Method for operating a partially closed, turbocharged gas turbine cycle, and gas turbine system for carrying out the method

• US 6,901,759 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Frutschi, Hans Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, THAI BA
• Application Number:
  US10/780,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20040163391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 606/12, 60/391.83, 60/391.82, 60/395.11, 60772-774, 60791-792
• US Class Current: 60/772
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/08 Semi-closed cycles
• 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 6/003 Gas-turbine plants with heaters between turbine stages
• 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 7/08 Heating air supply before combustion, e.g. by exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]

Abstract

A gas turbine system includes a gas turbine (1, 2, 3) having a compressor (1) and a turbine (2), which via a common shaft (3) drive a generator (4), and a combustion chamber (6), the exit of which is connected to the entry to the turbine (2) of the gas turbine (1, 2, 3), has a fuel feed (8) and receives combustion air from the exit of the compressor (1) of the gas turbine (1, 2, 3) via the high-pressure side of a recuperator (5), the exit of the turbine (2) and the entry to the compressor (1) of the gas turbine (1, 2, 3) being connected via the low-pressure side of the recuperator (5), and a first exhaust-gas turbocharger (ATL2) which sucks in air being connected to different locations (9, 10) of the low-pressure side of the recuperator (4) via the exit of its compressor (13) and the entry to its turbine (14).

Claims

1. method for operating a partially closed, turbocharged gas turbine cycle, the method comprising:

burning fuel in a combustion chamber while supplying a gaseous, compressed working medium which contains combustion air, to generate hot combustion gases;

expanding a working medium which contains the hot combustion gases in a turbine of a gas turbine, said turbine performing work;

extracting heat from the expanded working medium in a downstream recuperator to generate cooled working medium;

compressing the cooled working medium in a compressor of the gas turbine;

feeding heat to the compressed working medium in the recuperator before said compressed working medium re-enters the combustion chamber;

removing a portion of the expanded working medium on a low-pressure side of the recuperator at a removal location which is at a first temperature level, and further expanding said removed expanded working medium portion in the turbine of a first exhaust-gas turbocharger;

sucking in and compressing air with a compressor of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger; and

feeding the compressed air to the working medium on the low-pressure side of the recuperator at a feed location which is at a second temperature level;

wherein said gas turbine compressor comprises a radical compressor.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gas turbine comprises a second exhaust-gas turbocharger.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

compressing the working medium which comes out of the compressor of the gas turbine in the compressor of a third exhaust-gas turbocharger before said working medium enters the recuperator; and

initially expanding the working medium which flows out of the combustion chamber in the turbine of the third exhaust-gas turbocharger before said working medium enters the turbine of the gas turbine.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

cooling the working medium in an intercooler before said working medium enters the compressor of the third exhaust-gas turbocharger; and

reheating the exhaust gas from the turbine of the third exhaust-gas turbocharger in a further combustion chamber.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gas turbine comprises a microturbine.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

expanding said removed expanded working medium portion in the turbine of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger so that the power required to drive the compressor of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger is produced.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantity of air supplied to the working medium by the compressor of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger at least covers the demand for combustion air in the combustion chamber.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second temperature level approximately corresponds to the compressor outlet temperature.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

extracting heat from the working medium in a precooler between low-pressure-side exit from the recuperator and the entry to the compressor of the gas turbine.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

controlling the rotational speed of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger with an auxiliary machine connected to the first exhaust-gas turbocharger to set the level of turbo charging.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the auxiliary machine comprises an electrical machine, converters, and a grid system, the electrical machine connected to the grid system via the converters.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

controlling the rotational speed of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger with an adjustable bypass between the compressor and the turbine of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger, in order to set the level of turbo charging.

13. A gas turbine system useful for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1, the system comprising:

a generator;

a common shaft;

a gas turbine having a compressor and a turbine which drive the generator via the common shaft, the turbine having an entry and an exit, a recuperator having a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side, and a combustion chamber having an exit connected to the entry to the turbine of the gas turbine, the compressor having an exit, a fuel feed, and being configured and arranged to receive combustion air from the exit of the compressor of the gas turbine via the high-pressure side of the recuperator, the exit of the turbine and the entry to the compressor of the gas turbine being connected via the low-pressure side of the recuperator; and

a first exhaust-gas turbocharger, configured and arranged to suck in air, including a compressor having an exit and a turbine having an entry, the first exhaust-gas turbocharger being connected to locations of the low-pressure side of the recuperator by the exit of the compressor of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger and the entry to the turbine of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger;

wherein the compressor of the gas turbine comprises a radial compressor.

14. The gas turbine system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the gas turbine comprises a second exhaust-gas turbocharger.

15. The gas turbine system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the gas turbine comprises a microturbine.

16. The gas turbine system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a precooler configured and arranged to discharge heating heat, arranged between the entry to the compressor of the gas turbine and the low-pressure side exit of the recuperator.

17. The gas turbine system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first exhaust-gas turbocharger configured and arranged to be driven by an auxiliary machine.

18. The gas turbine system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the auxiliary machine comprises an electrical machine, converters, and a grid system, the electrical machine connected to the grid system via the converters.

19. The gas turbine system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a bypass valve arranged between the exit from the compressor and the entry to the turbine of the first exhaust-gas turbocharger.

20. The gas turbine system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a third exhaust-gas turbocharger having a compressor and a turbine and being arranged between the gas turbine and the high-pressure side of the recuperator so that the compressor of the third exhaust-gas turbocharger is arranged between the exit from the compressor of the gas turbine and the high-pressure-side entry of the recuperator, and the turbine of the third exhaust-gas turbocharger is arranged between the entry to the turbine of the gas turbine and the exit from the combustion chamber.

21. The gas turbine system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the compressor of the third exhaust gas turbocharger has an entry, and further comprising:

an intercooler arranged between the exit from the compressor of the gas turbine and the entry to the compressor of the third exhaust-gas turbocharger; and

a further combustion chamber arranged between the turbine of the third exhaust-gas turbocharger and the turbine of the gas turbine.

22. The gas turbine system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the mass flow in the first exhaust-gas turbocharger is approximately a quarter of the mass flow in the second exhaust-gas turbocharger, and the third exhaust-gas turbocharger is configured and arranged for approximately half the volumetric flow of the gas turbine.