With Combustible Gas Generator Patents (Class 60/39.12)
  • Patent number: 9771859
    Abstract: A hydrogen generating apparatus and control system for use in an internal combustion engine of a vehicle for increasing the efficiency of the engine and decreasing emissions from the engine in a safe manner for a moving vehicle, having close-spaced metal electrolysis plates in the generator housing, configured to inject hydrogen into the intake manifold or alternatively into the combustion chamber, and monitoring and controlling gas level, liquid levels, temperature, pressure, flow rate, electric current, and tachometer, with monitoring and overriding control from the cab of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Inventor: Christopher Haring
  • Patent number: 9771658
    Abstract: A method of safely generating hydrogen gas for use in motor vehicles to increase the performance and decrease the emissions of the internal-combustion engine of the motor vehicle, and of controlling the safe generation and use of hydrogen gas in motor vehicles, using a hydrogen generator having close-spaced metal electrolysis plates in the generator housing, configured to inject hydrogen into the intake manifold or alternatively into the combustion chamber, and a control system monitoring and controlling gas level, liquid levels, temperature, pressure, flow rate, electric current, and tachometer, with monitoring and overriding control from the cab of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Inventor: Christopher Haring
  • Patent number: 9719417
    Abstract: A system and method for the simultaneous sequestration of CO2, production of hydrogen, and production of electricity at any iron and steel industries is described. In one illustrative example, the raw materials particularly used in a blast furnace can also be used for locking CO2 gas in the form of siderite. Siderite, thus formed, can be decomposed to generate pure CO2 gas. Eventually, the generated pure CO2 gas can be sequestered underground, sold or used for oil gas recovery or for other applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: THE FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
    Inventors: Sushant Kumar, Vadym Drozd, Andriy Durygin, Surendra K. Saxena
  • Patent number: 9719038
    Abstract: A gasifier start-up method for a gasifier capable of preventing or inhibiting a temporary occurrence of black smoke when a gasifier is started-up. A gasifier start-up method for a gasifier, in which a gasifying agent and a solid carbonaceous fuel are supplied and gasified, includes a start-up burner igniting step of supplying a start-up fuel and oxygen-containing gas to a start-up burner and igniting the start-up fuel and oxygen-containing gas, under an inert atmosphere in which an inside of the gasifier around the start-up burner is filled with inert gas; and an oxygen-containing-gas supply adjusting step of adjusting the supply of the oxygen-containing gas such that combustion gas obtained after the combustion reaction of the start-up fuel and the oxygen-containing gas becomes the inert gas, which contains little oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Shogo Yoshida, Katsuhiko Yokohama, Keisuke Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9611756
    Abstract: A system includes a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor section having one or more combustors configured to generate combustion products, a turbine section having one or more turbine stages between an upstream end and a downstream end, an exhaust section disposed downstream from the downstream end of the turbine section, and a fluid supply system coupled to the exhaust section. The one or more turbine stages are driven by the combustion products. The exhaust section has an exhaust passage configured to receive the combustion products as an exhaust gas. The fluid supply system is configured to route a cooling gas to the exhaust section. The cooling gas has a temperature lower than the exhaust gas. The cooling gas includes an extracted exhaust gas, a gas separated from the extracted exhaust gas, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Pramod K. Biyani, Scott Walter Leyers, Carlos Miguel Miranda
  • Patent number: 9581081
    Abstract: A system includes a gas turbine engine that includes a turbine section having one or more turbine stages between an upstream end and a downstream end, an exhaust section disposed downstream from the downstream end of the turbine section, and a fluid supply system coupled to the exhaust section. The fluid supply system is configured to route an inert gas to the exhaust section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Pramod K. Biyani, Rajarshi Saha, Anil Kumar Dasoji, Richard A. Huntington, Franklin F. Mittricker
  • Patent number: 9567904
    Abstract: A method for controlling a gas turbine power plant, a gas turbine power plant, a method for controlling a carbon-containing fuel gasifier, and a carbon-containing fuel gasifier that can keep constant the amount of heat generated from a synthetic gas produced by the carbon-containing fuel gasifier. The gas turbine power plant includes a coal gasifier including a coal gasifier unit that gasifies a fuel containing carbon to produce a synthetic gas and a water-cooled wall duct disposed on the coal gasifier unit and to which a coolant, i.e., water, is directed; a gas turbine combustor that combusts the synthetic gas to produce combustion gas; a gas turbine rotated by the combustion gas produced by the gas turbine combustor; and a generator that generates electrical power. The amount of fuel fed to the coal gasifier is controlled depending on the amount of heat absorbed by the coolant directed to the water-cooled wall duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasunari Shibata, Yuichiro Kitagawa, Kengo Shibata, Yuichiro Urakata
  • Patent number: 9551277
    Abstract: A method and system for cost effectively converting a feedstock using thermal plasma, or other styles of gassifiers, into to a feedwater energy transfer system. The feedstock can be any organic material, or fossil fuel. The energy transferred in the feedwater is converted into steam which is then injected into the low turbine of a combined cycle power plant. Heat is extracted from gas product issued by a gassifier and delivered to a power plant via its feedwater system. The gassifier is a plasma gassifier and the gas product is syngas. In a further embodiment, prior to performing the step of extracting heat energy, there is provided the further step of combusting the syngas in an afterburner. An air flow, and/or EGR flow is provided to the afterburner at a rate that is varied in response to an operating characteristic of the afterburner. The air flow to the afterburner is heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Plasma Tech Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: James C. Juranitch
  • Patent number: 9410095
    Abstract: A method of gasification of biomass using a gasification island. The gasification island includes: a biomass pre-treatment and storage unit, a biomass feeder, an external heat source, a gasifier, a crude syngas cooling unit, a crude syngas washing unit, a fresh syngas storage unit, and an ash and wastewater treatment unit. The method includes: pre-treating and storing biomass, gasifying the biomass in the gasifier, cooling a crude syngas, washing and removing dust from the crude syngas, and storing fresh syngas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: WUHAN KAIDI ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yanfeng Zhang, Minggui Xia, Hongtao Nie, Wenyan Liu, Liang Zhang
  • Patent number: 9404425
    Abstract: A regulator device (10) for regulating a turbine engine (3). The regulator device (10) includes mechanical power take-off means (100) for taking off power mechanically from a gas generator (4), and an engine computer (20) controlling said engine (3) to comply with at least a first limitation (LimTET, LimT45) of a temperature (TET, T45) of the gas within the engine, and with a second limitation (LimNg) of a speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator (4). The engine computer (20) determines whether the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator has reached said second limitation (LimNg), and whether said temperature (TET, T45) has reached said first limitation (LimTET, LimT45). An avionics computer (30) causes the mechanical power take-off means (100) to operate if the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator (4) has reached said second limitation (LimNg), and if said temperature (TET, T45) has not reached said first limitation (LimTET, LimT45).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
    Inventor: Laurent Martin
  • Patent number: 9394808
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for operating a gas turbine (11) comprising a compressor (14), which is equipped with variable inlet guide vanes (13) and receives at its inlet an inlet air flow, which has passed a temperature-affecting air inlet system (12a), a combustor (15, 15?) and a turbine (16, 16?). In a closed loop control scheme, a control variable indicative of the turbine outlet temperature (TAT2) is generated, and the air inlet system (12a) and/or the variable inlet guide vanes (13) are controlled in accordance with said control variable such that the turbine outlet temperature (TAT2) is kept at or above a desired setting value (TAT2min).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Andrea Brighenti, Darrel Shayne Lilley, Karsten Franitza, Anton Nemet
  • Patent number: 9376961
    Abstract: A system for controlling air flow rate of a compressed working fluid to a fuel injector of a combustor includes an outer casing that defines a high pressure plenum around a portion of the combustor, an extraction port in fluid communication with the high pressure plenum and an inlet port. The combustor includes a plurality of fuel injectors arranged around a combustion liner, an inner flow sleeve, an outer air shield that surrounds the plurality of fuel injectors and the inner flow sleeve. The outer air shield defines an injection an air plenum between the outer air shield and the inner flow sleeve and an inlet to the injection air plenum. An external fluid circuit provides fluid communication between the extraction port and the inlet port. A baffle extends between the outer casing and the outer air shield to provide flow separation between the inlet and the high pressure plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Lucas John Stoia, Patrick Benedict Melton, Richard Martin DiCintio
  • Patent number: 9354231
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, reactive self-indicating adsorbent materials, methods, and systems. A system may comprise, for example, a reactive self indicating adsorbent material, wherein the reactive self indicating adsorbent material comprises at least one super paramagnetic particle and a semi permeable support, wherein the at least one super paramagnetic particle is configured such that at least one magnetic property of the at least one super paramagnetic particle changes upon contact with an adsorbate; and/or at least one detector configured and arranged to detect the at least one magnetic property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Leidos, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Grant Glover
  • Patent number: 9334458
    Abstract: Most of the abundant naturally occurring low rank coal, which has a high moisture content and a high oxygen content, is transported with poor efficiency; utilized for heating with degraded thermal efficiency because of the loss of heat due to sensible heat for heating moisture and latent heat for vaporizing moisture; and utilized in existing coal combustion facilities with difficulty due to a high volatile component content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignees: KYUSHU ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC., KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuro Harada, Seiichiro Matsuda, Isao Mochida, Jun-ichiro Hayashi, Yohsuke Matsushita, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Toshiro Noguchi
  • Patent number: 9199888
    Abstract: A process and system for producing liquid and gas fuels and other useful chemicals from carbon containing source materials comprises cool plasma gasification and/or pyrolysis of a source material to produce synthesis gas using the produced synthesis gas for the production of a hydrocarbon, methanol, ammonia, urea, and other products. The process and system are capable of sequestering carbon dioxide and reducing NOx and SOx.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: SGE ScandGreen Energy AB
    Inventors: Henrik Selstam, Erik Fareid
  • Patent number: 9127595
    Abstract: A multi-stage, two-flow, axial flow expander close-coupled to a driven machine, such as a generator. The expander includes one or more expansion stages separated by a series of flow stream dividers that separate each expansion stage into outer and inner expander flowpaths. Working fluid at a first temperature is directed into the outer expander flowpath for expansion, and working fluid at a second, lesser temperature is directed into the inner expander flowpath for expansion. Expansion of the working fluid drives the driven machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Dresser-Rand Company
    Inventor: William C. Maier
  • Patent number: 9097188
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a gas turbine device capable of producing a mixed gas in which three or more types of gases are evenly mixed, and of doing the like. To achieve this, in a gas turbine device configured to burn in a combustor a fuel gas supplied from a fuel gas supplier, together with a compressed air supplied from an air compressor, and to rotationally drive a gas turbine by a combustion gas generated at the burning, the fuel gas supplier includes two mixers, and is configured to produce a mixed gas by mixing three types of gases of a first gas, a second gas, and a third gas in the mixers in ascending order of specific gravity or in descending order of specific gravity, and to supply the mixed gas to the combustor as the fuel gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tanabe, Noboru Hisaka
  • Patent number: 9003761
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system is provided that includes a first gas turbine engine. The first gas turbine engine has a first compressor configured to intake air and to produce a first compressed air and a first combustor configured to combust a first mixture to produce a first combustion gas. The first mixture has a first fuel, at least a first portion of the first compressed air, and a second combustion gas from a second gas turbine engine. The first gas turbine engine also includes a first turbine configured to extract work from the first combustion gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Samuel David Draper
  • Publication number: 20150089919
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a system for the production and storage of surplus energy from regenerative power sources in the form of hydrocarbons, which can be used in a closed cycle for renewed environment-friendly power production by the recycling of waste gas products. The system 1 has a facility 2 for the production of power by the combustion of hydrocarbons, a facility 3 for the production of hydrocarbons from hydrogen and carbon dioxide a repository 4 with carbon dioxide a repository 5 with hydrocarbons, whereby the facility (2) for the production of power with at least one line each (6, 7) connected to the repository (4) containing carbon dioxide and repository (5) with hydrocarbons, and the facility (3) for the production of combustible hydrocarbons with at least one line (8) connected to the repository (5) containing hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Michael Kuehn
  • Patent number: 8978353
    Abstract: Systems and methods for rejecting waste heat generated by one or more operating systems installed on an aircraft employ an endothermic fuel that can participate in endothermic catalytic cracking at temperatures below about 80° C. when exposed to a cracking catalyst that contains a superacid operative to induce low-temperature catalytic cracking of the branched alkanes. The endothermic fuel contains an effective amount of the branched alkanes so that a net endothermic effect is realized when the fuel is exposed to the cracking catalyst. The low-temperature, heat-consuming cracking of the branched alkanes increases the heat sink capacity of the endothermic fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel G. Norton, Robert J. Perry, John Osaheni, Patrick Pastecki, Paul Glaser, Ashish B. Mhadeshwar
  • Publication number: 20150068189
    Abstract: Provided is a mercury removal system 1 provided in a powder supply system including a pulverizing machine 118 that pulverizes a hydrocarbon raw material, the mercury removal system including: a removal agent supply device 11 which supplies a mercury removal agent; and a mercury removal agent dust collector which collects the dust of the mercury removal agent, wherein a gas discharge line to which the dry flue gas is supplied is connected to the mercury removal agent dust collector, wherein the removal agent supply device includes a mercury removal agent supply line which supplies the mercury removal agent, and wherein the mercury removal agent supply line is connected to the upstream side of the mercury removal agent dust collector in the circulation direction of the dry flue gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventors: Tetsuya SAWATSUBASHI, Yoshinori KOYAMA, Takashi FUJII, Takashi IWAHASHI, Norihiro OBA, Koji NISHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20150033749
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a turbine combustor having a combustor liner disposed about a combustion chamber, a head end upstream of the combustion chamber relative to a downstream direction of a flow of combustion gases through the combustion chamber, a flow sleeve disposed at an offset about the combustor liner to define a passage, and a barrier within the passage. The head end is configured to direct an oxidant flow and a first fuel flow toward the combustion chamber. The passage is configured to direct a gas flow toward the head end and to direct a portion of the oxidant flow toward a turbine end of the turbine combustor. The gas flow includes a substantially inert gas. The barrier is configured to block the portion of the oxidant flow toward the turbine end and to block the gas flow toward the head end within the passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy, Lewis Berkley Davis, JR., Karl Dean Minto
  • Patent number: 8938966
    Abstract: A device and a method for using overcapacities in the power grid is provided. In case of an oversupply of energy, the energy is transferred to a thermal storage device directly via a heating element and in the discharge case of the thermal storage device the heat is removed from the thermal storage device and made available to a thermodynamic cycle whereby electrical energy is produced. The heat from the thermal storage device is used to preheat air in an air feed line to a combustion chamber, or fuel is pre-heated using heat from the thermal storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Tobias Jockenhoevel, Norbert König, Rainer Nies, Nicolas Vortmeyer, Erik Wolf
  • Patent number: 8931283
    Abstract: A reformer for use in a gas turbine engine specially configured to treat a supplemental fuel feed to the combustor that includes a reformer core containing a catalyst composition and an inlet flow channel for transporting the reformer fuel mixture, air and steam (either saturated or superheated) into a reformer core. An outlet flow channel transports the resulting reformate stream containing reformed and thermally cracked hydrocarbons and substantial amounts of hydrogen out of the reformer core for later combination with the main combustor feed. Because the catalytic partial oxidation reaction in the reformer is highly exothermic, the additional heat is transferred (and thermally integrated) using one or more heat exchange units for a first and/or second auxiliary gas turbine fuel stream that undergo thermal cracking and vaporization before combining with the reformate. The combined, hydrogen-enriched feed significantly improves combustor performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abdul Rafey Khan, Hasan Karim, Jonathan Dwight Berry
  • Publication number: 20150000298
    Abstract: Advanced gas turbines and associated components, systems and methods are disclosed herein. A gas turbine configured in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a rotor operably coupled to a shaft and a stator positioned adjacent to the rotor. A coolant line extends at least partially through the stator to transfer heat out of an air flow within a compressor section of the gas turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: ADVANCED GREEN TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20150000292
    Abstract: A system includes a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor section having one or more combustors configured to generate combustion products and a turbine section having one or more turbine stages between an upstream end and a downstream end. The one or more turbine stages are driven by the combustion products. The gas turbine engine also includes an exhaust section disposed downstream from the downstream end of the turbine section. The exhaust section has an exhaust passage configured to receive the combustion products as an exhaust gas. The gas turbine engine also includes a mixing device disposed in the exhaust section. The mixing device is configured to divide the exhaust gas into a first exhaust gas and a second exhaust gas, and to combine the first and second exhaust gases in a mixing region to produce a mixed exhaust gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Moorthi Subramaniyan, Christian Michael Hansen, Richard A. Huntington, Todd Franklin Denman
  • Patent number: 8904748
    Abstract: A system for providing hydrogen enriched fuel includes first and second gas turbines. The second gas turbine receives a portion of compressed working fluid from the first gas turbine and produces a reformed fuel, and a fuel skid provides fluid communication between a turbine in the second gas turbine and a combustor in the first gas turbine. A method for providing hydrogen enriched fuel includes diverting a portion of a first compressed working fluid from a first compressor to a second compressor and providing a second compressed working fluid from the second compressor. The method further includes mixing a fuel with the second compressed working fluid in a reformer to produce a reformed fuel, flowing the reformed fuel through a second turbine to cool the reformed fuel, and connecting the second turbine to the second compressor so that the second turbine drives the second compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Michael John Hughes
  • Patent number: 8901178
    Abstract: A method and system for co-production of electric power, fuel, and chemicals in which a synthesis gas at a first pressure is expanded using a turbo-expander, simultaneously producing electric power and an expanded synthesis gas at a second pressure after which the expanded synthesis gas is converted to a fuel and/or a chemical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Gas Technology Institute
    Inventors: Iosif K. Rabovitser, Arunabha Basu
  • Publication number: 20140345248
    Abstract: A compact biomass gasification-based power generation system that converts carbonaceous material into electrical power, including an enclosure that encases: a gasifier including a pyrolysis module coaxially arranged above a reactor module, a generator including an engine and an alternator, and a hopper. The generator system additionally includes a first heat exchanger fluidly connected to an outlet of the reactor module and thermally connected to the drying module, a second heat exchanger fluidly connected to an outlet of the engine and thermally connected to the pyrolysis module, and a third heat exchanger fluidly connected between the outlet of the reactor module and the first heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger thermally connected to an air inlet of the reactor module. The system can additionally include a central wiring conduit electrically connected to the pyrolysis module, reactor module, and engine, and a control panel connected to the conduit that enables single-side operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: James Matthew Mason, Bear Kaufmann, Nick Bindbeutel, Julia Hasty, Ariel Fisk-Vittori
  • Patent number: 8893468
    Abstract: Fuel is oxidized with air in a pressurized reaction chamber containing water. Water, fuel, or both may be communicated into the reaction chamber in a gaseous state, a liquid state, or both. For example, a liquid mixture that includes the water and/or the fuel can be evaporated to form a gas mixture, and the gas mixture can be communicated into the reaction chamber. Additionally or alternatively, the liquid mixture that includes the water and/or the fuel can be communicated into the reaction chamber and evaporated in the reaction chamber. The water and the fuel may be communicated into the reaction chamber separately or in combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ener-Core Power, Inc.
    Inventor: Edan D. Prabhu
  • Patent number: 8893505
    Abstract: The integrated solar-gas turbine cogeneration plant includes a fuel reformer, a plurality of solar collectors, and a gas turbine. The fuel reformer produces syngas to be used as fuel for the gas turbine. One solar collector is operatively connected to both the fuel reformer and the turbine to provide heat for the reforming reaction and to preheat air for a combustion chamber. Exhaust gas from the turbine is directed to the fuel reformer and to a heat recovery steam generator, the former as an additional heat source and the latter to heat the generator. Another solar collector is connected to the generator and heats a portion of the water being fed into the generator in order to help produce steam. The syngas is stored in a fuel storage unit to provide fuel to the gas turbine continuously and to a supplemental heater on the steam generator during low insolation periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Esmail M. A. Mokheimer, Mohamed Abdel-Aziz Habib
  • Patent number: 8887510
    Abstract: A power plant for combustion of carbonaceous fuels with CO2 capture, comprising a pressurized fluidized bed combustion chamber (2), heat pipes (8, 8?) for cooling of the combustion gas in the combustion, a direct contact cooler (15), a cleaned exhaust pipe (18) for withdrawal of the exhaust gas from the direct contact cooler (15) and introduction of the cooled exhaust gas into a CO2 absorber (19), where a lean exhaust pipe (20) is connected to the top of the absorber (19) for withdrawal of lean exhaust gas from the absorber (20), and a rich absorbent pipe (30) is connected to the bottom of the absorber (19) for withdrawal of rich absorbent and introduction of the rich absorbent into a stripping column (32) for regeneration of the absorbent to give a lean absorbent and a CO2 stream that is further treated to give clean CO2, where a water recirculation pipe (16) is connected to the bottom of the direct contact cooler (15) for withdrawal of used cooling water and connected to the top of the direct contact cooler
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sargas AS
    Inventors: Tor Christensen, Hermann De Meyer
  • Publication number: 20140331640
    Abstract: A lean fuel intake gas turbine engine includes a compressor to compress a working gas at a concentration equal to or lower than the flammable limit concentration to thereby generate a compressed gas, a catalytic combustor to burn the compressed gas through a catalytic reaction, a turbine driven by a combustion gas from the catalytic combustor, a heat exchanger to heat, by means of an exhaust gas from the turbine, the compressed gas that is introduced from the compressor into the catalytic combustor, a heat exchanger bypass valve to communicate between inlet and outlet sides of the heat exchanger, a first catalyst outlet temperature control unit to open the heat exchanger bypass valve in the event that the outlet temperature of the catalytic combustor attains a value equal to or higher than an outlet prescribed value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Soh Kurosaka, Yoshihiro Yamasaki, Hikaru Sano, Yasushi Doura, Yoshitaka Minami
  • Patent number: 8881530
    Abstract: A system may include an insulated water tank configured to store a first heated water from a first plant component during operation of a plant, and a fuel heater comprising a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the first heated water to a fuel for a gas turbine engine during startup of the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Seyfettin Can Gulen, Tailai Hu
  • Patent number: 8869502
    Abstract: A turbomachine system includes a compressor portion having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, a turbine portion operatively connected to the compressor portion, a combustor having a combustor inlet fluidly connected to the compressor outlet and a combustor outlet fluidly connected to the turbine portion; and a reformer having a reformer inlet fluidly connected to the compressor outlet and a reformer outlet fluidly connected to the combustor inlet. The reformer partially combusts air from the compressor portion and a fuel to form a hydrogen-rich syngas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kihyung Kim, Hasan Karim, Abdul Rafey Khan
  • Publication number: 20140298822
    Abstract: A concentrated solar power (CSP) plant comprises a receiver configured to contain a chemical substance for a chemical reaction and an array of heliostats. Each heliostat is configured to direct sunlight toward the receiver. The receiver is configured to transfer thermal energy from the sunlight to the chemical substance in a reduction reaction. The CSP plant further comprises a first storage container configured to store solid state particles produced by the reduction reaction and a heat exchanger configured to combine the solid state particles and gas through an oxidation reaction. The heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat produced in the oxidation reaction to a working fluid to heat the working fluid. The CSP plant further comprises a power turbine coupled to the heat exchanger, such that the heated working fluid turns the power turbine, and a generator coupled to and driven by the power turbine to generate electricity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
    Inventor: Zhiwen Ma
  • Publication number: 20140290267
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a power plant to generate electrical power, having a reformer unit, in which an energy carrier can be converted, with the supply of heat, into combustion fluid, wherein the reformer unit has a reformer burning device to provide a heat supply, with which reformer burning device an energy carrier can be burnt, a burner unit, in which thermal energy can be produced by burning the combustion fluid, a turbine unit, in which a rotational movement can be produced with the thermal energy, and a generator unit which can be driven by the rotational movement to generate electrical power. The power plant is characterised according to the invention in that, in order to provide a heat supply, in addition to the reformer burning device, an electric heating unit is provided, through which electrical energy can be converted into heat energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: LUMENION AG
    Inventor: Andrew ZWINKELS
  • Publication number: 20140250858
    Abstract: In one aspect, a gasification system for use with low rank fuel is provided. The system includes a first gasifier positioned to receive a feed of low rank fuel, the first gasifier being configured to gasify the low rank fuel to produce hydrocarbons and fixed carbon. The system also includes a second gasifier configured to produce a syngas stream using the received fixed carbon, a cooler configured to receive and cool the syngas stream, and a first conduit coupled between the cooler and the first gasifier. The first conduit is configured to recycle at least a portion of the syngas stream to the first gasifier to facilitate heating low rank fuel within the first gasifier. The recycled syngas stream is mixed with the hydrocarbons to produce a hydrocarbon-rich syngas stream. The system also includes a second conduit coupled to the first gasifier for receiving the hydrocarbon-rich syngas stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Anindra Mazumdar
  • Publication number: 20140250859
    Abstract: An axial-flow turbine according to an embodiment includes a plurality of nozzle structures and a plurality of blade structures. At least one nozzle structure includes an outer ring diaphragm and an inner ring diaphragm. The outer ring diaphragm and the inner ring diaphragm form an annular opening portion which extends in a circumferential direction therebetween. A nozzle is provided in a portion of a region of the annular opening portion in the circumferential direction, and a closing part is provided in another portion of the region of the annular opening portion in the circumferential direction. The closing part closes this other portion of the region to prevent a working fluid from flowing into this other portion of the region. A closing part medium passage is provided in the closing part and is configured to flow a cooling medium which cools the closing part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Akihiro ONODA, Yuki Mimura, Shoko Ito
  • Publication number: 20140237986
    Abstract: A slag discharge system that includes: a gasification furnace which thermally decomposes and gasifies a pulverized raw material composed of a carbonaceous solid; a slag hopper which is provided at a bottom portion of the gasification furnace and receives slag produced from the pulverized raw material and in which cooling water is stored; a lock hopper which temporarily stores the slag outside of the gasification furnace; and a slag discharge line which makes the slag hopper communicate with the lock hopper. The lock hopper is disposed to the side of the gasification furnace, and the slag discharge system is provided with a water flow forming apparatus for forming a flow of the cooling water which allows the slag to be led to the lock hopper in the slag discharge line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Inventors: Naoyuki Tazawa, Naoshige Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8814958
    Abstract: A liquid fuel includes a hydrocarbon-based liquid fuel and an additive mixed with the hydrocarbon-based liquid fuel. The additive includes an endothermic fuel-cracking catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: He Huang
  • Publication number: 20140230451
    Abstract: A method for controlling a gas turbine power plant, a gas turbine power plant, a method for controlling a carbon-containing fuel gasifier, and a carbon-containing fuel gasifier that can keep constant the amount of heat generated from a synthetic gas produced by the carbon-containing fuel gasifier. The gas turbine power plant includes a coal gasifier including a coal gasifier unit that gasifies a fuel containing carbon to produce a synthetic gas and a water-cooled wall duct disposed on the coal gasifier unit and to which a coolant, i.e., water, is directed; a gas turbine combustor that combusts the synthetic gas to produce combustion gas; a gas turbine rotated by the combustion gas produced by the gas turbine combustor; and a generator that generates electrical power. The amount of fuel fed to the coal gasifier is controlled depending on the amount of heat absorbed by the coolant directed to the water-cooled wall duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasunari Shibata, Yuichiro Kitagawa, Kengo Shibata, Yuichiro Urakata
  • Publication number: 20140230450
    Abstract: A power generation system has a fuel cell, a gas turbine, an exhausted oxidant line, a fuel gas supply line, an exhausted fuel gas supply line, a supply amount adjustment unit, and a control system including an information acquisition unit, a calculation unit, and a fuel gas supply control unit. The information acquisition unit acquires an output command of the gas turbine, an atmospheric temperature, a temperature of the exhausted oxidant supplied to the gas turbine, and a temperature of the exhausted fuel gas supplied to the gas turbine. The calculation unit calculates a heat input of the exhausted oxidant, calculates a heat input of the exhausted fuel gas, and calculates by the output command and the atmospheric temperature to calculate a gas turbine heat input command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki OZAWA
  • Publication number: 20140223882
    Abstract: A system includes a feed preparation system, with a fluid injection system configured to inject a fluid into a feed stream to generate a feed-fluid mixture. The feed stream includes a first solid, a second solid, and a gas. The feed preparation system also includes a cyclone configured to separate the feed-fluid mixture into a first stream that includes the first solid and the gas, and a second stream that includes the second solid and the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vijayalakshmi Shah, Sudharsanam Krishnamachari, Annavarapu Vijay Bharat Sastri, Ankur Verma
  • Publication number: 20140208767
    Abstract: In order to stably use a catalyst for pyrolysis and supply a reformed fuel, the fuel supply system includes a fuel reforming section which pyrolyses a hydrocarbon system fuel by the heat of the combustion chamber to generate the reformed fuel. The fuel reforming section includes a preheat vaporization section provided on the combustion chamber, and a decomposition reaction section that is provided on the preheat vaporization section and includes the catalyst for pyrolysis. The preheat vaporization section heats the fuel, the decomposition reaction section pyrolyses the heated fuel to generate the reformed fuel, and the fuel reforming section supplies the reformed fuel to the combustion chamber. The reforming catalyst includes a zeolitic catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Kenji SUZUKI, Atsushi KUROYANAGI, Toshinobu YASUTAKE
  • Publication number: 20140203557
    Abstract: A system including a gas turbine system and an electrolysis unit configured to produce a hydrogen gas for reducing a minimum emissions compliance load of the gas turbine system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kihyung Kim, Seyfettin Can Gulen
  • Publication number: 20140190144
    Abstract: A power generating system includes a fuel cell, an exhausted oxidized gas line to which exhausted oxidized gas is discharged from the fuel cell, a gas turbine having a combustor configured to burn an exhausted oxidized gas passing through the exhausted oxidized gas line together with a fuel gas, a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the exhausted oxidized gas discharged from the fuel cell or a temperature of the exhausted oxidized gas passing through the exhausted oxidized gas line, a fluid supply unit configured to supply a fluid to the exhausted oxidized gas line, and a control unit configured to control an amount of the fluid to be supplied from the fluid supply unit to the exhausted oxidized gas line based on a detection result in the temperature detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki OZAWA
  • Publication number: 20140182300
    Abstract: A method and system for capturing and isolating carbon dioxide and hydrogen gases from a high temperature synthesis gas stream containing a substantial amount of CO and sulfur compounds for use as a “clean” supplemental fuel, comprising the steps of reducing the temperature of the high temperature synthesis gas stream, removing substantially all of the sulfur compounds present in the synthesis gas, converting a first portion of CO to carbon dioxide in a first high temperature water-gas shift reaction, converting a second portion of CO to carbon dioxide using a second low temperature water-gas shift reaction, converting a third portion of CO to carbon dioxide using a third low temperature water-gas shift reaction and then separating out substantially all hydrogen present in the treated synthesis gas stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Thirumala Reddy Nagarjuna Reddy, Ashok Kumar ANAND, Mahendhra MUTHURAMALINGAM
  • Patent number: 8764856
    Abstract: The invention relates to a solid fuel decoupled fluidized bed gasifying method and a gasifying apparatus. By physically separately performing drying and pyrolyzing of fuel, gasification of char, and tar/hydrocarbon reforming, the interactions between the separated chemical reactions and physical processes during fluidized bed gasification can be utilized. Specifically, in a fluidized bed reactor having two reaction chambers, drying and pyrolyzing of fuel, gasification of char, and tar/hydrocarbon reforming are performed, respectively, the reforming of tar/hydrocarbon is promoted through the catalytic effect of the char, and the evaporated fuel moisture is provided to the char gasification and tar/hydrocarbon reforming as an effective reaction agent. Accordingly, the tar content in product gas can be reduced, the use amount of external steam can be reduced, the overall efficiency of gasification can be improved, and this technique can also be applied to the processing of high water-containing fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Guangwen Xu, Xinhua Liu, Toshiyuki Suda, Toshiro Fujimori
  • Publication number: 20140157790
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a combustor assembly which has a burner assembly and a combustor. The burner assembly has a body having a first end and a second end and a center passageway. The center passageway extends between the first end and the second end of the body. The body of the burner assembly is provided with a biomass inlet for receiving biomass, a primary air inlet for receiving air, a gas inlet for receiving gas, and a secondary air inlet for receiving air. The biomass inlet is in communication with the center passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: Zilkha Biomass Power LLC
    Inventor: Lars Björn Forsberg