Integrated combustor-heat exchanger and systems for power generation using the same

• US 20070125063A1
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Evulat, Andrei
• Granted Patent: US 7,726,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/39.150
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/10 supplying working fluid to a user, e.g. a chemical process, which returns working fluid to a turbine of the plant
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/08 to produce clean exhaust gases

Abstract

A combustor-heat exchanger system comprising a plurality of cans. Each can includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder forming an annular space in between, wherein the inner cylinder is configured to receive and combust a fuel and compressed oxidant to generate heat and a hot gas. The outer cylinder is configured to receive a portion of a gas lean in carbon dioxide from a turbine system and utilize the heat from the inner cylinder to generate a heated gas. The combustor-heat exchanger further includes an inlet volute along the surface of the inner cylinder configured to receive the portion of the gas lean in carbon dioxide and distribute the gas lean in carbon dioxide into an axial flow through the annular space of each can. The combustor-heat exchanger also includes an outlet volute along the surface of the outer cylinder configured to receive the heated gas from each can, a first manifold to distribute the gas lean in carbon dioxide stream into each inlet volute and a second manifold to receive the heated gas from each can and generate a hot discharge stream.

Claims

1. A combustor-heat exchanger system comprising:

a plurality of cans each comprising;

an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder forming an annular space in between, wherein said inner cylinder is configured to receive and combust a fuel and compressed oxidant to generate heat and a hot gas and said outer cylinder is configured to receive a portion of a gas lean in carbon dioxide from a turbine system and utilize said heat from said inner cylinder to generate a heated gas;

an inlet volute along the surface of said inner cylinder configured to receive said portion of said gas lean in carbon dioxide and distribute said gas lean in carbon dioxide into an axial flow through said annular space of each said can; and

an outlet volute along the surface of said outer cylinder configured to receive said heated gas from each said can;

a first manifold to distribute said gas lean in carbon dioxide stream into said each inlet volute; and

a second manifold to receive said heated gas from each said can and generate a hot discharge stream.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said compressed oxidant is generated in a first turbine system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said combustor-heat exchanger is an integral part of a second turbine system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, methane, methanol, ethanol, a stream comprising naphtha, butane, propane, diesel, kerosene, an aviation fuel, a coal derived fuel, a bio-fuel, an oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock, and mixtures thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said fuel comprises natural gas.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said oxidant is selected from a group consisting of air, oxygen rich air, oxygen depleted air, and pure oxygen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said oxidant is air.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said gas lean in carbon dioxide stream is heated from about 350 Deg. C. to about 800 Deg. C. in said combustor-heat exchanger.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said gas lean in carbon dioxide comprises at elast 6 weight percent oxygen.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said outer cylinder is configured to have impingement hole on the surface, said impingement holes in fluid communication with said annular space.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said annular space is configured to have swirling fences to enhance heat transfer and increase residence time of said gas lean in carbon dioxide.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said inner cylinder is configured to have a rough surface to enhance heat transfer.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said rough surface comprises a plurality of concavities.

14. The system of claim 13. wherein q said concavities are selected from the group consisting of depressions, indentations, dimples and pits.

15. A power generation system comprising:

a first gas turbine system comprising;

a first combustion chamber configured to combust a first fuel stream;

one first compressor system configured to supply a first portion of compressed oxidant to said first combustion chamber; and

a first turbine configured to receive a first discharge from said first combustion chamber and generate a first exhaust and electrical energy; and

a second gas turbine system comprising;

a second combustion chamber configured to combust a second fuel stream to generate a second discharge, wherein said first compressor system of said first gas turbine system is configured to supply a second portion of compressed oxidant to said second combustion chamber; and

a second turbine configured to receive said second discharge from said second combustion chamber to generate a second exhaust and electrical energy; and

a second compressor configured to receive said second exhaust comprising carbon dioxide and to discharge a recycle stream to said second combustion chamber and a split stream to a separator system adapted to recover carbon dioxide and generate a exhaust stream lean in carbon dioxide;

wherein said second combustion chamber is configured to heat said gas lean in CO₂, said second combustion chamber comprising a combustor-heat exchanger comprising;

a plurality of cans each comprising;

an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder forming an annular space in between, wherein said inner cylinder is configured to receive and combust a portion of said second fuel, said recycle stream and said second portion of compressed oxidant to generate heat and a hot gas and said outer cylinder is configured to receive a portion of said gas lean in carbon dioxide from said second turbine system and utilize said heat from said inner cylinder to generate a heated gas;

an inlet volute along the surface of said inner cylinder configured to receive said gas lean in carbon dioxide and distribute a portion of said gas lean in carbon dioxide into an axial flow through said annular space of each said can; and

an outlet volute along the surface of said outer cylinder configured to receive said heated gas from each said can;

a first manifold to distribute a portion of said gas lean in carbon dioxide into said each inlet volute; and

a second manifold to receive said heated gas from each said can and generate said hot discharge stream to said first turbine.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said separator system comprises a heat exchanger configured to recover heat from said split stream and a carbon dioxide separator configured to generate a carbon dioxide rich stream and said gas lean in carbon dioxide.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a cross-exchanger configured to exrecover heat from the split stream in exchange with the carbon dioxide lean stream from the carbon dioxide separator.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the carbon dioxide separator comprises a membrane unit.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a first heat recovery steam generator configured to recover heat from the first exhaust and generate a first portion of steam and a second heat recovery steam generator configured to recover heat from the second exhaust and generate a second portion of steam.

20. The system in claim 15, wherein said first compressor system comprises more than one compressor.

21. A power generation system comprising:

a first gas turbine system comprising;

a first compressor system configured to supply a compressed oxidant; and

a first turbine configured to receive a hot discharge stream and generate a first exhaust and electrical energy; and

a second gas turbine system comprising;

a combustion chamber configured to combust a fuel stream to generate a discharge, wherein said first compressor of said first gas turbine system is configured to supply said compressed oxidant to said second combustion chamber;

a second turbine configured to receive said discharge from said combustion chamber to generate a second exhaust and electrical energy; and

a second compressor configured to receive said second exhaust comprising carbon dioxide and to discharge a recycle stream to said combustion chamber and a split stream to a separator system adapted to recover carbon dioxide and generate a exhaust stream lean in carbon dioxide;

wherein said combustion chamber is configured to receive said exhaust stream lean in carbon dioxide and generate said hot discharge stream to be sent to said first turbine, said combustion chamber comprising a combustor-heat exchanger comprising;

a plurality of cans each comprising;

an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder forming an annular space in between, wherein said inner cylinder is configured to receive and combust a portion of said fuel and said compressed oxidant to generate heat and a hot gas and said outer cylinder is configured to receive a portion of said from said second turbine system and utilize said heat from said inner cylinder to generate a heated gas;

an inlet volute along the surface of said outer cylinder configured to receive said exhaust gas and distribute a portion of said exhaust gas into an axial flow through said annular space of each said can; and

an outlet volute along the surface of said outer cylinder configured to receive said heated exhaust gas from each said can;

a first manifold to distribute a portion of said exhaust gas stream into said each inlet volute; and

a second manifold to receive said heated exhaust gas from each said can and generate said hot discharge stream to said first turbine.

22. A power generation system comprising:

a first gas turbine system comprising;

a first combustion chamber configured to combust a fuel;

one first compressor system configured to supply compressed oxidant to said first combustion chamber; and

a first turbine configured to receive a first discharge from said first combustion chamber and generate a first exhaust and electrical energy; and

a second gas turbine system comprising;

a second combustion chamber configured to combust said first exhaust to generate a second discharge;

a second turbine configured to receive said second discharge from said second combustion chamber to generate a second exhaust; and

a second compressor configured to receive said second exhaust comprising carbon dioxide and to discharge a compressed stream;

wherein, said first turbine system and said second turbine systems are configured to be mounted on a single shaft;

and

a carbon dioxide separator configured to receive said compressed stream and generate a gas lean in CO₂ and a rich carbondioxide stream;

wherein said gas lean in CO₂ is heated in said first combustion chamber prior to being recycled into said second combustion chamber, said first combustion chamber comprising a combustor-heat exchanger comprising;

a plurality of cans each comprising;

an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder forming an annular space in between, wherein said inner cylinder is configured to receive and combust a portion of said fuel and compressed oxidant to generate heat and a hot gas and said outer cylinder is configured to receive a portion of said gas lean in carbon dioxide and utilize said heat from said inner cylinder to generate a heated gas;

an inlet volute along the surface of said inner cylinder configured to receive said gas lean in carbon dioxide and distribute a portion of said gas lean in carbon dioxide into an axial flow through said annular space of each said can; and

an outlet volute along the surface of said outer cylinder configured to receive said heated gas from each said can;

a first manifold to distribute a portion of said gas lean in carbon dioxide into said each inlet volute; and

a second manifold to receive said heated gas from each said can and generate said first discharge stream to said first turbine.