Integrated turbine power generation system with catalytic reactor

• US 6,960,840 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corp.
• Original Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corp.
• Inventors: Wacknov, Joel, Berner, Paul, Pont, Guillermo, Willis, Jeffrey W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohandesi, Iraj A.
• Application Number:
  US10/706,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20040100101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 290/52, 290/40, 290/40.A, 290/40.B, 290/40.C, 290/54
• US Class Current: 290/52
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/22 the fuel or oxidant being gaseous at standard temperature and pressure F02C3/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/2365 comprising an air supply system for the atomisation of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]

Abstract

The invention provides integrated turbogenerators having a turbine wheel, a compressor impeller, and a motor generator mounted to or mechanically constrained to a common shaft, and improved components and configurations thereof.

Claims

1. A turbogenerator system, comprising:

a turbine;

a compressor;

a motor/generator;

a common shaft on which the turbine, compressor and motor/generator are mounted for rotation;

a primary combustor downstream of said compressor, said primary combustor having an exhaust gas outlet applied to the turbine to rotate the common shaft, the compressor and motor/generator, said primary combustor being a flame combustor;

a source of fuel for providing fuel to the primary combustor;

a catalytic reactor downstream of said turbine for reducing unburned hydrocarbons in said exhaust gases;

a recuperator for transferring heat from said exhaust gases to compressed gas applied by said compressor to said primary combustor;

a DC bus connected between said motor/generator and a load; and

a power controller for independently controlling a speed of said common shaft, an operating temperature of said turbogenerator and a voltage on said DC bus, wherein said power controller further comprises;

a bi-directional generator power converter connected between said motor/generator and said DC bus for converting AC power from said motor/generator for application to said DC bus and for converting DC power from said DC bus for application to said motor/generator; and

a speed control loop responsive to a measured value related to a rotational speed of said common shaft and the turbine, compressor and motor/generator mounted thereon for controlling said rotational speed at a predetermined speed set point by operating said bi-directional generator power converter to apply power from said motor/generator to said DC bus and from said DC bus to said motor/generator.

2. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 wherein said compressor compresses air which is applied, together with fuel from said source of fuel, to said primary combustor.

3. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 wherein said compressor receives fuel from said source of fuel which is compressed together with air in said compressor to form a compressed air fuel mixture applied to said primary combustor.

4. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 wherein said primary combustor is a second catalytic reactor.

5. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 wherein said compressor compresses air which is applied, together with fuel from said source of fuel, to said primary combustor.

6. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 wherein said compressor receives fuel from said source of fuel which is compressed together with air in said compressor to form a compressed air fuel mixture applied to said primary combustor.

7. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 wherein said speed control loop is responsive to a value of power applied to the load for determining said speed set point.

8. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 wherein said power controller further comprises:

a temperature control loop responsive to a measured operating temperature of said turbogenerator system for controlling said operating temperature to a predetermined temperature set point by controlling the flow of fuel from said fuel source to said primary combustor.

9. The turbogenerator of claim 1 wherein said temperature control loop is responsive to said rotational speed for determining said temperature set point.

10. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 wherein said power controller further comprises:

a bi-directional load power converter connected between said DC bus and said load for converting DC power from DC bus for application to said load and for converting power from said load to said DC bus;

a bus voltage control loop responsive to a measured value related to a voltage of said DC bus for controlling said voltage at a predetermined voltage set point by applying power from said DC bus to said load and from said load to said DC bus.

11. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 further comprising:

a dynamic brake resistor selectively applied by said bus voltage control loop to said DC bus to remove power therefrom.

12. The turbogenerator system of claim 1 further comprising:

an energy storage device; and

a bi-directional battery power converter responsive to said bus voltage control loop for selectively applying power from said energy storage device to said DC bus and from said DC bus to said energy storage device.