Power generation system and method of operating same

• US 20060053792A1
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bourgeois, Richard Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,188,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/670
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/04 by electrolysis of water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 15/08 Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/064 in combination with an industrial process, e.g. chemical, metallurgical
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/133 Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight

Abstract

A power generation system comprising a liquid-cooled electrolyzer operable to produce a supply of hydrogen from water is provided. The power generation system may also comprise a steam turbine and a steam production device operable to produce a supply of steam to the steam turbine. The power generation system may also comprise a system operable to provide cooling liquid to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer and to couple heated cooling liquid from the liquid-cooled electrolyzer to the steam production device.

Claims

1. A power generation system, comprising:

a steam turbine;

a steam production device operable to provide a supply of steam for the steam turbine;

a liquid-cooled electrolyzer operable to produce a supply of hydrogen from water; and

a cooling system operable to provide cooling liquid to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer and to couple heated cooling liquid from the liquid-cooled electrolyzer to the steam production device to enable the steam production device to produce steam from the heated cooling liquid.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a heat engine, wherein hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer is coupled to the heat engine for use as fuel by the heat engine.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the heat engine comprises a gas turbine.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the steam production device is a heat recovery steam generator and the heat generated by the heat engine is coupled to the heat recovery steam generator to provide energy for producing the supply of steam for the steam turbine.

5. The system of claim 4, comprising a plurality of electrical generators, wherein a first electrical generator is mechanically coupled to the heat engine and a second electrical generator is mechanically coupled to the steam turbine.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the steam production device comprises a boiler.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid-cooled electrolyzer comprises a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid-cooled electrolyzer comprises an alkaline electrolyte.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid-cooled electrolyzer comprises a solid oxide electrolyte.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid-cooled electrolyzer comprises a polybenzimidazole (PBI) electrolyte.

11. The system of claim 1, comprising a hydrogen compressor operable to compress hydrogen generated by the liquid-cooled electrolyzer.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising a water storage tank operable to supply water to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer for generation of hydrogen.

13. The system of claim 1, comprising a hydrogen storage tank to store hydrogen produced by the liquid-cooled electrolyzer.

14. The system of claim 1, comprising a renewable energy power generating system operable to supply power to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer for electrolysis of water.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the renewable energy power generating system comprises a wind turbine electrical power generating system.

16. The system of claim 1, comprising a boiler, wherein heat from the boiler is transferred to the heated cooling liquid from the electrolyzer to boil the heated cooling liquid.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the boiler utilizes hydrogen generated by the liquid cooled electrolyzer to generate heat, wherein heat is transferred to the heated cooling liquid from the electrolyzer to boil the heated cooling liquid.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the boiler utilizes oxygen generated by the liquid cooled electrolyzer to generate heat, wherein heat is transferred to the heated cooling liquid from the electrolyzer to boil the heated cooling liquid.

19. A power generation system, comprising:

a heat engine, comprising a heat exchanger operable to transfer heat to air entering the heat engine; and

an electrolyzer operable to produce hydrogen from water, wherein heat generated by the electrolyzer is transferred to the air entering the heat engine via the heat exchanger.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the heat engine comprises a gas turbine.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the electrolyzer is liquid cooled and heated cooling liquid from the electrolyzer is coupled to the heat exchanger to transfer heat to the air entering the heat engine.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer is coupled from the electrolyzer to the heat exchanger to transfer heat to the air entering the heat engine.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein oxygen produced by the electrolyzer is coupled from the electrolyzer to the heat exchanger to transfer heat to the air entering the heat engine.

24. The system of claim 19, comprising an electrical generator coupled to the heat engine to generate electrical power from mechanical power generated by the heat engine.

25. The system of claim 19, comprising a hydrogen compressor operable to compress hydrogen generated by the liquid-cooled electrolyzer.

26. The system of claim 19, comprising a water storage tank for supplying water to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer for generation of hydrogen.

27. The system of claim 26, comprising a deionizer coupled to the water storage tank and to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer, wherein the deionizer is operable to de-ionize water from the water storage tank and to provide the de-ionized water to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer.

28. The system of claim 19, comprising a hydrogen storage tank to store hydrogen produced by the liquid-cooled electrolyzer.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein hydrogen is coupled to the heat engine for use as fuel.

30. A method of operating a power generation system comprising:

operating a liquid-cooled electrolyzer to produce hydrogen from water;

coupling heated cooling liquid from the liquid-cooled electrolyzer to a steam production device;

boiling the heated cooling liquid to produce steam; and

coupling the steam to a steam turbine power generation system to generate electrical power.

31. The method of claim 30, comprising supplying hydrogen produced by the liquid-cooled electrolyzer to a heat engine for use as a fuel by the heat engine.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein coupling heated cooling liquid from the liquid-cooled electrolyzer to a steam production device comprises coupling the heated cooling liquid to a boiler.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein coupling heated cooling liquid from the liquid-cooled electrolyzer to a steam production device comprises coupling the heated cooling liquid to a heat recovery steam generator.

34. The method of claim 30, comprising compressing hydrogen generated by the liquid-cooled electrolyzer for storage.

35. The method of claim 30, comprising de-ionizing water from a water storage tank and supplying de-ionized water to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer for producing hydrogen.

36. The method of claim 30, comprising providing power to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer for electrolysis of water via a power generating system that uses a renewable energy source to generate power.

37. A method of operating a power generation system comprising:

producing a supply of hydrogen from water via an electrolyzer; and

transferring heat from the electrolyzer to a heat engine to heat air entering an air inlet of the heat engine.

38. The method of in claim 37, comprising coupling the supply of hydrogen from the electrolyzer to the heat engine for use as a fuel for the heat engine.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein transferring heat comprises coupling a fluid heated by the electrolyzer to a heat exchanger operable to transfer heat to air entering the heat engine.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein transferring heat comprises coupling hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer to a heat exchanger operable to transfer heat to air entering the heat engine.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein transferring heat comprises coupling oxygen produced by the electrolyzer to a heat exchanger operable to transfer heat to air entering the heat engine.

42. The method of claim 37, comprising generating electrical power from the heat engine by coupling an electrical generator to the heat engine.

43. The method of claim 37, comprising compressing hydrogen generated from the electrolyzer for storage of hydrogen.

44. The method of claim 37, comprising de-ionizing water from a water storage tank and supplying de-ionized water to the liquid-cooled electrolyzer for producing hydrogen.

45. A method of improving productivity of a power generating system, comprising:

operating the power generating system to provide power to meet electrical demand during periods of peak power demand;

operating an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen during periods of non-peak power demand periods of operation of the power generating system; and

using heat generated by the electrolyzer for generation of electrical power.

46. The method of claim 45, comprising stopping operation of the electrolyzer during periods of peak power demand.

47. The method of claim 45, comprising storing hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer in a hydrogen storage tank.

48. The method of claim 45, comprising coupling liquid heated by the electrolyzer to a steam production device for conversion to steam.

49. The method of claim 48, comprising supplying the steam to a steam turbine for generation of power.

50. The method of claim 48, comprising coupling heat from the electrolyzer to a heat engine for heating air entering an air inlet of the heat engine.

55. The method of claim 50, comprising using heated hydrogen from the electrolyzer to heat inlet air to the heat engine.

51. A method of producing power from a renewable energy source, comprising:

producing electricity using a renewable energy source;

operating an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen from water;

storing the hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer;

providing the hydrogen as fuel to a heat engine coupled to a generator to enable the heat engine to drive the generator to produce power when the renewable energy source is not available; and

using heat generated by the electrolyzer for generation of electrical power.

52. The method of claim 51, comprising cooling the electrolyzer with water.

53. The method of claim 51, comprising boiling heated cooling water from the electrolyzer to form steam to power a steam turbine.

54. The method of claim 51, comprising using the heated cooling water from the electrolyzer to heat inlet air to the heat engine.

56. The method of claim 51, comprising using heated oxygen from the electrolyzer to heat inlet air to the heat engine.