Power plant with CO 2 capture and compression

• US 8,346,394 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Steinbach, Christian, Pfeffer, Allen Michael, Paelinck, Philippe Jean-Michel, Hoffmann, Jurgen, Soothill, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Turk, Neil N
• Application Number:
  US12/833,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20110056200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/274
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/02 Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/18 Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/32 Direct CO2 mitigation

Abstract

Power plant characteristics are operated in a flexible manner by controlling the power consumption of a CO₂ capture and compression system. The impact of CO₂ capture and compression on the capacity of a power plant can be minimized to maximize the electric power the plant can deliver to the power grid and the impact of CO₂ capture and compression on the average plant efficiency can be reduced, by an operating method and a power plant, in which the power consumption of the CO₂ capture system is used to control the net output of the plant.

Claims

1. A method for operating a power plant, the method comprising:

operating the plant via a control system and CO₂ capture system;

using a power consumption of the CO₂ capture stem as a control parameter for controlling net power output of the plant; and

controlling the CO₂ capture system by a closed loop control system, which is integrated into the control system or coordinated by the control system or has a direct data link to the plant control system.

2. A method for operating a power plant, the method comprising:

operating the plant via a control system and CO₂ capture system;

using a power consumption of the CO₂ capture system as a control parameter for controlling net power output of the plant;

operating the CO₂ capture system at reduced capacity or shutting down the CO₂ capture system in order to supply additional power to the grid; and

using this additional power to increase rated plant capacity.

3. A method for operating a power plant, the method comprising:

operating the plant via a control system and CO₂ capture system; and

using a power consumption of the CO₂ capture system as a control parameter for controlling net power output of the plant

operating the power plant close to or at design point when the CO₂ capture system is in operation; and

using the power consumption of the CO₂ capture system as capacity reserve.

4. A method for operating a power plant, the method comprising:

operating the plant via a control system and CO₂ capture system;

using a power consumption of the CO₂ capture system as a control parameter for controlling net power output of the plant;

controlling the plant to maintain thermal load of the plant constant; and

control the power consumption of the CO₂ capture system to vary the net power output to a grid.

5. A method for operating a power plant, the method comprising:

operating the plant via a control system and CO₂ capture system;

using a power consumption of the CO₂ capture s stem as a control parameter for controlling net power output of the plant; and

varying a CO₂ capture rate to control the power consumption of the CO₂ capture system.

6. A method for operating a power plant, the method comprising:

operating the plant via a control system and CO₂ capture system wherein the CO₂ capture system comprises a CO₂ compressor unit;

using a power consumption of the CO₂ capture system as a control parameter for controlling net power output of the plant; and

shutting down the CO₂ compression unit or operating the CO₂ compression unit at reduced capacity.

7. A method according to claim 6, comprising:

releasing a part of or all captured CO₂ via a bypass of the CO₂ compression unit.

8. A method for operating a power plant, the method comprising:

operating the plant via a control system and CO₂ capture system, wherein the CO₂ capture system comprises a regeneration unit;

using a power consumption of the CO₂ capture system as a control parameter for controlling net power output of the plant; and

shutting down the regeneration unit or operating the regeneration unit at reduced capacity.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein regeneration takes place at reduced capacity at times of high power demand, and wherein a stored absorbent or adsorbent is used for CO₂ capture during this time.

12. A method according to claim 11, comprising:

reducing a steam consumption of the regeneration unit comprised in the capture system due to the shut down or operation at reduced capacity; and

feeding surplus steam to at least one steam turbine of the plant.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein regeneration of the absorbent or adsorbent takes place at times of low power demand.

9. A method for operating a power plant, the method comprising:

Operating the plant via a control system and CO2 capture system, wherein the CO2 capture system comprises an absorption unit or adsorption;

using a power consumption of the CO2 capture system as a control parameter for controlling net power output of the plant; and

shutting down the absorption or adsorption unit or operating the absorption or adsorption unit at reduced capacity.

10. A method according to claim 9, comprising bypassing a part of or all flue gas around the CO₂ capture system.

14. A power plant, comprising:

a CO₂ capture system including a CO₂ compression unit; and

a control system configured to receive power consumption of the CO₂ capture system as a control parameter and to control net power output of the plant based on the received control parameter,

wherein the control system is configured to at least one of shut down the CO₂ compression unit and operate the CO₂ compression unit at a reduced capacity to vary a CO₂ capture rate to control power consumption of the CO₂ capture system.

15. A power plant according to claim 14, comprising:

at least one steam turbine for converting a maximum steam flow into energy, which can be produced by the plant with the CO₂ capture system switched off.

16. A power plant according to claim 14, comprising:

at least one generator and electrical systems for converting a maximum power, which is produced with the CO₂ capture system off, into electrical power and to transmit this electric power to the grid.

17. A power plant according to claim 14, wherein the CO₂ capture system includes an absorption unit having a bypass.

18. A power plant according to claim 14, wherein the absorption unit comprised in the capture system is designed to withstand flue gases even when not in operation.

19. A power plant according to claim 14, wherein the CO₂ capture system includes a regeneration unit and a storage tank for an absorbent or an adsorbent, which allows capture of CO₂ even when the regeneration unit in the capture system is operating at reduced capacity or is off.

20. A power plant according to claim 19, wherein the regeneration unit in the capture system has a capacity, which is larger than is required for steady state operation of the power plant in order to have additional capacity to regenerate stored absorbent or adsorbent.

21. A power plant according to claim 14, comprising:

chilled ammonia for the CO2 capture system; and

a storage tank for cooling medium that includes chilled ammonia, which is used for chilling during periods of high power demand, wherein the storage tank is oversized to have capacity to cool down stored cooling medium during periods of low power demand.