System and process for base load power generation

• US 7,685,821 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kalina Power Limited
• Original Assignee: Alexander I. Kalina
• Inventors: Kalina, Alexander I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hoang M
• Application Number:
  US11/399,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20070234722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 606/49, 606/51, 606/55, 606/71
• US Class Current: 60/649
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/065 with an absorption fluid remaining at least partly in the liquid state, e.g. water for ammonia F01K5/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 7/32 the engines using steam of critical or overcritical pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/15 On-site combined power, heat or cool generation or distribution, e.g. combined heat and power [CHP] supply

Abstract

A system and process are disclosed for converting thermal energy into power from three different compositional streams of a multi-component working fluid, one of the streams being a lean working fluid stream pressurized into its super-critical state before being vaporized in a heat recovery vapor generator, another stream is a rich working fluid steam and the third stream is an intermediate working fluid stream, where the system and process has increased overall efficiency.

Claims

1. A method for extracting energy from a multi-component working fluid comprising the steps of:

extracting a portion of thermal energy in a fully vaporized, higher pressure lean working fluid stream S186 having parameters as at a point 401 in a first high pressure turbine T to produce a first amount of usable energy forming a spent lean working fluid stream S188 having parameters as at a point 402,

reheating the spent lean working fluid stream S188 having the parameters as at the point 402 in a heat recovery vapor generator HRVG utilizing heat from a mixed flue gas stream to form a reheated spent lean working fluid stream S150 having parameter as at a point 408,

mixing the reheated spent lean working fluid stream S150 having the parameter as at the point 408 with a pressure adjusted first portion of a fully vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S148 having parameter as at a point 421 to form a fully vaporized, intermediate composition working fluid stream S152 having parameter as at a point 411,

extracting a portion of thermal energy in from the fully vaporized, intermediate composition working fluid stream S152 having the parameter as at the point 411 in a low concentration turbine LCT to produce a second amount of usable energy forming a spent intermediate working fluid stream S126 having parameter as at a point 316,

extracting thermal energy from a second portion of the fully vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S140 having the parameter as at the point 410 in a second high pressure turbine HPT to produce a third amount of usable energy forming a spent intermediate pressure rich working fluid stream S142 having parameter as at a point 412,

passing the spent intermediate pressure rich working fluid stream S142 having the parameter as at the point 412 in counter-flow with a higher pressure lean working fluid stream S175 having parameters as at a point 212 in a first heat exchange unit forming a heated, higher pressure lean working fluid stream S176 having parameter as at a point 203 and a cooled intermediate pressure, rich working fluid stream S144 having parameters as at a point 413,

extracting thermal energy from the cooled intermediate pressure, rich working fluid stream S144 having the parameters as at the point 413 in a low pressure turbine LPT to produce a fourth amount of usable energy forming a spent rich working fluid stream S146 having parameter as at a point 138,

fully condensing the spent rich working fluid stream S146 having the parameter as at the point 138 in a condensation and thermal compression subsystem CTCSS to form a first fully condensed, rich working fluid stream S102 having parameter as at a point 129,

pressurizing the first fully condensed, rich working fluid stream S102 having the parameters as at the point 129 and a second fully condensed, rich working fluid stream S114 having parameters as at a point 98 to form a first fully condensed, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S104 having parameters as at a point 100 and a second fully condensed, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S106 having parameters as at a point 92,

mixing the first and second fully condensed, higher pressure rich working fluid streams S104 and S106 to form a combined fully condensed, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S108 having parameters as at a point 91,

passing the combined fully condensed, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S108 having the parameters as at the point 91 in counter-flow with a second rich working fluid stream S110 having parameters as at a point 95 in a first heat exchanger HE11 forming the second fully condensed rich working fluid stream S114 having parameters as at a point 98 and a heated, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S112 having parameters as at a point 101,

passing the heated, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S112 having the parameters as at the point 101 in counter-flow with a first portion of a cooled, spent intermediate composition working fluid stream S116 having parameters as at a point 206 in a second heat exchanger HE12 forming the cooled first portion of the cooled, spent intermediate composition working fluid stream S120 having parameters as at a point 108 and a partially vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S118 having parameters as at a point 300,

passing a first portion of the partially vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S124 having the parameters as at the point 305 in counter-flow with the spent intermediate composition working fluid stream S126 having the parameters as at the point 316 in a third heat exchanger HE13 forming a cooled, spent intermediate composition working fluid stream S130 having parameters as at a point 205 and a vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S128 having parameters as at a point 309,

feeding a second portion of the cooled intermediate composition working fluid stream S154 having parameters as at a point 207 into a lower section of a scrubber SC2 and a first portion of a lean liquid stream S168 having parameters as at a point 102 into a top of the scrubber SC2,

withdrawing a very lean liquid stream S170 having parameters as at a point 103 from a bottom of the scrubber SC2 and a first enriched vapor stream S156 having parameters as at a point 109,

mixing the first enriched vapor stream S156 having the parameters as at the point 109 with the cooled first portion of the cooled, spent intermediate composition working fluid stream S120 having parameters as at a point 108 to form a second mixed stream S158 having parameters as at a point 110,

separating the second mixed stream S158 having the parameters as at the point 110 in a gravity separator S10 to form a second enriched vapor stream S160 having parameters as at a point 111 and the lean liquid stream S162 having parameters as at a point 112,

mixing a second portion of the lean liquid stream S166 having parameters as at a point 114 with the second enriched vapor stream S160 having parameters as at a point 111 to form the second rich working fluid stream S110 having parameters as at a point 95,

mixing a pressure adjusted, very lean stream S172 having parameters as at a point 201 with a second portion of the partially vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S122 having the parameters as at the point 303 to form a fully condensed, lean working fluid stream S174 having parameters as at a point 202,

pressuring the fully condensed, lean working fluid stream S174 having parameters as at a point 202 to form the fully condensed, higher pressure lean working fluid stream S175 having parameters as at a point 212,

fully vaporizing the heated, higher pressure lean working fluid stream S176 having parameters as at a point 203 in counter-flow with the mixed flue gas stream to form the fully vaporized, higher pressure lean working fluid stream S186 having the parameters as at the point 401, and

fully vaporizing the first portion of the vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S128 having the parameters as at the point 309 in counter-flow with the mixed flue gas stream to form the fully vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream S134 having parameters as at a point 409.

2. A method for extracting energy from a multi-component working fluid comprising the steps of:

forming a fully condensed, high pressure rich working fluid stream from a spent rich working fluid stream, where the rich working fluid stream has a high concentration of a low boiling component of the multi-component working fluid,

forming a fully condensed, high pressure lean working fluid stream from a first portion of a partially vaporized, high pressure rich working fluid stream and a very lean liquid stream having a very low concentration of the low boiling component of the multi-component fluid, where the lean working fluid stream has a low concentration of the low boiling component of the multi-component working fluid,

vaporizing a second portion of the partially vaporized, high pressure rich working fluid stream with heat derived from a mixed flue gas stream and a spent intermediate working fluid stream to form a fully vaporized high pressure rich working fluid stream

vaporizing the fully condensed lean working fluid stream heat derived from the mixed flue gas stream and a spent, intermediate pressure rich working fluid stream to form a fully vaporized high pressure lean working fluid stream and a cooled, spent, intermediate pressure rich working fluid stream,

extracting a first amount of electric power or other useable energy from a portion of thermal energy in the fully vaporized high pressure lean working fluid stream in a first high pressure turbine to form a spent lean working fluid stream,

forming a fully vaporized intermediate working fluid stream form a first portion of the fully vaporized high pressure rich working fluid stream and a reheated spent lean working fluid stream, where the intermediate working fluid stream has a concentration of the low boiling component of the multi-component fluid between the high concentration of the rich working fluid and the low concentration of the lean working fluid,

extracting a second amount of electric power or other useable energy from a portion of thermal energy in the fully vaporized intermediate working fluid stream in a low concentration turbine to form the spent intermediate working fluid stream,

extracting a third amount of electric power or other useable energy from a portion of thermal energy in a second portion of the high pressure rich working fluid stream in a second high pressure turbine to form the spent, intermediate pressure rich working fluid stream, and

extracting a fourth amount of electric power or other useable energy from a portion of thermal energy in the cooled, spent, intermediate pressure rich working fluid stream in a low pressure turbine to form the spent rich working fluid stream.

3. An apparatus for extracting energy in a thermodynamic cycle comprising:

a vaporizing subsystem adapted to (a) fully vaporize a higher pressure, lean working fluid stream comprising a first portion of a partially vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream and a very lean liquid stream, (b) fully vaporize a first portion of a higher pressure, rich working fluid stream, and (c) reheat a spent lean working fluid stream from heat derived from a mixed flue gas stream forming a fully vaporized, higher pressure lean working fluid stream, a fully vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream, and a reheated, spent lean working fluid stream,

an energy conversion subsystem including;

a first high pressure turbine adapted to convert a portion of thermal energy in the fully vaporized, higher pressure lean working fluid stream into a first amount of useable energy forming the spent lean working fluid stream,

a low concentration turbine adapted to convert a portion of thermal energy in a fully vaporized, intermediate working fluid stream into a second amount of useable energy, where the fully vaporized intermediate working fluid stream comprises a first portion of a pressure adjusted, fully vaporized, rich working fluid stream and the reheated, spent lean working fluid stream forming a spent intermediate working fluid stream, and

a rich working fluid stream extraction unit including;

a second high pressure turbine or stage adapted to convert a portion of thermal energy in with a second portion of the fully vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream into a third amount of useable energy forming a spent, intermediate pressure rich working fluid stream and a low pressure turbine or stage adapted to convert a portion of heat associated with a cooled, spent, intermediate pressure rich working fluid stream into a fourth amount of useable energy to form a spent rich working fluid stream,

a separation subsystem including;

a scrubber adapted to scrub and separate a first portion of a cooled, spent intermediate working fluid stream and a first portion of a lean liquid stream into a first enriched vapor stream and the very lean liquid stream, and a separator adapted to separate a mixed stream comprising a cooled second portion of the cooled, spent intermediate working fluid stream and the first enriched vapor stream into a second enriched vapor stream and the lean liquid stream,

a condensation subsystem adapted to fully condense the spent rich working fluid stream into a first fully condensed rich working fluid stream, and

a heat exchange subsystem including;

a first heat exchange unit adapted to fully condense a second rich working fluid stream comprising the second enriched vapor stream and a second portion of the lean liquid stream and to heat a combined, higher pressure rich working fluid stream comprising a first fully condensed, higher pressure rich working fluid stream and a second fully condensed, higher pressure rich working fluid stream,

a second heat exchange unit adapted to partially vaporize the combined rich working fluid stream and to cool the second portion of the spent intermediate working fluid stream forming a partially vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream and the cooled second portion of the cooled, spent intermediate working fluid stream, and a third heat exchange unit adapted to vaporize a second portion of the partially vaporize the combined rich working fluid stream and to cool the spent intermediate working fluid stream forming the vaporized, higher pressure rich working fluid stream and the cooled spent intermediate working fluid.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising;

a pressurizing subsystem including;

a first pump adapted to increase a pressure of the first fully condensed rich working fluid stream to form the first fully condensed, higher pressure rich working fluid stream,

a second pump adapted to increase a pressure of the second fully condensed rich working fluid stream to form the second fully condensed, higher pressure rich working fluid stream,

a third pump adapted to increase a pressure of the fully condensed lean working fluid stream to form the fully condensed, high pressure lean working fluid stream.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the vaporization subsystem comprises a heat recovery vapor generator HRVG, which utilizes thermal energy in a mixed flue gas stream comprising an hot initial flue gas stream and a portion of a spend flue gas stream, where the mixed flue gas stream has a temperature that reduces damage to the heat recovery vapor generator HRVG.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first heat exchange unit is a first heat exchanger HE11, the second heat exchange unit is a boiler-condenser HE12, and the third heat exchange unit is a recuperative heat exchanger HE13.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the vaporizing subsystem is a heat recovery vapor generator having third heat exchange zone, the first zone is adapted to vaporize the lean working fluid stream with heat derived from a flue gas stream and a spent high pressure rich working fluid stream, the second zone is adapted to heat the vaporized lean working fluid stream with heat derived from the flue gas stream, and the first zone is adapted to super-heat the lean vaporized lean working fluid stream, to super heat the rich working fluid stream and to reheat a spent lean working fluid stream.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the flue gas stream comprises a mixture of a hot flue gas stream and a portion of a spent flue gas stream.