SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DISTILLATION PROCESS AND TURBINE ENGINE INTERCOOLER

• US 20150298024A1
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Watkins, Richard Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,118,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/0058 Use of waste energy from other processes or sources, e.g. combustion gas for water treatment C02F1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/146 Multiple effect distillation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/16 using waste heat from other processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/08 Seawater, e.g. for desalination
• 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: 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: F02C 7/143 before or between the compressor stages
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/185 Cooling means for reducing the temperature of the cooling air or gas
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/60 making use of surplus or waste energy
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/40 Use of a multiplicity of similar components
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/205 Cooling fluid recirculation, i.e. after cooling one or more components is the cooling fluid recovered and used elsewhere for other purposes
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/211 by intercooling, e.g. during a compression cycle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/124 Water desalination

Abstract

A system includes an intercooler configured to flow a working fluid and compressed air of a gas turbine engine through the intercooler to exchange heat between the working fluid and the compressed air. The system also includes a multi-effect distillation system configured to flow the working fluid and a mixture to exchange heat between the working fluid and the mixture to enable distillation of the mixture.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an intercooler configured to flow a working fluid and compressed air of a gas turbine engine through the intercooler to exchange heat between the working fluid and the compressed air; and

a multi-effect distillation system configured to flow the working fluid and a mixture to exchange heat between the working fluid and the mixture to enable distillation of the mixture.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-effect distillation system comprises one or a plurality of effect vessels configured to distill the mixture, wherein a first effect vessel of the one or plurality of effect vessels is configured to exchange heat between the working fluid and the mixture to produce a first distillate steam and a first concentrated mixture.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or plurality of effect vessels comprises a second effect vessel downstream of the first effect vessel, wherein the second effect vessel is configured to exchange heat between the first distillate steam and the first concentrated mixture to produce a second distillate steam and a second concentrated mixture.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising a controller configured to regulate operation of one or more valves to control flow of the working fluid through the intercooler and/or the multi-effect distillation system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more valves comprise a flow control valve disposed downstream of the intercooler and upstream of the multi-effect distillation system.

6. The system of claim 5, comprising at least one temperature sensor, wherein the at least one temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the working fluid, a temperature of the compressed air, or both, wherein the controller is configured to regulate operation of the one or more valves based on feedback received from the at least one temperature sensor.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more valves comprise a warm up valve configured to divert at least a portion of the working fluid away from the multi-effect distillation system and back to the intercooler, such that the portion of the working fluid flows in a closed loop in and out of the intercooler until the working fluid reaches a desired temperature.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising a cooler disposed downstream of the multi-effect distillation system and upstream of the intercooler, wherein the cooler is configured to exchange heat between the working fluid exiting the multi-effect distillation system and a cooling agent.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising a blend valve configured to divert a first portion of the working fluid from entering the cooler, such that the first portion of the working fluid is combined with a second portion of the working fluid flowed through the cooler downstream of the cooler.

10. The system of claim 9, comprising a bypass valve disposed downstream of the intercooler, wherein the bypass valve is configured to divert the working fluid from entering the multi-effect distillation system, and the bypass valve is configured to flow the working fluid to the cooler.

11. The system of claim 1, comprising a feed heater configured to exchange heat between the working fluid exiting the multi-effect distillation system and the mixture prior to the mixture entering an effect vessel of the multi-effect distillation system.

12. A system, comprising:

a controller configured to regulate at least one valve to control a working fluid flow through an intercooler of a gas turbine engine and through a multi-effect distillation system.

13. The system of claim 12, comprising:

the at least one valve; and

the multi-effect distillation system;

wherein the at least one valve comprises a flow control valve disposed between the intercooler and a first vessel of the multi-effect distillation system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one valve comprises a bypass valve disposed downstream of the intercooler, wherein the bypass valve is configured to divert the working fluid from entering the multi-effect distillation system, and the bypass valve is configured to flow the working fluid to a cooler disposed upstream of the intercooler.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one valve comprises a blend valve configured to divert a first portion of the working fluid from entering a cooler, such that the first portion of the working fluid is combined with a second portion of the working fluid flowed through the cooler downstream of the cooler.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one valve comprises a warm up valve configured to divert at least a portion of the working fluid away from the multi-effect distillation system and back to the intercooler, such that the portion of the working fluid flows in a closed loop in and out of the intercooler until the working fluid reaches a desired temperature.

17. The system of claim 13, comprising at least one temperature sensor, wherein the at least one temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the working fluid, a temperature of the compressed air, or both, wherein the controller is configured to regulate operation of one of the at least one valve based on feedback received from the at least one temperature sensor.

18. A method, comprising:

flowing a working fluid through an intercooler of a gas turbine engine;

exchanging heat between the working fluid and compressed air from the gas turbine engine;

flowing the working fluid from the intercooler to a multi-effect distillation system; and

exchanging heat between the working fluid and a mixture within a vessel of the multi-effect distillation system.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising:

flowing the working fluid from the vessel of the multi-effect distillation system to a pre-heater; and

exchanging heat between the working fluid and the mixture within the pre-heater before flowing the mixture to the vessel of the multi-effect distillation system.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising:

regulating a flow rate of the working fluid based on a measured temperature of the working fluid to achieve a desired temperature of the working fluid upstream of the intercooler.