Claims
- 1. A semi-closed Brayton cycle power generation system, comprising in combination:
a gas compressor having an inlet and an outlet; a combustor downstream of said compressor, said combustor having a fuel port coupled to a source of fuel, an oxidizer port coupled to said compressor outlet and an outlet port for combustion products resulting from combustion of fuel from said source of fuel with oxidizer from said oxidizer port; a turbine downstream of said combustor, said turbine having an input coupled to said combustor outlet port, an output for the combustion products entering said turbine at said input, and a power output; a return duct downstream of said turbine, said return duct receiving at least a portion of the combustion products passing through said output of said turbine and extending to said inlet of said compressor; a gaseous oxygen duct coupled to a source of oxygen and coupled to said return duct in a manner adding oxygen to the combustion products within said return duct; and said gaseous oxygen duct located upstream of said gas compressor, such that the oxygen from said gaseous oxygen duct enters said compressor inlet along with the combustion products.
- 2. The system of claim 1 wherein a divider is located at least partially upstream of said return duct and downstream of said turbine, said divider dividing a portion of the combustion products passing through said output of said turbine into a separation duct separate from said return duct.
- 3. The system of claim 2 wherein said divider divides a homogeneous portion of the combustion products into said separation duct, such that relative amounts of constituents of the combustion products within said separation duct match relative amounts of constituents in said return duct downstream of said divider.
- 4. The system of claim 3 wherein said divider divides out at least about ten percent of the combustion products passing through said output of said turbine into said separation duct.
- 5. The system of claim 2 wherein a condenser is located downstream of said separation duct, said condenser including a gas outlet and a condensate outlet.
- 6. The system of claim 5 wherein at least a portion of gases exiting said condenser through said gas outlet enter a gas outlet compressor, said gas outlet compressor compressing the gases passing thereinto to a pressure sufficient to inject the gases into a terrestrial formation taken from the group of terrestrial formations including: underground fissures, deep ocean locations and at least partially depleted oil wells.
- 7. The system of claim 5 wherein said gas outlet includes an oxygen separator therein which separates at least a portion of oxygen passing through said gas outlet from at least some of the other gases within said gas outlet, and an excess oxygen return path leading from said oxygen separator to a location upstream of said gas compressor, such that said oxidizer port of said combustor can have excess oxygen delivered into said combustor compared to an amount of the fuel entering said combustor through said fuel port and the excess oxygen can either return through said return duct to said oxidizer port or through said oxygen separator of said gas outlet of said condenser to said oxidizer port and at least some of the excess oxygen in said system can remain in said system.
- 8. The system of claim 2 wherein said divider includes a flow rate control valve on said separation duct controlling an amount of combustion products passing through said separation duct at said divider.
- 9. The system of claim 8 wherein said flow rate control valve is pressure sensitive to maintain pressure within said return duct slightly greater than the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere.
- 10. The system of claim 1 wherein a heat recovery steam generator is located downstream of said output of said turbine and upstream of said return duct, said heat recovery steam generator transferring heat to a separate power generation system such that said semi-closed Brayton cycle power generation system with said separate power generation system is in the form of a combined cycle power generation system.
- 11. The system of claim 1 wherein a partial condenser is located between said output of said turbine and said inlet of said compressor, said partial condenser having a condensate water outlet for at least a portion of a water constituent of the combustion products, said condensate water outlet leading to said combustor along a path separate from said gas compressor, such that at least a portion of a water constituent of the combustion products downstream of the output of the turbine bypasses the gas compressor and is routed directly to said combustor.
- 12. The system of claim 1 wherein the combustion products entering said turbine include carbon dioxide and water with a carbon dioxide percentage of the combined carbon dioxide and water portion of the combustion products being between about fifty percent and about sixty percent carbon dioxide by weight and a water percentage of the combined carbon dioxide and water portion of the combustion products being between about forty percent and about fifty percent water by weight.
- 13. The system of claim 12 wherein said carbon dioxide percentage is about fifty-five percent carbon dioxide by weight and said water percentage is about forty-five percent water by weight.
- 14. The system of claim 12 wherein the oxidizer from the oxidizer port of the combustor has the same constituent percentages as constituent percentage of a gas entering said gas compressor, the oxidizer including at least about ten percent oxygen by weight, between about ten percent and about forty-five percent steam by weight and between about forty percent and about seventy percent carbon dioxide by weight.
- 15. The system of claim 14 wherein said oxidizer includes about thirteen percent oxygen by weight, about thirty-nine percent steam by weight and about forty-eight percent carbon dioxide by weight.
- 16. The system of claim 14 wherein said oxidizer includes about sixteen percent oxygen by weight, about twenty-eight percent steam by weight and about fifty-six percent carbon dioxide by weight.
- 17. The system of claim 14 wherein said oxidizer includes about twenty percent oxygen by weight, about seventeen percent steam by weight and about sixty-three percent carbon dioxide by weight.
- 18. The system of claim 1 wherein said source of oxygen includes an air separation unit configured to separate at least a portion of oxygen within air surrounding the air separation unit and delivering the oxygen to said gaseous oxygen duct, at least a portion of power utilized by said air separation unit provided by said power output of said turbine.
- 19. A method for modifying an open Brayton cycle gas turbine for use in a semi-closed Brayton cycle power generation system, including the steps of:
providing an open Brayton cycle gas turbine including:
a gas compressor having an inlet and an outlet; a combustor downstream of the compressor, the combustor having a fuel port coupled to a source of fuel, an oxidizer port coupled to the compressor outlet and an outlet port for combustion products resulting from combustion of fuel from the source of fuel with oxidizer from the oxidizer port; and a turbine downstream of the combustor, the turbine having an input coupled to the combustor outlet port, an output for the combustion products entering the turbine at the input, and a power output; routing at least a portion of the combustion products passing through the output of the turbine to the inlet of the compressor; and adding oxygen to the combustion products upstream of the inlet of the compressor, such that the oxygen enters the compressor along with the combustion products.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein said routing step includes the step of providing a return duct downstream of the turbine, the return duct receiving at least a portion of the combustion products passing through the output of the turbine and extending to the inlet of the compressor.
- 21. The method of claim 20 including the further step of dividing out a portion of the combustion products downstream of the turbine output into a separation duct separate from the return duct.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein said dividing step includes the step of keeping constituent percentages of the combustion products divided into the separation duct matching the constituent percentages of the combustion products remaining within the return duct.
- 23. The method of claim 21 wherein said dividing step divides at least ten percent of the combustion products leaving the output of the turbine into the separation duct.
- 24. The method of claim 19 including the further step of matching characteristics of a gas entering the compressor with characteristics of air.
- 25. The method of claim 24 wherein the gas entering the compressor includes between about ten percent and fifty percent steam by weight and between about thirty percent and eighty percent carbon dioxide by weight.
- 26. The method of claim 19 including the further step of separating at least a portion of a water constituent of the combustion products exiting the turbine through the output from remaining combustion products routed to the inlet of the compressor in said routing step; and
directing the separated water portion of said separating step to the combustor in a manner bypassing the compressor.
- 27. The method of claim 19 including the further step of passing the combustion products through a heat recovery steam generator between the output of the turbine and the inlet of the compressor.
- 28. A kit for modifying an open Brayton cycle gas turbine for use in a semi-closed Brayton cycle power generation system, the kit comprising in combination:
an open Brayton cycle gas turbine including:
a gas compressor having an inlet and an outlet; a combustor downstream of said compressor, said combustor having a fuel port coupled to a source of fuel, an oxidizer port coupled to said compressor outlet and an outlet port for combustion products resulting from combustion of fuel from said source of fuel with oxidizer from said oxidizer port; and a turbine downstream of said combustor, said turbine having an input coupled to said combustor outlet port, an output for the combustion products entering said turbine at said input, and a power output; a divider downstream of said turbine, said divider having a separation duct and a return duct, at least a portion of the combustion products entering said divider diverted into said separation duct and at least a portion of the combustion products entering said divider directed into said return duct; said return duct downstream of said divider, said return duct receiving at least a portion of the combustion products passing through said divider and extending to said inlet of said compressor; a gaseous oxygen duct coupled to a source of oxygen and coupled to said return duct in a manner adding oxygen to the combustion products within said return duct; an air separation unit configured to separate at least a portion of oxygen within air surrounding the system to provide said source of oxygen; and said gaseous oxygen duct located upstream of said gas compressor and downstream of said divider, such that the oxygen from said gaseous oxygen duct enters said compressor inlet along with the combustion products.
- 29. The kit of claim 28 wherein said separation duct leads to a condenser, said condenser including a gas outlet and a condensate outlet.
- 30. The kit of claim 29 wherein said gas outlet includes an oxygen separator thereon and an oxygen recirculation line extending between said oxygen separator and a location upstream of said gas compressor, such that any excess oxygen in the combustion products passing through said separator duct can be captured by said oxygen separator and recirculated through said compressor and to said combustor for use in generating the combustion products.
- 31. The kit of claim 29 wherein said divider includes a control valve, said control valve adjustable to control a flow rate of combustion products passing through said separation duct and said return duct.
- 32. The kit of claim 28 wherein a partial condenser is located between said output of said turbine and said inlet of said gas compressor, said partial condenser having a condensate water outlet for at least a portion of a water constituent of the combustion products, said condensate water outlet leading to said combustor along a path separate from said gas compressor, such that at least a portion of a water constituent of the combustion products downstream of the output of the turbine bypasses the gas compressor and is routed directly to said combustor.
- 33. A semi-closed Brayton cycle power generation system, comprising in combination:
a gas compressor having an inlet and an outlet; a combustor downstream of said compressor, said combustor having a fuel port coupled to a source of fuel, an oxidizer port coupled to said compressor outlet and an outlet port for combustion products resulting from combustion of fuel from said source of fuel with oxidizer from said oxidizer port; a turbine downstream of said combustor, said turbine having an input coupled to said combustor outlet port, an output for the combustion products entering said turbine at said input, and a power output; a partial condenser downstream of said turbine output and upstream of said gas compressor inlet, said partial condenser condensing at least a portion of a water constituent of the combustion products, said partial condenser having a condensed water outlet; an injection line downstream of said condensed water outlet and upstream of said combustor, said injection line bypassing said gas compressor; and a gaseous oxygen duct coupled to a source of oxygen and a location upstream of said gas compressor, such that the oxygen from said gaseous oxygen duct enters the compressor inlet along with at least a portion of the combustion products passing through said partial condenser.
- 34. The system of claim 33 wherein a return duct extends between said combustion products output of said turbine and said inlet of said gas compressor, said return duct routing at least a portion of the combustion products passing through said output of said turbine back to said inlet of said gas compressor.
- 35. The system of claim 34 wherein said partial condenser is located along a portion of said return duct such that at least a portion of the combustion products pass through both said return duct and said partial condenser as the combustion products pass from said output of said turbine to said inlet of said gas compressor.
- 36. The system of claim 34 wherein said partial condenser is located parallel to and at least partially separate from said return duct, such that only a portion of the combustion products exiting said output of said turbine pass through said partial condenser before continuing on to said inlet of said gas compressor.
- 37. The system of claim 33 wherein said gaseous oxygen duct delivers at least a portion of the oxygen from said source of oxygen to a location upstream of said partial condenser.
- 38. The system of claim 33 wherein said gaseous oxygen duct delivers at least a portion of the oxygen from said source of oxygen to a location downstream of said partial condenser.
- 39. The system of claim 33 wherein said combustor includes a water injection port, said injection line coupled to said water injection port such that water entering said injection line from said partial condenser is routed to said combustor through said water injection port.
- 40. The system of claim 39 wherein said injection line includes a pump for enhancing a pressure of water within said injection line and a heater for heating the water within said injection line into steam before delivering the water in the form of steam to said water injection port.
- 41. The system of claim 40 wherein said heater on said injection line is a heat recovery steam generator receiving heat from combustion products exiting said output of said turbine.
- 42. The system of claim 32 wherein a divider is located downstream of said output of said turbine and upstream of said gas compressor, said divider routing at least a portion of the combustion products passing through said output of said turbine to a separation duct leading at least a portion of the combustion products away from said gas compressor.
- 43. The system of claim 42 wherein a condenser is located downstream of said separation duct, said condenser including a condensate outlet, said condensate outlet at least partially coupled to said combustor along a path bypassing said gas compressor.
- 44. The system of claim 33 wherein said partial condenser is configured to remove sufficient water from the combustion products and the gaseous oxygen duct adds sufficient oxygen upstream of said inlet of said gas compressor that a gas entering said inlet of said compressor includes between about ten percent and about thirty percent oxygen by weight, between about ten percent and fifty percent water by weight and between about forty percent and eighty percent carbon dioxide by weight.
- 45. The system of claim 44 wherein said partial condenser and said gaseous oxygen duct are configured to cause the gas entering said inlet of said compressor to include between about sixty percent carbon dioxide and about sixty-five percent carbon dioxide by weight, between about fifteen percent and about twenty percent water by weight and between about fifteen percent and about twenty-five percent oxygen by weight.
- 46. A method for modifying an open Brayton cycle gas turbine with steam injection so that it can be used in a semi-closed Brayton cycle power generation system, including the steps of:
providing an open Brayton cycle gas turbine with steam injection including:
a gas compressor having an inlet and an outlet; a combustor downstream of the compressor, the combustor having a fuel port coupled to a source of fuel, an oxidizer port coupled to the compressor outlet, a steam port coupled to a source of steam and an outlet port for combustion products resulting from combustion of fuel from the source of fuel with oxidizer from the oxidizer port; and a turbine downstream of the combustor, the turbine having an input coupled to the combustor outlet port, an output for the combustion products entering the turbine at the input, and a power output; routing at least a portion of the combustion products passing through the output of the turbine to the inlet of the compressor; and adding oxygen to the combustion products upstream of the inlet of the compressor, such that the oxygen enters the compressor along with the combustion products.
- 47. The method of claim 46 including the further step of condensing at least a portion of a water constituent of the combustion products;
boiling at least a portion of the water condensed during said condensing step; and feeding at least a portion of the boiled water from said boiling step to the steam port of the combustor.
- 48. The method of claim 47 wherein said boiling step includes the step of pumping the water condensed during said condensing step to a higher pressure and heating the water condensed during said condensing step with heat from the combustion products exiting the output of the turbine.
- 49. The method of claim 47 including the further step of dividing a portion of the combustion products exiting the output of the turbine to a separation duct, said condensing step occurring with the combustion products routed through the separation duct.
- 50. The method of claim 47 including the further step of interposing a partial condenser between the combustion products output of the turbine and the inlet of the compressor so that at least a portion of the combustion products pass through the partial condenser during the routing step, the partial condenser including a condensate outlet leading to the steam port of the combustor along a path bypassing the gas compressor.
- 51. The method of claim 50 including the step of fashioning a gas mixture entering the inlet of the gas compressor to include between about forty percent and about eighty percent carbon dioxide by weight, between about ten percent and about fifty percent water by weight and between about ten percent and about thirty percent oxygen by weight.
- 52. The method of claim 51 wherein said fashioning step includes the step of fashioning the gas mixture entering the inlet of the gas compressor to include about sixty-three percent carbon dioxide by weight, about seventeen percent water by weight and about twenty percent oxygen by weight.
- 53. The method of claim 46 wherein said adding step includes the step of separating at least a portion of oxygen within air surrounding the power generation system.
- 54. The method of claim 53 wherein said adding step includes the further step of powering an air separation unit utilized in said separating step of said adding step at least partially with power from the power output of the turbine.
- 55. A kit for modifying an open Brayton cycle gas turbine with steam injection so that it can be used in a semi-closed Brayton cycle power generation system, comprising in combination:
an open Brayton cycle gas turbine with steam injection including:
a gas compressor having an inlet and an outlet; a combustor downstream of said compressor, said combustor having a fuel port coupled to a source of fuel, an oxidizer port coupled to said compressor outlet, a steam port coupled to a source of steam and an outlet port for combustion products resulting from combustion of fuel from said source of fuel with oxidizer from said oxidizer port; and a turbine downstream of said combustor, said turbine having an input coupled to said combustor outlet port, an output for the combustion products entering said turbine at said input, and a power output; a return duct downstream of said turbine, said return duct receiving at least a portion of the combustion products passing through said output of said turbine and extending to said inlet of said compressor; a gaseous oxygen duct coupled to a source of oxygen and coupled to said return duct in a manner adding oxygen to the combustion products within said return duct; and said gaseous oxygen duct located upstream of said gas compressor, such that the oxygen from said gaseous oxygen duct enters said compressor inlet along with at least a portion of the combustion products from said turbine output.
- 56. The kit of claim 55 wherein a partial condenser is located downstream of said combustion products output of said turbine, said partial condenser including a condensate water outlet, said condensate water outlet coupled to a water injection line leading to said steam port of said combustor along a path bypassing said gas compressor.
- 57. The kit of claim 56 wherein a divider is located downstream of said combustion products output of said turbine, said divider including a separation duct diverting at least a portion of the combustion products exiting the output of the turbine away from said return duct, said separation duct leading to a condenser, said water injection line at least partially fed by water condensed from said condenser in said separation duct.
- 58. The kit of claim 56 wherein said partial condenser is located within said return duct.
- 59. The kit of claim 57 wherein said partial condenser condenses only a portion of the water constituent of the combustion products entering said partial condenser.
- 60. The kit of claim 59 wherein said water injection line passes through a heat exchanger receiving heat from the combustion products exiting the output of said turbine with sufficient heat transfer to boil at least a portion of the water within said water injection line into steam.
- 61. The kit of claim 60 wherein said source of oxygen of said gaseous oxygen duct includes an air separation unit configured to separate at least a portion of oxygen out of air surrounding the system, said air separation unit receiving at least some power for separation of the oxygen from the air from said power output of said turbine.
- 62. A semi-closed Brayton cycle power generation system, comprising in combination:
a gas compressor having an inlet and an outlet; a combustor downstream of said compressor, said combustor having a fuel port coupled to a source of fuel, an oxidizer port coupled to said compressor outlet and an outlet port for combustion products resulting from combustion of fuel from said source of fuel with oxidizer from said oxidizer port; an expander downstream of said combustor, said expander having an input coupled to said combustor outlet port, an output for the combustion products entering said expander at said input, and a power output; means to return at least a portion of the combustion products passing through said output of said turbine to said gas compressor inlet; means to separate oxygen from air surrounding said system; and means to add oxygen from said separating means to combustion products upstream of said gas compressor inlet, such that the oxidizer including oxygen from the oxygen separating means and the combustion products from said output of said expander are compressed by said gas compressor before entering said combustor at said oxidizer port.
- 63. The system of claim 62 including a means to divide at least a portion of the combustion products from the combustion products exiting said expander at said expander output, such that not all of the combustion products exiting said expander are routed back to said gas compressor.
- 64. The system of claim 63 including a condenser for at least a portion of a water constituent of the combustion products exiting said expander output, means to boil at least a portion of the water from said condenser and routing steam created by said boiling means to a steam port within said combustor along a path bypassing said gas compressor.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit under Title 35, United States Code § 119(e) of United States Provisional Application No. 60/203,726 filed on May 12, 2000 and United States Provisional Application No. 60/207,530 filed on May 26, 2000.
Provisional Applications (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60203726 |
May 2000 |
US |
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60207530 |
May 2000 |
US |