LOW COST AND HIGHER EFFICIENCY POWER PLANT

• US 20130145759A1
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gas Technology Institute
• Original Assignee: Aerojet Rocketdyne Of De, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sonwane, Chandrashekhar, Sprouse, Kenneth M., Subbaraman, Ganesan, O'Connor, George M., Johnson, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,887,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/526
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/103 Carbon dioxide F01K25/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 35/086 operating at critical or supercritical pressure

Abstract

A power plant includes a closed loop, supercritical carbon dioxide system (CLS-CO₂ system). The CLS-CO₂ system includes a turbine-generator and a high temperature recuperator (HTR) that is arranged to receive expanded carbon dioxide from the turbine-generator. The HTR includes a plurality of heat exchangers that define respective heat exchange areas. At least two of the heat exchangers have different heat exchange areas.

Claims

1. A power plant comprising:

a closed loop, supercritical carbon dioxide system (CLS-CO₂ system) including;

a turbine-generator, and

a high temperature recuperator (HTR) arranged to receive expanded carbon dioxide from the turbine-generator, the HTR including a plurality of heat exchangers that define respective heat exchange areas, wherein at least two of the heat exchangers have different heat exchange areas.

2. The power plant as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat exchangers are arranged consecutively in series with regard to the flow of the expanded carbon dioxide received from the turbine-generator.

3. The power plant as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers defines a respective heat exchange area, and the heat exchange area of a first one of the plurality of heat exchangers in the series is less than the heat exchanger area of another heat exchanger in the plurality of heat exchangers in the series.

4. The power plant as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers defines a respective heat exchange area, and the heat exchange area of a first one of the plurality of heat exchangers in the series is less than the heat exchange area of each other of the plurality of heat exchangers in the series.

5. The power plant as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers defines a respective heat exchange area such that a ratio of the heat exchange area of a first one of the plurality of heat exchangers in the series to the heat exchange area of another heat exchanger in the plurality of heat exchangers in the series is greater than 1:

1.

6. The power plant as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers defines a respective heat exchange area such that a ratio of the heat exchange area of a first one of the plurality of heat exchangers in the series to the heat exchange area of another heat exchanger in the plurality of heat exchangers in the series is equal to or greater than 1:

3.

7. The power plant as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers defines a respective heat exchange area such that a ratio of the heat exchange area of a first one of the plurality of heat exchangers in the series to the heat exchange area of another heat exchanger in the plurality of heat exchangers in the series is equal to or greater than 1:

4.

8. The power plant as recited in claim 1, including a heat source operable to generate heat, the CLS-CO₂ system including a section arranged to receive the heat from the heat source.

9. The power plant as recited in claim 8, including a high pressure turbine arranged to receive a portion of the supercritical carbon dioxide from the section heated by the heat source and discharge expanded carbon dioxide to a different, reheat section also arranged to receive the heat from the heat source, and at least one compressor coupled to be driven by the high pressure turbine.

10. The power plant as recited in claim 9, including a low pressure turbine arranged to receive the carbon dioxide from the reheat section, the low pressure turbine coupled to drive the at least one compressor.

11. The power plant as recited in claim 9, wherein the reheat section is located within a fluidized bed in the heat source.

12. The power plant as recited in claim 8, wherein the heat source is selected from a group consisting of a fluidized bed reactor, a nuclear reactor and a solar heating system.

13. A power plant comprising:

a closed loop, carbon dioxide-based system (CO₂ system) including, according to flow sequence within the CO₂ system;

a turbine-generator arranged to receive as an input a portion of a flow of supercritical carbon dioxide and discharge an output that is subcritical or supercritical,

at least one secondary turbine arranged to receive as an input a remaining portion of the flow of carbon dioxide,

a high temperature recuperator (HTR) arranged to receive as a first input expanded subcritical or supercritical carbon dioxide from the turbine-generator and the at least one secondary turbine, the HTR including a plurality of heat exchangers that define respective heat exchange areas, wherein at least two of the heat exchangers have different heat exchange areas,

a low temperature recuperator arranged to receive as a first input carbon dioxide from the HTR,

a cooler arranged to receive a portion of the carbon dioxide from the LTR,

a first compressor coupled to be driven by the secondary turbine and arranged to receive the portion of the carbon dioxide from the cooler,

a second compressor coupled to be driven by the secondary turbine and arranged to receive a remaining portion of the carbon dioxide from the LTR, and

wherein the LTR is also arranged to receive as a second input for heat exchange with its first input the carbon dioxide from the first compressor and the HTR is arranged to receive as a second input for heat exchange with its first input the carbon dioxide from the second compressor and from the second input of the LTR before return of the carbon dioxide to the section heated by the heat source.

14. The power plant as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of heat exchangers are arranged consecutively in series with regard to the flow of the expanded carbon dioxide received from the turbine-generator and the at least one secondary turbine.

15. The power plant as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers defines a respective heat exchange area such that a ratio of the heat exchange area of a first one of the plurality of heat exchangers in the series to the heat exchange area of another heat exchanger in the plurality of heat exchangers in the series is greater than 1:

1.

16. The power plant as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers defines a respective heat exchange area such that a ratio of the heat exchange area of a first one of the plurality of heat exchangers in the series to the heat exchange area of another heat exchanger in the plurality of heat exchangers in the series is equal to or greater than 1:

3.

17. The power plant as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers defines a respective heat exchange area such that a ratio of the heat exchange area of a first one of the plurality of heat exchangers in the series to the heat exchange area of another heat exchanger in the plurality of heat exchangers in the series is equal to or greater than 1:

4.

18. The power plant as recited in claim 13, wherein the at least one secondary turbine includes a high pressure turbine arranged to receive as an input the remaining portion of the supercritical carbon dioxide from the section heated by the heat source and discharge expanded carbon dioxide to a different, reheat section also arranged to receive the heat from the heat source.

19. The power plant as recited in claim 18, wherein the at least one secondary turbine includes a low pressure turbine arranged to receive the carbon dioxide from the reheat section and discharge expanded carbon dioxide to the HTR.

20. A power plant comprising:

a heat source operable to generate heat; and

a closed loop, supercritical carbon dioxide system (CLS-CO₂ system) including a section arranged to receive the heat from the heat source to heat the supercritical carbon dioxide, the CLS-CO₂ system including;

a turbine-generator arranged to expand supercritical carbon dioxide received from the section heated by the heat source, the turbine being sized to expand the supercritical carbon dioxide to a non-supercritical state, and

a plurality of compressors arranged to receive the non-supercritical state carbon dioxide from the turbine, the plurality of compressors being sized to compress the non-supercritical carbon dioxide to a supercritical state or near supercritical gaseous state prior to return to the section heated by the heat source.

21. The power plant as recited in claim 20, including a low temperature recuperator (LTR) arranged to receive as a first input carbon dioxide from the turbine-generator.

22. The power plant as recited in claim 21, including a cooler arranged to receive a portion of the carbon dioxide from the LTR, and the plurality of compressors includes a first compressor arranged to receive the portion of the carbon dioxide from the cooler, a second compressor arranged to receive a remaining portion of the carbon dioxide from the LTR and a third compressor arranged to receive carbon dioxide from the first compressor and the second compressor.

23. The power plant as recited in claim 20, including a high temperature recuperator (HTR) arranged to receive as a first input expanded carbon dioxide from the turbine-generator, the HTR including a plurality of heat exchangers that define respective heat exchange areas, wherein at least two of the heat exchangers have different heat exchange areas.