SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING POWER USING A SUPERCRITICAL FLUID
First Claim
1. A method of generating shaft power in a system comprising an air cycle and supercritical fluid cycle, comprising the steps of:
- a) burning a fossil fuel in air so as to produce a combustion gas;
b) expanding said combustion gas in at least a first turbine so as to produce an expanded combustion gas, said expansion of said combustion gas generating shaft power;
c) compressing a supercritical fluid in a first compressor;
d) flowing at least a portion of said compressed supercritical fluid through a first cross cycle heat exchanger, and flowing said combustion gas through said first cross cycle heat exchanger so as to transfer heat from said combustion gas to said compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a heated compressed supercritical fluid;
e) expanding at least a portion of said heated compressed supercritical fluid in a second turbine so as to produce an expanded supercritical fluid, said expansion of said supercritical fluid generating additional shaft power; and
f) flowing at least a portion of said expanded supercritical fluid through a second cross cycle heat exchanger, and flowing said air through said second cross cycle heat exchanger prior to burning said fossil fuel in said air so as to transfer heat from said expanded supercritical fluid to said air.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dual cycle system for generating shaft power using a supercritical fluid and a fossil fuel. The first cycle is an open, air breathing Brayton cycle. The second cycle is a closed, supercritical fluid Brayton cycle. After compression of air in the first cycle, the compressed air flows through a first cross cycle heat exchanger through which the supercritical fluid from the second cycle flows after it has been compressed and then expanded in a turbine. In the first cross cycle heat exchanger, the compressed air is heated and the expanded supercritical fluid is cooled. Prior to expansion in a turbine, the compressed supercritical fluid flows through a second cross cycle heat exchanger through which also flows combustion gas, produced by burning a fossil fuel in the compressed air in the first cycle. In the second cross cycle heat exchanger, the combustion gas is cooled and the compressed supercritical fluid is heated.
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Citations
90 Claims
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1. A method of generating shaft power in a system comprising an air cycle and supercritical fluid cycle, comprising the steps of:
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a) burning a fossil fuel in air so as to produce a combustion gas; b) expanding said combustion gas in at least a first turbine so as to produce an expanded combustion gas, said expansion of said combustion gas generating shaft power; c) compressing a supercritical fluid in a first compressor; d) flowing at least a portion of said compressed supercritical fluid through a first cross cycle heat exchanger, and flowing said combustion gas through said first cross cycle heat exchanger so as to transfer heat from said combustion gas to said compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a heated compressed supercritical fluid; e) expanding at least a portion of said heated compressed supercritical fluid in a second turbine so as to produce an expanded supercritical fluid, said expansion of said supercritical fluid generating additional shaft power; and f) flowing at least a portion of said expanded supercritical fluid through a second cross cycle heat exchanger, and flowing said air through said second cross cycle heat exchanger prior to burning said fossil fuel in said air so as to transfer heat from said expanded supercritical fluid to said air. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for generating shaft power in a system comprising a supercritical fluid cycle and an air cycle, comprising the steps of:
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a) burning a fossil fuel in air so as to produce a combustion gas; b) compressing a supercritical fluid in a first compressor; c) transferring heat from said combustion gas to said compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a cooled combustion gas and a heated compressed supercritical fluid; d) expanding at least a portion of said heated compressed supercritical fluid in a first turbine so as to produce an expanded supercritical fluid, said expansion of said supercritical fluid generating shaft power; e) returning said expanded supercritical fluid to said first compressor; f) transferring heat from said expanded supercritical fluid to said air so as to cool said supercritical fluid to approximately its critical temperature, the step of transferring heat from said expanded supercritical fluid to said air being performed prior to burning said fossil fuel in said air and prior to returning said supercritical fluid to said first compressor. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method of generating shaft power in a system comprising a supercritical fluid cycle and an air cycle, comprising the steps of:
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a) burning a fossil fuel in air so as to produce a combustion gas; b) compressing a first flow of supercritical fluid in a first compressor so as to produce a first flow of compressed supercritical fluid; c) transferring heat from said combustion gas to said first flow of said compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a cooled combustion gas and a first flow of heated compressed supercritical fluid; d) expanding at least a portion of said first flow of heated compressed supercritical fluid in a first turbine so as to produce a first flow of expanded supercritical fluid, said expansion of said first flow of supercritical fluid generating shaft power; e) returning said first flow of expanded supercritical fluid to said first compressor; f) transferring heat from said first flow of expanded supercritical fluid to said air, the step of transferring heat from said first flow of expanded supercritical fluid to said air being performed prior to returning said first flow of supercritical fluid to said first compressor; g) compressing a second flow of supercritical fluid in a second compressor so as to produce a second flow of compressed supercritical fluid; h) transferring heat from said cooled combustion gas to said second flow of compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a second flow of heated compressed supercritical fluid; i) expanding said second flow of heated compressed supercritical fluid in a second turbine so as to produce a second flow of expanded supercritical fluid and so as to generate additional shaft power. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A system for generating shaft power using a supercritical fluid cycle and an air cycle, comprising:
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a) a first flow path for directing the flow of a first fluid therethrough, said first fluid comprising air, said first flow path comprising; (i) a combustor connected to said first flow path so as to receive at least a portion of said air, said combustor supplied with a fossil fuel for combustion in said air, wherein said combustion of said fossil fuel in said air produces heated combustion gas; (ii) a first turbine connected to said first flow path; b) a second flow path for directing the flow of a second fluid therethrough, said second fluid comprising a supercritical fluid, said second flow path separate from said first flow path so as to prevent mixing of said air and said supercritical fluids, said second flow path comprising; (i) a first compressor connected to said second flow path so as to receive said supercritical fluid for compression therein and to discharge said compressed supercritical fluid into said second flow path; (ii) a second turbine for expansion of said supercritical fluid therein, said second turbine connected to said second flow path so as to discharge said expanded supercritical fluid into said second flow path; c) a first cross cycle heat exchanger connected to said first and second flow paths, (i) said first cross cycle heat exchanger connected to said first flow path so as to (1) receive at least a portion of said air for transfer of heat thereto so as to heat said portion of said air prior to said portion of said air being received by said combustor, and (2) discharge said heated air into said first flow path; (ii) said first cross cycle heat exchanger connected to said second flow path so as to (1) receive at least a portion of said expanded supercritical fluid discharged from said second turbine for transfer of heat therefrom so as to cool at least said portion of said expanded supercritical fluid, and (2) discharge said cooled expanded supercritical fluid into said second flow path, wherein said expanded supercritical fluid transfers heat to said air; d) a second cross cycle heat exchanger connected to said first and second flow paths, (i) said second cross cycle heat exchanger connected to said first flow path so as to (1) receive at least a portion of said combustion gas produced by said combustor for transfer of heat therefrom so as to cool said combustion gas, and (2) discharge said cooled combustion gas into said first flow path; (ii) said second cross cycle heat exchanger connected to said second flow path so as to (1) receive at least a portion of said compressed supercritical fluid from said first compressor for the transfer of heat thereto so as to heat at least said portion of said compressed supercritical fluid and (2) discharge said heated supercritical fluid into said second flow path, wherein said combustion gas transfers heat from said compressed supercritical fluid; e) said first turbine connected to said first flow path so as to (1) receive at least a portion of said combustion gas produced by said combustor for expansion therein, and (2) discharge said expanded combustion gas to said first flow path; f) said second turbine connected to said second flow path so as to receive said heated supercritical fluid discharged from said second cross cycle heat exchanger, said second turbine having a second shaft, whereby said expansion of said compressed supercritical fluid in said second turbine drives rotation of said second shaft. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A system for generating shaft power using a supercritical fluid cycle and an air cycle, comprising:
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a) a combustor for burning a fossil fuel in air so as to produce a combustion gas; b) a first compressor for compressing a supercritical fluid so as to produce a compressed supercritical fluid; c) a first cross cycle heat exchanger for transferring heat from said combustion gas to said compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a cooled combustion gas and a heated compressed supercritical fluid; d) a first turbine for expanding at least a portion of said heated compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce an expanded supercritical fluid, said expansion of said supercritical fluid generating shaft power; e) a flow path for returning said expanded supercritical fluid to said first compressor; f) a second cross cycle heat exchanger for transferring heat from said expanded supercritical fluid to said air so as to cool said supercritical fluid to approximately its critical temperature prior to burning said fossil fuel in said air in said combustor and prior to returning said supercritical fluid to said first compressor. - View Dependent Claims (87)
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88. A system generating shaft power using a supercritical fluid cycle and an air cycle, comprising:
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a) a combustor for burning a fossil fuel in air so as to produce a combustion gas; b) a first compressor for compressing a first flow of supercritical fluid so as to produce a first flow of compressed supercritical fluid; c) a first heat exchanger for transferring heat from said combustion gas to said first flow of said compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a cooled combustion gas and a first flow of heated compressed supercritical fluid; d) a first turbine for expanding at least a portion of said first flow of heated compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a first flow of expanded supercritical fluid, said expansion of said first flow of supercritical fluid generating shaft power; e) a flow path for returning said first flow of expanded supercritical fluid to said first compressor; f) a second heat exchanger for transferring heat from said first flow of expanded supercritical fluid to said air prior to returning said first flow of supercritical fluid to said first compressor; g) a second compressor for compressing a second flow of supercritical fluid so as to produce a second flow of compressed supercritical fluid; h) a third heat exchanger for transferring heat from said cooled combustion gas to said second flow of compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a second flow of heated compressed supercritical fluid; i) a second turbine for expanding said second flow of heated compressed supercritical fluid so as to produce a second flow of expanded supercritical fluid and so as to generate additional shaft power.
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89. In a system for generating shaft power by expanding a supercritical fluid in a turbine having a shaft, a coupling from transmitting torque from said turbine shaft to a drive shaft, said coupling comprising:
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a) an induction rotor adapted to be connected to said turbine shaft so as to rotate with said turbine shaft; b) first and second armatures adapted to be connected to said drive shaft so as to rotate with said drive shaft; c) a magnet creating a magnetic flux within said coupling, said magnet connected to said first and second armatures so as to rotate with said armatures, whereby rotation of said induction rotor imparts torque to said first and second armatures that causes rotation of said drive shaft; d) a first flow path for directing a portion of said supercritical fluid to said induction rotor for cooling said induction rotor, whereby said portion of said supercritical fluid is heated; e) a second flow path for directing said heated supercritical fluid to said turbine for expansion therein. - View Dependent Claims (90)
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Specification