Thermodynamic cycles using thermal diluent
First Claim
1. An energy-conversion system comprising:
- an oxidant delivery system having an inlet and an outlet configured to deliver an oxidant-containing fluid into the energy-conversion system;
a fuel delivery system configured to deliver a fuel-containing fluid into the energy-conversion system;
a diluent delivery system configured to deliver diluent-containing fluid within the energy-conversion system, at least a portion of which comprises a vaporizable diluent fluid, and wherein at least a portion of diluent-containing fluid is pressurized as a liquid;
a combustion system, being configured to receive fluid from the fuel delivery system, the oxidant delivery system, and the diluent delivery system; and
including a combustion chamber having at least one inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the oxidant delivery system and with the outlet of the fuel delivery system;
having at least one outlet, the combustion system being configured to mix fuel-containing fluid and oxidant-containing fluid to form a combustible mixture of fuel and oxidant, to oxidize fuel with oxidant, whereby forming products of oxidation, and to deliver at least a portion of liquid diluent-containing fluid into the combustion chamber;
the combustion system being further configured;
to deliver and mix diluent-containing fluid with one or more of oxidant-containing fluid, fuel-containing fluid and products of oxidation;
to constrain the peak temperature of the energetic fluid exiting the combustion system; and
to form an energetic fluid within the combustion system comprising products of oxidation, and vaporized diluent fluid, the energetic fluid having elevated levels of one or more of;
temperature, pressure and kinetic energy;
an expansion system comprising an expander having an inlet and an outlet configured to expand at least a portion of the energetic fluid, whereby forming an expanded fluid;
a heat and mass transfer system having a plurality of inlets and outlets, being configured to;
recover heat from the expanded fluid whereby forming a cooled expanded fluid;
provide heat to diluent-containing fluid whereby forming a heated diluent fluid;
deliver at least a portion of heated diluent fluid to the combustion system;
a diluent recovery system configured to recover diluent from the expanded fluid at least about equal to that delivered into the oxidant fluid or energetic fluid upstream of the outlet of the expansion system; and
to recover a portion of one or both of the water formed during combustion and the water delivered with the oxidant fluid into the oxidant delivery system; and
a fluid treatment system configured to remove at least a portion of water recovered from the expanded fluid, wherein removing a portion of at least one contaminant in the expanded fluid and wherein reducing the concentration of the contaminant in the energetic fluid entering the expansion system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermodynamic system that produces mechanical, electrical power, and/or fluid streams for heating or cooling. The cycle contains a combustion system that produces an energetic fluid by combustion of a fuel with an oxidant. A thermal diluent may be used in the cycle to improve performance, including but not limited to power, efficiency, economics, emissions, dynamic and off-peak load performance, and/or turbine inlet temperature (TIT) regulation and cooling heated components. The cycle preferably includes a heat recovery system and a condenser or other means to recover and recycle heat and the thermal diluent from the energetic fluid to improve the cycle thermodynamic efficiency and reduce energy conversion costs. The cycle may also include controls for temperatures, pressures, and flow rates throughout the cycle, and controls power output, efficiency, and energetic fluid composition.
207 Citations
101 Claims
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1. An energy-conversion system comprising:
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an oxidant delivery system having an inlet and an outlet configured to deliver an oxidant-containing fluid into the energy-conversion system; a fuel delivery system configured to deliver a fuel-containing fluid into the energy-conversion system; a diluent delivery system configured to deliver diluent-containing fluid within the energy-conversion system, at least a portion of which comprises a vaporizable diluent fluid, and wherein at least a portion of diluent-containing fluid is pressurized as a liquid; a combustion system, being configured to receive fluid from the fuel delivery system, the oxidant delivery system, and the diluent delivery system; and
including a combustion chamber having at least one inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the oxidant delivery system and with the outlet of the fuel delivery system;
having at least one outlet, the combustion system being configured to mix fuel-containing fluid and oxidant-containing fluid to form a combustible mixture of fuel and oxidant, to oxidize fuel with oxidant, whereby forming products of oxidation, and to deliver at least a portion of liquid diluent-containing fluid into the combustion chamber;
the combustion system being further configured;to deliver and mix diluent-containing fluid with one or more of oxidant-containing fluid, fuel-containing fluid and products of oxidation; to constrain the peak temperature of the energetic fluid exiting the combustion system; and to form an energetic fluid within the combustion system comprising products of oxidation, and vaporized diluent fluid, the energetic fluid having elevated levels of one or more of;
temperature, pressure and kinetic energy;an expansion system comprising an expander having an inlet and an outlet configured to expand at least a portion of the energetic fluid, whereby forming an expanded fluid; a heat and mass transfer system having a plurality of inlets and outlets, being configured to;
recover heat from the expanded fluid whereby forming a cooled expanded fluid;
provide heat to diluent-containing fluid whereby forming a heated diluent fluid;
deliver at least a portion of heated diluent fluid to the combustion system;a diluent recovery system configured to recover diluent from the expanded fluid at least about equal to that delivered into the oxidant fluid or energetic fluid upstream of the outlet of the expansion system; and
to recover a portion of one or both of the water formed during combustion and the water delivered with the oxidant fluid into the oxidant delivery system; anda fluid treatment system configured to remove at least a portion of water recovered from the expanded fluid, wherein removing a portion of at least one contaminant in the expanded fluid and wherein reducing the concentration of the contaminant in the energetic fluid entering the expansion system. - 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, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101)
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79. A method of controlling a heat and power system, the heat and power system comprising:
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a reactant delivery system configured to deliver a reactant fluid comprising a reactant; a co-reactant delivery system configured to deliver a co-reactant fluid comprising a co-reactant; a diluent delivery system configured to deliver a diluent fluid comprising a vaporizable diluent; a reactor configured to deliver diluent, react reactant with co-reactant and form an energetic fluid comprising reaction products, diluent and residual components of the co-reactant fluid and diluent fluid; an expander configured to expand the energetic fluid and extract mechanical energy, whereby forming an expanded fluid; a hot fluid heat exchanger configured to recover thermal energy from at least one of the energetic fluid and the expanded fluid, into a coolant fluid whereby forming a heated fluid and a cooled fluid; a heated component heat exchanger, configured to control the temperature of a heated component of the heat and power system and recover heat into a coolant fluid; a controller configured to control the delivery of reactant fluid, co-reactant fluid and diluent fluid; the method comprising; controlling the delivery of coolant fluid to the heated component heat exchanger wherein controlling the temperature of the heated component to less than a selected temperature; controlling the diluent fluid delivered into the co-reactant containing fluid or energetic fluid upstream of the expander outlet, thereby controlling the peak temperature of the energetic fluid entering the expander to below a specified temperature; controlling the delivery of coolant fluid through the hot fluid heat exchanger wherein recovering heat from the energetic fluid and controlling the temperature of the heated fluid to be greater than a selected temperature; controlling the reactant fluid delivery to provide a thermal energy at least equal to the thermal energy sufficient to deliver the sum of a mechanical energy extracted from the energetic fluid by the expander, plus a thermal energy extracted from the energetic fluid or expanded energetic fluid and delivered by the coolant fluid; controlling one or both of the reactant fluid and the co-reactant fluid to obtain a ratio lambda of the co-reactant to reactant ratio relative to the stoichiometric co-reactant to reactant ratio within a selected range above one and below a selected ratio; controlling diluent delivery within the reactor;
wherein controlling the amount of oxides of nitrogen and amount of reactant pollutant components in the expanded fluid being exhausted from the energy conversion system. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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Specification