System and Method for Exhaust Gas Use in Gas Turbine Engines

• US 20110289930A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Draper, Samuel David
• Granted Patent: US 9,003,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/772
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/34 with recycling of part of the working fluid, i.e. semi-closed cycles with combustion products in the closed part of the cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/36 Open cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/18 using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/08 to produce clean exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system is provided that includes a first gas turbine engine. The first gas turbine engine has a first compressor configured to intake air and to produce a first compressed air and a first combustor configured to combust a first mixture to produce a first combustion gas. The first mixture has a first fuel, at least a first portion of the first compressed air, and a second combustion gas from a second gas turbine engine. The first gas turbine engine also includes a first turbine configured to extract work from the first combustion gas.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first gas turbine engine, comprising;

a first combustor configured to combust a first mixture to produce a first combustion gas;

a first turbine configured to extract work from the first combustion gas and output a first exhaust gas; and

a first compressor configured to compress the first exhaust gas to produce a compressed exhaust gas, wherein the first gas turbine engine routes a first portion of the compressed exhaust gas to the first combustor, and the first gas turbine engine is configured to export a second portion of the compressed exhaust gas.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first combustor is configured to receive a first air intake from a second compressor of a second gas turbine engine.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first compressor is configured to output the second portion of the compressed exhaust gas to a second combustor of the second gas turbine engine.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first combustor is configured to receive a second air intake from a third compressor of a third gas turbine engine, and the first compressor is configured to output a third portion of the compressed exhaust gas to a third combustor of the third gas turbine engine.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first combustor is configured to receive a third air intake from a fourth compressor of a fourth gas turbine engine, and the first compressor is configured to output a fourth portion of the compressed exhaust gas to a fourth combustor of the fourth gas turbine engine.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first combustor is configured to receive a first air intake from a second compressor of a second gas turbine engine, and the first compressor is configured to export the second portion of the compressed exhaust gas to a second combustor of a third gas turbine engine.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first combustor is configured to combust the first mixture stoichiometrically to produce the first combustion gas at least substantially free of oxygen.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first gas turbine engine excludes an exhaust stack, and the first gas turbine engine is configured to provide exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) of all of the first exhaust gas.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising a first exhaust path from the first gas turbine engine, wherein the first exhaust path excludes a carbon monoxide (CO) catalyst.

10. A system, comprising:

a first gas turbine engine, comprising;

a first compressor configured to intake air and produce a first compressed air;

a first combustor configured to combust a first mixture to produce a first combustion gas, wherein the first mixture comprises a first fuel, at least a first portion of the first compressed air, and a second combustion gas from a second gas turbine engine; and

a first turbine configured to extract work from the first combustion gas.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first compressor is configured to output a second portion of the first compressed air to the second gas turbine engine.

12. The system of claim 11, comprising the second gas turbine engine having a second compressor, a second combustor, and a second turbine, wherein the second compressor is configured to compress the second combustion gas prior to delivery to the first combustor, and the second combustor is configured to receive the second portion of the first compressed air downstream of the second compressor.

13. The system of claim 12, comprising a third gas turbine engine having a third compressor, a third combustor, and a third turbine, wherein the third combustor is configured to receive a portion of the second combustion gas from the second gas turbine engine.

14. The system of claim 10, comprising a first exhaust path from the first gas turbine engine, wherein the first exhaust path includes at least one carbon monoxide (CO) catalyst, the second gas turbine engine comprises a second exhaust path from the second gas turbine engine, and the second exhaust path excludes any carbon monoxide (CO) catalyst.

15. The system of claim 10, comprising a first exhaust path from the first gas turbine engine, wherein the first exhaust path includes at least one exhaust stack, the second gas turbine engine comprises a second exhaust path from the second gas turbine engine, and the second exhaust path excludes any exhaust stack.

16. A method of operation of a gas turbine engine system, comprising:

combusting a fuel within a first combustor of a first gas turbine engine to produce a combustion gas;

extracting work from the combustion gas using a first turbine of the first gas turbine engine to produce an exhaust gas;

compressing the exhaust gas using a compressor of the first gas turbine engine to produce a compressed exhaust gas;

providing a first portion of the compressed exhaust gas back to the first combustor; and

providing a second portion of the compressed exhaust gas to one or more separate gas turbine engines.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the second portion of the compressed exhaust gas to the one or more separate gas turbine engines comprises providing an even distribution of the second portion of the compressed exhaust gas to respective combustors of the one or more separate gas turbine engines.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising receiving compressed air into the first combustor of the first gas turbine engine prior to combusting the fuel, wherein the compressed air is provided by the one or more separate gas turbine engines.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein combusting the fuel comprises combusting a mixture of the compressed exhaust gas and the compressed air, and the combustion is performed stoichiometrically to produce the combustion gas, wherein the combustion gas is substantially free of oxygen.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the compressed air received by the first combustor of the first gas turbine engine comprises a substantially equal volume as the second portion of the compressed exhaust gas provided to the one or more separate gas turbine engines.