the liquid provided to the unit 100 (e.g., sensed by the fluid inlet sensor 42) and the temperature/pressure of the heated fluid exiting the unit 100 (e.g., sensed by the fluid outlet sensor 46). The indication may be based on the amount of heating provided by the unit 100 (e.g., the difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature), and/or the rate of heating provided by the unit 100.

As an example, the controller 40 may be configured to receive a signal indicative of the temperature of the heated fluid exiting the unit 100. In the event that the heated fluid is outside of the selected range (e.g., above the upper threshold temperature and/or below the lower threshold temperature), the controller 40 may control the operation of the heating system 50 to increase/decrease the temperature appropriately to bring the outlet temperature back within the selected range. This may also include the controller 40 determining whether the liquid provided to the unit 100 is heated beyond a threshold amount and/or within a threshold period of time. The controller 40 may control the operation of the heating system 50 such that a sufficient amount of heating occurs and/or a sufficiently rapid heating occurs.

In addition to, or in lieu of, receiving a direct indication of the temperature/pressure of the heated fluid exiting the unit 100, the controller 40 may receive a signal indicative of the performance of the unit. For example, the controller 40 may receive a signal indicative of the amount and/or quality of plasma generation occurring within the unit 100. The controller 40 may control the operation of the heating system 50 such that the amount and/or quality of plasma generation that occurs is within a selected range. This in turn may be used to control the generation of heated fluid by the unit 100, as the generation of plasma within the unit 100 ultimately results in the heating of the fluid within the unit 100.

The controller 40 may be configured to obtain an indication of the characteristics of the plasma generation within the cell 100 based on the signals received from the sensors. An indication of the characteristics of plasma generation may be determined based on temperature and/or pressure data of the fluid entering and/or exiting the unit 100. The amount of plasma generation may be determined based on the amount of heat generation and/or the rate at which the fluid is heated. For example, faster/more heating may indicate more plasma generation. The controller 40 may be configured to determine that the plasma generation is within a selected range if the amount and/or rate of heating of the unit 100 is within the selected range.

The amount of plasma generation may be determined based on the obtained indication of the condition inside the interior portion 125 of the receptacle 120 (e.g., using the interior portion sensor 47). The indication that the fluid within the interior portion 125 is turbulently moving may be indicative of more plasma generation (e.g., due to more conductive heating provided by the interior portion of the receptacle 120, and this results in convection). Alternatively or additionally, the indication that more electromagnetic energy is present (e.g., more light is visible/more electromagnetic waves are detected) may indicate more plasma generation. The controller 40 may be configured to determine that the plasma is generated within a selected range if the amount of turbulence and/or electromagnetic energy/emissions is within the selected range.

The amount of plasma generation may be determined based on an indication of the current and/or voltage at one of the obtained electrodes. For example, the controller 40 may obtain an indication of the application of a voltage to the first electrode 111 and an indication of the resulting current through the first electrode 111 (e.g., using the first electrode sensor 43). The controller 40 may be configured to monitor the voltage and current data over time and determine when to generate a satisfactory plasma based on the voltage and current data. For example, the controller 40 may control the power supply 30 to increase the voltage applied to the first electrode 111 over time, and the controller may monitor the generated current. As the voltage increases, the current initially increases as the voltage continues to increase, and thereafter remains relatively stable. Once the threshold voltage is reached, the current will begin to increase and the rate of increase of the current will increase with increasing voltage. The controller 40 may be configured to detect that satisfactory plasma generation has occurred in the region where the current begins to increase again. For example, the controller 40 may be configured to determine that satisfactory plasma generation has occurred once the current begins to rise again. Then, the controller 40 may control the power supply 30 to no longer raise the voltage applied to the first electrode 111.

The amount of plasma generation may be determined based on an indication of the chatter provided to the power supply 30 in response to the application of a voltage to the first electrode 111. For example, this may provide an indication of plasma generation occurring in the fuel, for example, when vibration occurs due to plasma generation. The controller 40 may be configured to determine that the plasma generation is within a selected range if the detected chatter is within the selected range.

The above examples describe operating parameters of the unit 100, and the controller 40 may be configured to determine and/or receive signals indicative of the operating parameters of the unit. Based on obtaining an indication of any of these operating parameters, the controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the heating system 50. In the event that the obtained indication is outside of a selected range (e.g., above an upper threshold and/or below a lower threshold), the controller 40 may control operation of the system 50 such that the value of the parameter is within the selected range. To this end, the controller 40 may control the electrical energy supplied to the liquid of the unit 100 and/or to the fluid within the unit 100.

The controller 40 may be configured to control the liquid supplied to the unit 100 such that at least one operating parameter is within a selected range. Controlling the liquid supply may comprise at least one of: (i) controlling the temperature of the liquid supplied to the interior portion 125 of the unit 100, (ii) controlling the pressure of the liquid supplied to the interior portion 125 of the unit 100, and/or (iii) controlling the amount of liquid supplied to the interior portion 125 of the unit 100 within a selected time window. The controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the heater 16 and/or the pump 18 to control the temperature and/or pressure of the liquid supplied to the unit 100. The fluid inlet 12 may comprise one aperture for receiving liquid, or the fluid inlet may comprise a plurality of apertures, for example to provide a plurality of entry points for liquid to flow into the cell. The controller 40 may be configured to control operation of the pump 18 to control the flow of fluid through the unit 100, for example, to control how much fluid is delivered to the unit 100 per unit time. The liquid supply system 10 may be configured to provide a continuous flow of liquid to the unit 100 and the controller 40 may control the rate at which liquid is supplied to the unit 100.

In the event that the operating parameter indicates that the unit needs to increase output (e.g., the unit 100 needs to provide more heating of the fluid), the controller 40 may control the liquid supply system 10 to provide at least one of: (i) liquid supplied to the unit 100 at a higher temperature, (ii) liquid supplied to the unit 100 at a higher pressure, and/or (iii) more liquid supplied to the unit 100. For example, if the operating parameter indicates that the plasma generation is below a threshold, the controller may increase the heat and/or pressure provided to the unit 100.

The controller 40 may be configured to control the electrical energy applied to the electrodes of the cell 100 such that at least one operating parameter is within a selected range. This may include at least one of: (i) controlling the amount of time that voltage is applied to the first electrode 111, (ii) controlling the voltage applied to the first electrode 111, (iii) controlling the voltage applied to the second electrode 112, and/or (iv) controlling the voltage applied to the heater. In the event that the operating parameter indicates that temperature generation needs to be increased and/or plasma generation is below a threshold, the controller 40 may control the power supply 30 to increase the applied energy. For example, if the plasma and/or heat generation is below a threshold, the controller 40 may apply a voltage (or apply a greater voltage) to the heater and/or the first electrode 111.

The controller 40 may be configured to control both the electrical energy to be applied by the electrodes of the cell 100 and the liquid supply to the cell 100 (e.g., both may be controlled simultaneously). The controller 40 may control one of the two depending on how the controller controls the other. For example, the controller 40 may select how to control the electrical energy to be applied by the electrodes of the unit 100 (and/or vice versa) based on how the controller will control the supply of liquid to the unit 100. In the event that the controller 40 determines that increased plasma generation is required, the controller 40 may increase the voltage applied to the heater and/or the first electrode 111, as well as increase the temperature and/or pressure of the water to be provided to the unit 100. In the event that the controller 40 determines that increased production of heated fluid is desired, the controller 40 may increase the voltage applied to the electrodes and/or heater, as well as increase the amount of liquid supplied to the unit 100.

In the second and third examples, the controller 40 is configured to receive a demand signal indicating a demand for an output from the unit 100. The demand signal may indicate that more or less output from the unit 100 is required. For example, the demand may be independent of the efficiency of the unit 100, the unit 100 may operate within a threshold range of relevant operating parameters, but the demand signal may indicate that the output needs to be changed (e.g., increased or decreased).

In the event that the demand signal indicates that less output is required, the controller 40 is configured to control the liquid supplied to the cell 100 and the electrical energy applied to the electrodes of the cell 100. When demand decreases, the controller 40 will decrease the supply of liquid to the unit 100. For example, the controller 40 may reduce the flow of fluid through the unit 100. The liquid may still be supplied to the unit 100 at the same or similar temperature and/or pressure. The controller 40 may reduce the power to be applied. For example, the controller 40 may decrease the voltage applied to the first electrode 111. The controller 40 may still apply the same or similar voltage to the third electrode 113 and/or the heater. The controller 40 may still control operation, for example, as described above, such that the plasma generation is within a selected range despite the reduced overall output.

In the event that the demand signal indicates that more output is required, the controller 40 may control operation in the opposite manner. The controller 40 may increase the rate at which liquid is supplied to the cell 100 and the amount of electrical energy applied to the electrodes of the cell 100. The controller 40 may be configured to control the operation of the unit 100 to avoid that the flow of liquid through the unit 100 exceeds a plasma generation threshold amount as follows: at this plasma generation threshold amount, the flow rate is too high to generate sufficient plasma generation. The controller 40 may still control operation, for example, as described above, such that the plasma generation is within a selected range despite the increased overall output.

In a fourth example, the controller 40 is configured to control operation of the system 50 in a start-up mode. For example, when the unit 100 is first turned on, the unit may take some time to operate at a higher efficiency. In particular, the receiving portion 120 of the unit 100 may be cooler than during use. The controller 40 may be configured to determine a start-up operating condition to be used. For example, the controller 40 may obtain an indication of the temperature of a related component of the system 50 (e.g., the receptacle 120) to determine whether the system 50 should operate in the start-up mode, and/or the controller 40 may determine that the start-up mode is to be used based on an indication of previous use (e.g., the system 50 has not been used recently).

In the start-up mode, the controller 40 is configured to control the operation of the unit 100 to provide additional heating. The controller 40 may increase the voltage applied to the first electrode 111 to provide additional resistive heating. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 40 may apply a voltage to the heater, for example, to provide resistive heating. For example, the controller 40 may control operation such that a greater voltage is applied to the heater when in the start-up mode than during normal operation (e.g., no voltage may be applied to the heater during normal operation). For example, the controller 40 may be configured to control operation of the heater to provide more heating during startup (e.g., more heating energy may be used). The controller 40 may also control the operation of additional heaters, such as cartridge heaters, to provide heating of the unit 100/inner portion 125. The controller 40 may control the supply of liquid to the unit 100 such that in the start-up mode, the liquid supplied to the unit 100 is at a higher temperature and/or pressure and/or the flow of fluid through the unit 100 is lower. When in the start-up mode, the controller 40 may control the power applied to the electrodes and/or heater higher.

The controller 40 may be configured to monitor at least one operating parameter of the unit 100 to determine when to exit the start-up mode. For example, when an indication is obtained that the temperature associated with the unit 100 remains below a threshold temperature value, the controller 40 may control the operation of the system 50 in a startup mode. Once the temperature exceeds the threshold temperature value, the controller 40 may control the operation of the system 50 to operate under normal mode operating conditions. For example, when in normal mode, less preheating of the liquid may occur. The controller 40 may be configured to determine that sufficient plasma generation is occurring (e.g., in the manner described above) and, in response thereto, switch to a normal mode of operation.

Another exemplary unit 100 will now be described with reference to fig. 3. The unit 100 of fig. 3 corresponds very well to the previously described units, and thus a description of the relevant components will not be repeated.

Fig. 3 shows a unit 100. The cell 100 includes a first electrode 111, a second electrode 112, a third electrode 113, and a resistive element 115. The unit 100 further includes a receptacle 120, the receptacle 120 defining an interior portion 125, and having a fluid inlet 12 and a fluid outlet 22. The unit 100 further includes a first end cap 122, a second end cap 124, and a compression device 126. The unit 100 may comprise a plasma unit (e.g., a fuel unit that generates a plasma).

The interior portion 125 extends from a first end of the receptacle 120, which includes the fluid inlet 12, to a second end of the receptacle 120, which includes the fluid outlet 22. The inner portion 125 may be cylindrical. In addition to defining the fluid inlet 12 and the fluid outlet 22, the receptacle 120 also encloses an interior portion 125. In this example, the resistive element 115 is located near an inner wall of the receptacle 120, although in other examples, the resistive element 115 may be integral with the inner wall or separate from the wall and located inside the inner portion 125. The first end cap 122 and the second end cap 124 may also form part of the resistive element 115, e.g., the first end cap and the second end cap also provide increased resistance to the conductive path from the anode to the cathode. The second electrode 112 is disposed within (e.g., integral with) an inner wall of the receiving portion 120. The first and third electrodes 113 are at least partially disposed within the inner portion 125. The first electrode 111 extends from the exterior of the first end into the interior portion 125. The third electrode 113 extends from the exterior of the second end into the interior portion 125. In the inner portion 125, there is a gap therebetween. The three electrodes and the resistive element 115 may be coaxial (e.g., they may be concentric).

The first end cap 122 closes the interior portion 125 at a first end. The second end cap 124 closes the inner portion 125 at a second end. The end caps 122, 124 form part of the receptacle 120 for the inner portion 125. The first end cap 122 is non-conductive. The second end cap 124 is non-conductive. Each end cap may effectively form part of a barrier layer of the conductive path from the anode to the cathode (e.g., the end caps may form part of the resistive element 115 or may work in combination with the resistive element). Each end cap 122, 124 includes one or more apertures to enable fluid flow therethrough. One or both end caps may have a hole near the center of the end cap. For example, the aperture in the first end cap 122 may be located proximate to the first electrode 111. The one or more apertures may be arranged to facilitate the flow of liquid into the interior portion 125 while inhibiting the possibility of a conductive path being formed through the one or more apertures from anode to cathode. The first end cap 122 may have a plurality of apertures to facilitate the flow of liquid into the interior portion 125 through a plurality of different points. The compression device 126 is located within the first end of the receptacle 120 adjacent the first end cap 122. Compression device 126 may include any suitable biasing means, such as a spring. Each end of the receiving portion 120 may have a thicker material, as shown in fig. 3. At least one portion of the receptacle 120 may be coupled to electrical ground. As shown in fig. 3, a first end of the accommodating portion 120 is grounded. One or both of the end caps may include a heating element (e.g., a resistive heater) that may be used to provide heating to the liquid within the inner portion 125 (e.g., during start-up). For example, the power source 30 may be coupled to a heater in an end cap (e.g., the first end cap 122). The controller 40 may be configured to control the application of power to the heater in the end cap to provide heating.

The first electrode 111 may include a conductor extending along the length of the electrode. Conductors may be disposed within the insulator to provide electrodes. An insulating shield may be provided for at least some regions of the electrodes within the inner portion 125 (e.g., the insulating shield may be provided at an end of the first electrode 111 disposed in the inner portion 125). For example, the electrode may have a conductor extending along the central axis, wherein the insulator radially surrounds the conductor along the length of the conductor in the inner portion 125 (e.g., may be along the entire length). The first electrode 111 may also include a carrier at an end of the first electrode remote from the inner portion 125. The carrier may include suitable securing means, such as ledges, for attachment to the first end cap 122. The carrier may comprise sealing means and attachment means for attaching the first electrode 111 to the first end cap 122 and sealing the inner portion 125. For example, a radially extending flange may provide the sealing surface. For example, threads may secure the end cap 122 to the electrode to seal the inner portion 125. A similar arrangement may be provided for the third electrode 113, for example an arrangement of the third electrode with the second end cap 124.

The compression device 126 is configured to apply pressure on the first end cap 122 toward the interior portion 125 of the receptacle 120. The compression device 126 may help to keep the interior portion 125 of the receptacle 120 under pressure. The receptacle 120 is arranged such that liquid can flow into the interior portion 125 through the fluid inlet 12 and such that vapor/liquid can flow out through the fluid outlet 22. The receptacle 120 is arranged to provide structural support to enable the inner portion 125 to be held under pressure with fluid in the inner portion. For example, one or more side walls of the receptacle 120 are arranged to undergo radial expansion of the inner portion 125, and end walls of the receptacle 120 are arranged to undergo longitudinal expansion of the inner portion 125. The operation of the unit 100 is similar to that described above with reference to fig. 1 and 2 and will not be described here.

The heating system described herein may be used in larger power generation systems. An example of such a larger power generation system will now be described with reference to fig. 4 and 5.

Fig. 4 illustrates a heating and power generation system 1000. Heating and power generation system 1000 includes power management system 200, unit 100, thermal management system 300, fluid management system 400, and power generation system 500. Fig. 4 also shows a mains coupling 220. The unit 100 may comprise a plasma unit (e.g., a fuel unit that generates a plasma).

Fig. 4 shows a block diagram illustrating functional interrelationships between different component systems of a heating and power generation system 1000. However, it should be understood that this is intended to illustrate functional connections, not specific structural connections. It should be appreciated that the structural arrangement of the different component systems may be interconnected (e.g., as will be described later with reference to fig. 5).

As shown in fig. 4, a power management system 200 is coupled to the unit 100. The unit 100 is coupled to a thermal management system 300. The thermal management system 300 is coupled to each of the power generation system 500 and the fluid management system 400. Fluid management system 400 is coupled to unit 100. The power generation system 500 is coupled to the power management system 200. The coupling is intended to demonstrate the functional interrelationship between the different component systems. The power management system 200 may also be coupled to a mains coupling 220 (e.g., as shown in fig. 4).

The power management system 200 is configured to control the application of power to the unit 100. The power management system 200 may control the power (e.g., voltage) applied to the first electrode 111 of the cell 100. The power management system 200 may also control the power (e.g., voltage) applied to the remaining electrodes and/or heaters of the unit 100. The power management system 200 may also control the operation of any pump 18 and/or heater 16 for providing liquid under pressure and/or at a higher temperature to the unit 100. Thus, the power management system 200 may control the operation of the unit 100 to produce heated fluid.

The unit 100 is configured to operate as described above (e.g., applying electrical energy within the interior portion 125 of the unit to produce a heated fluid).

The thermal management system 300 is configured to receive heated fluid generated by the unit 100. The thermal management system 300 is configured to utilize the heated fluid to provide the associated thermal work. For example, thermal management system 300 may be configured to use the heated fluid to provide heating, such as for heating a building or the like. Thermal management system 300 may include one or more components for providing heat transfer from heated fluid from unit 100 to another component and/or substance. For example, thermal management system 300 may include one or more heat exchangers.

The power generation system 500 is configured to receive heated fluid generated by the unit 100. The power generation system 500 is configured to utilize the heated fluid to generate power (e.g., electrical energy). Fig. 4 shows the output of unit 100 being provided to thermal management system 300 and from thermal management system 300 to power generation system 500. However, it should be understood that in the context of the present disclosure, one of these systems may not be included, or both systems may be provided by the same component. The power generation system 500 may include one or more generators to generate power based on the movement of the heated fluid (e.g., using pressurized gas to drive a turbine to generate power). Such an arrangement may also include some thermal management components (e.g., distributing heat to other portions of the power generation system 500). In some examples, the heated fluid may be used for heating purposes and for power generation purposes. The thermal management system 300 may then control the distribution of the heated fluid accordingly (e.g., control the distribution of the heated fluid to the power generation system 500). For example, the work extraction system 20 described above may include such a thermal management system 300 and/or a power generation system 500.

Then, the power generated by the power generation system 500 may be supplied to the power management system 200. This power generated by power generation system 500, for example, may in turn be used by power management system 200 to power unit 100 to provide further power generation. Power management system 200 may also be coupled to power mains coupler 220 to receive power and/or transmit power to the power mains. For example, during a start-up mode, the power management system 200 may obtain all of the power management system from the power mains, but after start-up, at least some of the power management system may be received from the power generation system 500. After start-up, some of the power generated by the power generation system 500 may be provided to the mains coupling 220 for distribution elsewhere.

The fluid management system 400 is configured to provide liquid to the unit 100 (e.g., as described above for the liquid supply system 10). Fluid management system 400 is configured to receive fluid that has been output from unit 100. The fluid management system 400 may be configured to process fluids that are heated by the unit 100 and that have been used by the thermal management system and/or the power generation system. The heated fluid produced by unit 100 may be at elevated temperature and/or pressure. The thermal management system and/or the power generation system are configured to extract useful work from the high temperature/high pressure fluid. Once the useful work has been extracted, the fluid may be at a much lower temperature and pressure. For example, the fluid may leave the unit 100 as a high temperature, high pressure gas, and once fully used for work extraction, the fluid may again become liquid (e.g., at a lower temperature). The fluid management system 400 is configured to dispose of the used fluid. Treating the used fluid may include returning the used fluid to the environment and/or treating (e.g., filtering) the fluid, e.g., so that the used fluid may be reused as a liquid to be provided to the unit 100.

In operation, the power management system 200 receives power (e.g., from the mains coupling 220 and/or the power generation system 500). The power management system 200 applies electrical energy to the cell 100 (e.g., to the first electrode 111). Fluid management system 400 supplies liquid to unit 100. The electrical energy applied to the unit 100 in turn heats the liquid provided to the unit 100 such that the unit 100 outputs the heated fluid. The heated fluid is received by the thermal management system 300 and/or the power management system 200, which extracts usable work (e.g., for heating and/or generating electricity) from the heated fluid. Once the work is extracted, any power generated by the power generation system 500 is provided to the power management system 200. The used fluid is provided to a fluid management system that disposes of the used fluid. The process may be repeated (e.g., continuously repeated) to provide heat and/or generate electricity.

A more specific example of a heating and power generation system 1000 will now be described with reference to fig. 5.

Fig. 5 illustrates a heating and power generation system 1000. The heating and power generation system 1000 includes a unit 100. The heating and power generation system also includes a power supply 30, a pump 18, and a drain 15. The system 1000 includes a plurality of heat exchangers, as shown in fig. 5, including a first heat exchanger 301, a second heat exchanger 302, a third heat exchanger 303, and a fourth heat exchanger 304. The system 1000 also includes a heat engine 510 having a first drive zone 511 and a second drive zone 512, and a generator 520. The unit 100 may comprise a plasma unit (e.g., a fuel unit that generates a plasma).

The unit 100 is coupled to receive two inputs (liquid and electricity) and provide one output (heated fluid). The inputs to the cell 100 are shown at the bottom and right side of the cell 100 and the outputs of the cell are shown at the top of the cell.

The output of the unit 100 is coupled to each of the first heat exchanger 301 and the heat engine 510. The flow path for the output may be split into two, with one path coupled to the first heat exchanger 301 and the other path coupled to the heat engine 510. In particular, the output from the unit 100 is coupled to a first drive region 511 of the heat engine 510. The heat engine 510 has a first engine inlet for receiving fluid to drive the engine 510 in a first drive zone 511. The first drive zone 511 is also coupled to a first engine outlet for outputting fluid that has driven the engine 510 in the first drive zone 511. The first engine outlet is also coupled to a first heat exchanger 301.

The engine 510 also includes a second engine inlet and a second engine outlet. The second engine inlet is for receiving fluid to drive the engine 510 in the second drive region 512. The second engine outlet is for outputting fluid that has driven the engine 510 in the second drive zone 512. The second engine inlet is also coupled to the first heat exchanger 301. For example, fluid may flow from a first engine outlet to a second engine inlet through the first heat exchanger 301. The engine 510 is coupled to a generator. Each of the first drive zone 511 and the second drive zone 512 of the engine 510 may be coupled to a generator. The first driving region 511 and the second driving region 512 may drive the motor 510 at different ratios. Both of which help drive the generator to generate electricity.

The first heat exchanger 301 may be coupled to the second heat exchanger 302. The system 1000 may be configured for flowing heated fluid from the unit 100 through the first heat exchanger 301 and to the second heat exchanger 302. The second heat exchanger 302 may also be coupled to a third heat exchanger 303 and/or a fourth heat exchanger 304.

The power supply 30 is coupled to the unit 100. The power supply 30 provides an input to the fuel supply (e.g., provides electrical energy to the electrodes of the cell 100). The power supply 30 may include a coupling for receiving power from a mains (e.g., the power supply 30 may receive three-phase power). The power supply 30 may include a converter (e.g., AC to DC) for providing a DC output, such as a high voltage DC output. Then, a high voltage DC output may be supplied to the cell 100, for example, to be applied to the first electrode 111. The power source 30 may also be coupled to a generator to receive power generated from the generator. The power supply 30 may receive AC or DC from a generator. In the case of an AC being received, the AC may be converted to DC (e.g., using the same or a different AC-to-DC converter). Some of the power generated by the generator may be provided to the mains, for example for use elsewhere.

The third heat exchanger 303 and/or the pump 18 may be coupled to an input of the unit 100. The third heat exchanger 303 and/or pump 18 may be used to heat and/or pressurize the liquid to be supplied to the unit 100. This may provide a liquid input to the unit 100 for generating heated fluid. The heated fluid output from the unit 100 is finally coupled to the drain pipe 15. For example, fluid that has passed through both regions 511, 512 of the engine 510 may be provided to the drain 15. Likewise, fluid that has passed through any of the heat exchangers (e.g., the second heat exchanger 302, the third heat exchanger 303, and/or the fourth heat exchanger 304) may then be coupled to the drain pipe 15.

The system 1000 is arranged to provide multiple uses of the heated fluid produced by the unit 100, such as extracting work from the heated fluid in multiple ways. The system 1000 is configured to provide high temperature, high pressure fluid output from the unit 100 to drive a first drive region 511 of the engine 510. The generator is configured to generate electricity by such driving of the first driving region 511. The first heat exchanger 301 is configured to reheat the fluid that has driven the first drive region 511 of the engine 510. The first heat exchanger 301 is arranged to exchange heat between the heated fluid from the unit 100 and the fluid that has driven the first drive zone 511 of the engine 510. The system 1000 is configured to drive the second drive region 512 of the engine 510 using the reheated fluid that has driven the first drive region 511 of the engine 510. The second drive region 512 of the engine 510 is configured to have a simpler ratio (e.g., less energy is required to drive rotation) than the first drive region 511. The fluid passing through the second drive zone 512 may be at a lower pressure than the first drive zone 511. The generator is configured to generate electricity in response to driving of the first drive region 511 and/or the second drive region 512 of the engine 510.

The system 1000 is arranged for heated fluid that has passed through the first heat exchanger 301 and/or has flowed out of the second engine outlet to provide further heating use in the relevant case. For example, the system 1000 may be arranged to deliver heated fluid to one or more of the second heat exchanger 302, the third heat exchanger 303, and/or the fourth heat exchanger 304 for extracting useful heating work from the heated fluid. Any of these heat exchangers 302, 303, 304 may be coupled to external components for use of this heat. The system 1000 may be configured to heat exchange a heated fluid with a liquid to be supplied to the unit 100 to provide heating to the liquid before the liquid is delivered to the unit 100. The system 1000 is arranged to drain any remaining fluid using a drain 15.

In operation, liquid is supplied to the cell 100 and electrical energy is applied to the electrodes of the cell 100 to produce a heated fluid. The heated fluid exits the unit 100 and flows to the first heat exchanger 301 and the first drive region 511 of the engine 510. The heated fluid flows through the first drive zone 511 to drive the engine 510 and generator to generate electricity. The fluid then flows into the first heat exchanger 301 where it is reheated by the heated fluid traveling directly from the unit 100 (e.g., without via the engine 510) to the first heat exchanger 301. The fluid that has traveled through the engine 510 is then reheated before flowing through the second engine drive region. The fluid then drives the engine 510 and generator to generate electricity. The fluid that has passed through the second drive zone 512 of the engine 510 and/or has passed through the first heat exchanger 301 away from the engine 510 is then used in the other heat exchangers 302, 303, 304 to extract more available heat work from the fluid. The fluid is then drained using drain 15.

It should be understood that in the context of the present disclosure, the examples described herein are not intended to be considered limiting. Alternative and/or additional features may also be included. For example, reference has been made to a concentric electrode, for example, which is arranged coaxially with the central first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112 located radially outside the first electrode 111. However, this arrangement may be reversed. Alternatively, the electrodes need not be arranged concentrically. For example, the two electrodes may be arranged in another way, such as in plate-like electrodes, e.g. two parallel plates, or in parallel lines or other parallel objects, such as spheres.

Reference has been made herein to the electrodes of the cell 100. The first electrode 111 may provide an anode, the second electrode 112 may provide a cathode, and/or the third electrode 113 may provide a counter electrode. It should be appreciated that in the context of the present disclosure, each electrode may provide a conductive path, e.g., each electrode may include a conductor extending along the length of the electrode. The anode may include a conductor that provides a conductive path from the exterior of the inner portion 125 into the inner portion 125 to the distal end of the conductor within the inner portion 125. The cathode may include a conductor that provides a conductive path from within or adjacent the interior portion 125 to remote from the interior portion 125. The counter electrode may include a conductor that provides a conductive path from outside the inner portion 125 into the inner portion 125 or from within the inner portion 125 away from the inner portion 125. The first electrode 111 may be disposed closer to the third electrode 113 than the first electrode to the second electrode 112, for example, a minimum distance between a point on the first electrode 111 and a point on the third electrode 113 may be smaller than a minimum distance between a point on the first electrode and a point on the second electrode 112. For example, the minimum distance between the first electrode and the third electrode may be much smaller than the minimum distance between the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 112.

The examples described herein relate to the use of one unit. However, it should be understood that in the context of the present disclosure, a plurality of units may be provided. For example, the operation of the different units may be timed to provide a consistent output of heated fluid over time. The timing of operation of each unit may be offset such that the total output of heated fluid remains relatively constant over time. For example, it should be understood that each cell may have a time-varying output of heated fluid, and that multiple cells may have their operations timed such that the output from all cells combined is more consistent than the output of any one individual cell. The controller 40 may be configured to control the supply of liquid to each cell and/or apply electrical energy to the electrodes to provide a consistent output of heated fluid. For example, one or more sensors may be used for each cell to determine an operating parameter of each cell, such as the output of heated fluid of each cell.

It should be appreciated that the supply of liquid to the unit 100 may occur continuously over time, or only over discrete periods of time. The controller 40 may be configured to control whether liquid is delivered to the unit 100. For example, the unit 100 may include a fluid inlet valve operable to control whether fluid may flow into the interior portion 125 and/or may control operation of the pump 18 to deliver liquid to the unit 100 or not. There may be a continuous flow of fluid within the unit 100, e.g., fluid is continuously provided to the unit 100, and heated fluid continuously exits the unit 100 (e.g., as a gas through the fluid outlet 22). There may be a discrete period of time for the fluid input such that one unit of liquid is delivered to the cell 100 (e.g., sufficient to fill the cell 100), then no additional liquid is provided when electrical energy is applied to the electrodes to provide heated fluid (e.g., once all of the fluid has been sufficiently heated to be released through the fluid outlet 22). Another unit of liquid may then be provided to the unit 100. It will be appreciated that for this mode of operation, a plurality of different units operating together may include timed operation such that when a unit is delivered to one unit, another unit is applying electrical energy to the fluid in that unit. It will be appreciated that a plurality of different units (e.g. more than 2) may be used, all of which are offset in timing from each other, e.g. such that when one unit is about to complete heating, the other unit is in mid-heating, and the other unit has just begun heating, etc.

The interior surface of the receptacle 120 has been described as an electromagnetic energy absorbing surface. This may be a property of the material (e.g., steel) used to provide the receptacles 120, and/or a coating may be provided on the interior surface to facilitate absorption of electromagnetic energy (e.g., from photon emission). It should be appreciated that absorbing electromagnetic energy may include receiving incident photons (e.g., in the visible spectrum) and generating heat in response to the photons being incident on a surface. It should also be appreciated that electrons or other particles (e.g., charged particles emitted from a plasma/plasma cooling process) may also be incident on the interior surfaces of the receptacle 120. The interior surface of the receptacle 120 may also be configured to generate heat in response to such incident particles. For example, resistive heating may be provided in response to electron flow through the interior surface.

From the above discussion, it should be understood that the examples shown in the drawings are merely exemplary and include features that may be summarized, removed, or replaced as described herein and as set forth in the claims. Referring generally to the drawings, it will be understood that the schematic functional block diagrams are used to indicate the functionality of the systems and devices described herein. Furthermore, the processing functionality may also be provided by devices supported by the electronic device. It should be understood, however, that the functionality need not be divided in this manner, and should not be taken to imply any particular hardware structure other than that described and claimed. The functionality of one or more of the elements shown in the figures may be further subdivided and/or distributed throughout the devices of the present disclosure. In some examples, the functionality of one or more elements shown in the figures may be integrated into a single functional unit.

In the context of the present disclosure, each of the examples described herein may be implemented in a variety of different ways, as will be appreciated by the skilled reader. Any feature of any aspect of the present disclosure may be combined with any of the other aspects of the present disclosure. For example, method aspects may be combined with apparatus aspects and features described with reference to the operation of particular elements of an apparatus may be provided in methods that do not use those particular types of apparatus. Furthermore, each of the features of each of the examples is intended to be separate from the features described in connection with the examples, unless certain other features are explicitly stated as being necessary for their operation. Each of these separable features can, of course, be combined with any of the other features of the examples in which it is described, or with any feature or combination of features of the other features of any of the other examples described herein. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the invention.

Some features of the methods described herein may be implemented in hardware and one or more functions of the apparatus may be implemented in method steps. It should also be appreciated that in the context of the present disclosure, the methods described herein need not be performed in the order in which they are described, nor in the order in which they are depicted in the figures. Thus, aspects of the disclosure described with reference to an article or apparatus are also intended to be implemented as a method, and vice versa. The methods described herein may be implemented in a computer program, or in hardware, or in any combination thereof. The computer program comprises software, middleware, firmware, or any combination thereof. Such a program may be provided as a signal or network message and may be recorded on a computer readable medium, such as a tangible computer readable medium that may store the computer program in a non-transitory form. The hardware includes computers, hand-held devices, programmable processors, general purpose processors, application specific integrated circuits (application specific integrated circuits, ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (field programmable gate arrays, FPGAs), and logic gate arrays. For example, the controller 40 described herein may be provided by any control device, such as a general purpose processor configured with a computer program product configured to program the processor to operate according to any of the methods described herein. The functions of the controller 40 may be provided by an application specific integrated circuit ASIC, or a field programmable gate array FPGA, or a configuration of logic gates, or any other control means.

Other examples and variations of the present disclosure will be apparent to the skilled artisan in the context of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A heating system, the heating system comprising:

a liquid supply system;

a unit configured to: receiving liquid from the liquid supply system, providing heating to the liquid, and outputting heated fluid;

a work extraction system configured to extract available work from the heated fluid output by the unit;

wherein the unit comprises: (i) A receptacle arranged to define an interior portion for receiving a liquid to be heated, and (ii) a plurality of electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to a fluid in the interior portion; and

wherein the electrode is configured to apply electrical energy to the fluid in the inner portion to generate one or more bubbles of plasma for releasing energy to the fluid in the inner portion and the receptacle to provide heating of the fluid in the inner portion.

2. The heating system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a controller configured to: (i) Receiving a signal indicative of at least one operating parameter of the unit, and (ii) controlling operation of the heating system based on the operating parameter.

3. The heating system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the heating system such that heat and/or plasma generation in the cell is above a threshold level.

4. A heating system according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein controlling operation of the heating system comprises controlling at least one of: (i) A supply of liquid to the unit by the liquid supply system, and (ii) electrical energy applied by the electrodes.

5. The heating system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to control the supply of liquid to the unit and/or the electrical energy applied by the electrodes based on the obtained indication of the need for heating to be provided by the unit.

6. The heating system of claim 5, wherein, in the event that the obtained indication of demand represents an increased demand for heating to be provided by the unit, the controller is configured to increase at least one of: (i) the temperature of the liquid supplied to the cell, (ii) the pressure of the liquid supplied to the cell, (iii) the amount of liquid supplied to the cell, and (iv) the amount of electrical energy applied by the electrode.

7. The heating system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the signal indicative of at least one operating parameter comprises an indication of the quality and/or quantity of plasma generation within the cell; and

wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the heating system such that the quality and/or quantity of plasma generation is maintained within a selected range.

8. The heating system of claim 7, wherein the signal indicative of the quality and/or quantity of plasma generation comprises an indication of at least one of: (i) the pressure and/or temperature of the fluid output from the cell, (ii) the amount and/or type of electromagnetic energy present within the cell, (iii) chatter associated with the power supply to one or more of the electrodes, (iv) current flow and/or voltage associated with one or more of the electrodes, and (v) fluid flow dynamics within the cell.

9. The heating system of any of claims 2-8, wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of: (i) Controlling the supply of liquid to the cell based on the electrical energy to be applied by the plurality of electrodes, and (ii) controlling the electrical energy to be applied by the plurality of electrodes based on the supply of liquid to the cell.

10. The heating system of any of claims 2-9, wherein the signal indicative of at least one operating parameter comprises an indication of a temperature associated with at least one of: the cell, the fluid in the cell, and the fluid output from the cell; and

wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of: (i) electrical energy applied by the electrodes, (ii) a supply of liquid to the cell, and (iii) an external heater to increase the temperature of the cell, the fluid in the cell, and/or the fluid output from the cell if the indication of temperature is below a threshold level.

11. The heating system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to increase the electrical energy applied by the electrode to provide increased heating and/or to decrease the flow of liquid through the unit if the indication of temperature is below a threshold level.

12. A heating system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an interior surface of the receptacle of the unit comprises an electromagnetic energy absorbing material arranged to convert incident photons into heat.

13. A heating system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid supply system is configured to supply liquid under pressure to the unit, and the unit is arranged to retain fluid under pressure in the receptacle.

14. A heating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid supply system is configured to increase heating of liquid prior to supply to the unit in the event that heat and/or plasma generation of the unit is below a threshold level.

15. The heating system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises: (i) An anode arranged to provide a conductive path for an electrical current to be applied to a fluid in the inner portion, and (ii) a cathode arranged to provide a conductive path remote from the inner portion and for an electrical current received from the anode through the fluid in the inner portion.

16. The heating system of claim 15, further comprising a counter electrode arranged to provide an additional conductive path towards or away from the fluid in the inner portion, for example wherein the anode, the cathode and the counter electrode all have the same coefficient of thermal expansion.

17. Heating system according to claim 16, wherein the counter electrode is separated from a conductive path from a first electrode to a second electrode, e.g. wherein the counter electrode extends perpendicularly away from the conductive path from the first electrode to the second electrode, e.g. wherein the counter electrode is arranged closer to the first electrode than the second electrode.

18. A heating system according to any of claims 15 to 17, wherein the unit comprises a resistive element arranged between the anode and the cathode, for example wherein the resistive element comprises quartz.

19. The heating system according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the anode and the cathode are arranged concentrically with each other.

20. The heating system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises a heater coupled to or part of the unit, wherein the system is configured to increase the electrical energy applied to the heater to increase the temperature associated with at least one of: the cell, the fluid within the cell, and the fluid output from the cell.

21. A heating system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the work extraction system comprises at least one of: (i) a regulator for mass transfer of heat and/or pressurized fluid, (ii) a heat exchanger for transferring heat to a working fluid, and (iii) a power generation system, such as a steam-based power generation system.

22. A system, the system comprising:

a unit configured to heat a liquid provided to the unit, the unit comprising: an inlet for receiving a liquid to be heated and an outlet for outputting a heated fluid;

a power management system configured to control application of electrical energy to the unit to control heating of fluid in the unit;

a work extraction system coupled to the outlet and configured to extract usable work from the heated fluid output by the unit; and

a fluid management system coupled to the inlet of the unit and configured to: (i) Supplying a liquid to be heated to the unit, and (ii) treating the heated fluid that has been output by the unit and used by the work extraction system.

23. A method of providing a heated fluid to extract useful work from the heated fluid, the method comprising:

supplying a liquid to be heated to a unit, wherein the unit comprises: (i) A receptacle arranged to define an interior portion for receiving a liquid to be heated, and (ii) a plurality of electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to a fluid in the interior portion;

controlling operation of the plurality of electrodes to apply electrical energy to the fluid in the interior portion to generate one or more bubbles of plasma;

generating heat in the receptacle proximate to the interior portion in response to the receptacle receiving incident photons associated with bubbles of the plasma in the interior portion;

the fluid in the inner portion is conductively heated using the receptacle.

24. A method of controlling operation of a heating system, the heating system comprising a unit comprising: (i) A receptacle arranged to define an interior portion for receiving a liquid to be heated, and (ii) a plurality of electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to a fluid in the interior portion, the method comprising:

Controlling operation of the electrode to apply electrical energy to the fluid in the interior portion to generate one or more bubbles of plasma for releasing energy from the plasma to the fluid in the interior portion and the receptacle to provide heating of the fluid in the interior portion, wherein controlling operation of the electrode comprises:

receiving a signal indicative of at least one operating parameter associated with the cell and/or a fluid associated with the cell;

operating in a "cold start" mode when the operating parameter indicates heating and/or plasma generation below a threshold level; and

operating in a "normal" mode when the operating parameter indicates heating and/or plasma generation above a threshold level;

wherein operating in the cold start mode includes controlling at least one of: (i) electrical energy applied by the electrodes, (ii) supply of liquid to the cell, and (iii) operation of an external heater to increase the temperature of the cell and/or fluid associated with the cell if the operating parameter indicates heating and/or plasma generation below a threshold level.

25. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions configured to control a processor to perform the method of claim 23 or 24.