Abstract: The present invention is a high efficiency reformed methanol (syngas) gas turbine power plant. The invention utilizes a Back Pressure steam Turbine (BPT) to maximize the thermal efficiency and the power output of a reformed methanol gas turbine power generation system. Methanol feed is reformed to syngas (H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2) prior to combustion in the BPT turbine. The endothermic reforming reaction, and the generation of the significant amount of process steam essential for reforming, recovers most of the useful heat in the gas turbine exhaust gas. The process steam pressure is set by the gas turbine inlet requirements, and can be referred to as low pressure steam. Additional heat in the gas turbine exhaust gas is recovered by generating the system's process steam at an elevated pressure, rather than the required low pressure. This high pressure steam is used to drive a BPT, generating additional power and the discharged low pressure steam from the BPT is used as the process steam for the methanol reformer.

Abstract: A power plant is disclosed in which a steam turbine/coal-fired steam boiler is integrated with an air turbine via using the convection section of the boiler to heat compressed air for the turbine, by indirect heat exchange with the flue gas, the hot turbine exhaust being sent to the boiler as preheated combustion air. In this way, only clean air reaches the turbine and not combustion products which would result from direct firing of fuel in compressed air, whereby coal may be burned instead of premium quality fuels. Platens in the radiant section of the boiler are used both to regulate flue gas temperature and take over some of the usual convection section services to release it for compressed air heating service.