Method for cooling a gas turbine plant and gas turbine plant for implementing the method

• US 9,145,774 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ansaldo Energia Switzerland AG (Ansaldo Energia SPA)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Fuchs, Herbert, Nemet, Anton, Wettstein, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Gerald L
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALTHOUR, SCOTT J
• Application Number:
  US13/526,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20130036747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 607/82, 607/85, 60/395.3, 60/395.9, 607/28, 608/06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/187 Convection cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/185 Cooling means for reducing the temperature of the cooling air or gas
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/202 by film cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/205 Cooling fluid recirculation, i.e. after cooling one or more components is the cooling fluid recovered and used elsewhere for other purposes

Abstract

A method is provided for operating a gas turbine plant, in which compressed air is extracted from a compressor and for cooling is directed in an internal cooling passage through thermally loaded components to the combustion chamber and/or to the turbine, then re-cooled, and added to the compressor main flow in the compressor. At least a portion of the recirculated air is supersaturated, or partially saturated, with drops of water during or before recirculation into the compressor and a cooling mist is created. A gas turbine plant is provided with a closed cooling circuit which, for implementing the method, includes an injection arrangement for introducing water into the recirculated cooling air.

Claims

1. A gas turbine plant, comprising:

a compressor configured to suck in intake air on an inlet side of the compressor, compress the air to form compressed air and discharge the compressed air on a discharge side of the compressor;

a combustion chamber configured to combust the compressed air to form a hot gas;

at least one turbine configured to expand the hot gas to perform work;

first cooling lines configured to cool thermally loaded components of at least one of the combustion chamber and the turbine by recirculating cooling air to the thermally loaded components, the first cooling lines being connected from an exit of the compressor to the thermally loaded components;

second cooling lines connected from the thermally loaded components back to the compressor;

at least one of a first cooler arranged in the first cooling lines and a second cooler arranged in the second cooling lines; and

an injection arrangement configured to introduce water into the recirculated cooling air,

wherein the compressor comprises at least one stator blade which has at least one passage for the recirculation of cooling air, which leads through a blade airfoil and comprises at least one opening into a flow passage of the compressor, and

wherein the at least one stator blade comprises at least one second water feed line which leads through the blade airfoil and in the blade opens into at least one discharge passage for the recirculation of cooling air.

6. The gas turbine plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle is a high-pressure nozzle.

2. A gas turbine plant, comprising:

a compressor configured to suck in intake air on an inlet side of the compressor, compress the air to form compressed air and discharge the compressed air on a discharge side of the compressor;

a combustion chamber configured to combust the compressed air to form a hot gas;

at least one turbine configured to expand the hot gas to perform work;

first cooling lines configured to cool thermally loaded components of at least one of the combustion chamber and the turbine by recirculating cooling air to the thermally loaded components, the first cooling lines being connected from an exit of the compressor to the thermally loaded components;

second cooling lines connected from the thermally loaded components back to the compressor;

at least one of a first cooler arranged in the first cooling lines and a second cooler arranged in the second cooling lines; and

an injection arrangement configured to introduce water into the recirculated cooling air,

wherein the compressor comprises at least one stator blade which has at least one passage for the recirculation of cooling air, which leads through a blade airfoil and comprises at least one opening into a flow passage of the compressor, and

wherein the at least one stator blade comprises

at least one first water feed line which leads through the blade airfoil and opens into the flow passage upstream or downstream of the at least one opening for the recirculation of cooling air.

3. The gas turbine plant as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second cooling line comprises a spray cooler having a plenum and a nozzle for injecting water into the plenum to create a cooling mist during operation.

4. The gas turbine plant as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second cooling line comprises a Venturi nozzle into which leads the at least one first water feed line.

5. The gas turbine plant as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flow passage of the compressor is widened in flow direction upstream of a row of stator blades of the compressor through which the cooling air is recirculated.

7. The gas turbine plant as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flow passage of the compressor is made smaller downstream of a row of a stator blade of the compressor.

8. The gas turbine plant as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cooling mist comprises cooling air supersaturated with water droplets.

9. A gas turbine plant, comprising:

a compressor configured to suck in intake air on an inlet side of the compressor, compress the air to form compressed air and discharge the compressed air on a discharge side of the compressor;

a combustion chamber configured to combust the compressed air to form a hot gas;

at least one turbine configured to expand the hot gas to perform work;

first cooling lines configured to cool thermally loaded components of at least one of the combustion chamber and the turbine by recirculating cooling air to the thermally loaded components, the first cooling lines being connected from an exit of the compressor to the thermally loaded components;

second cooling lines connected from the thermally loaded components back to the compressor;

at least one of a first cooler arranged in the first cooling lines and a second cooler arranged in the second cooling lines; and

an injection arrangement configured to introduce water into the recirculated cooling air,

wherein the compressor comprises at least one stator blade, which includes at least one opening for the recirculation of cooling air into a flow passage of the compressor and at least one water feed line which leads through the blade airfoil and opens, within the at least one stator blade, into a flow passage for recirculation air upstream or downstream of the at least one opening for the recirculation of cooling air,

wherein the at least one stator blade includes a pressure-side blade surface and a blade trailing edge, and

wherein the flow passage for recirculation air opens onto the pressure-side blade surface before reaching the blade trailing edge.

10. A gas turbine plant, comprising:

a compressor configured to suck in intake air on an inlet side of the compressor, compress the air to form compressed air and discharge the compressed air on a discharge side of the compressor;

a combustion chamber configured to combust the compressed air to form a hot gas;

at least one turbine configured to expand the hot gas to perform work;

first cooling lines configured to cool thermally loaded components of at least one of the combustion chamber and the turbine by recirculating cooling air to the thermally loaded components, the first cooling lines being connected from an exit of the compressor to the thermally loaded components;

second cooling lines connected from the thermally loaded components back to the compressor;

at least one of a first cooler arranged in the first cooling lines and a second cooler arranged in the second cooling lines; and

an injection arrangement configured to introduce water into the recirculated cooling air,

wherein the second cooling lines comprise a spray cooler having a plenum and a nozzle for injecting water into the plenum to create a cooling mist during operation,

wherein the cooling mist comprises cooling air supersaturated with water droplets, and

wherein the compressor comprises at least one stator blade having at least one discharge passage for recirculated cooling air, a pressure-side blade surface, and a blade trailing edge, the at least one discharge passage ending before the blade trailing edge; and

wherein the at least one stator blade further comprises at least one water feed line which leads through the blade airfoil.