Abstract: An air infiltration abatement system (300) for a power plant (10) includes a recirculated flue gas source (175), a recirculated flue gas supply line (310) connected to the recirculated flue gas source (175) and a power plant component. The power plant component has a leakage area in fluid communication with the recirculated flue gas supply line (310). The recirculated flue gas source (175) receives a combustion flue gas (75) from an oxygen fired boiler (20) of the power plant (10), and provides the combustion flue gas (75) to the recirculated flue gas supply line (310). The recirculated flue gas supply line (310) supplies the combustion flue gas (75) as a recirculated flue gas (330) to the oxygen fired boiler (20) via the leakage area of the power plant component.

Abstract: A solar power generation system includes a solar receiver disposed on a tower that receives radiant heat reflected from a field of solar collectors. The solar receiver includes an evaporator having a plurality of vertically oriented tubes to form a panel for receiving a fluid, such as water and/or steam, wherein the tubes have a rifled internal surface. The fluid within the tubes has a mass flow greater than 0.2×106 lb/hr/ft3 at a pressure in the range of 100-2850 psia, wherein radiant heat fluxes on the outside of the tubes exceed 185,00 but/hr/ft2.

Abstract: A continuous moving bed solar steam generation and storage system is provided to generate steam for production processes after loss or reduction of received solar energy. The system includes a receiver 10 that receives a flowing stream of particulate material 30 that absorbs solar radiant energy 15 as it passes through beams of the energy 15 received from collectors 14. The heated stream of material 30 passes into a first chamber 40 to heat a tube bundle 42 therein. Heat from the particulate material 30 is transferred to the bundle 42, evaporating the water to generate, reheat (RH) and/or superheat (SH) steam 46. The cooled material 30 passes to a second chamber 60. The material 30 is drained from the second chamber 60 and carried to a cyclone 80 in the receiver 10. The material 30 drains from the cyclone 80 to complete the flow cycle.

Abstract: A system is described wherein a boiler 10 is integrated with an oxygen producing device 12. Combustion heat generated in the boiler 10 is used to generate steam in the boiler and is also applied to at least one of a sweep gas stream 13 and a feed gas stream 15 to ensure that the sweep gas and feed gas streams 12, 15 are provided at the appropriate temperature to the oxygen producing device 12. Flue gas generated by fuel combustion within the combustion chamber 14 may be used as the sweep gas stream 13, in which case, the flue gas exiting the oxygen producing device 12 includes the oxygen removed from the feed gas stream. The flue gas/oxygen mixture may be used for fuel combustion within the combustion chamber, and may be provided to an oxygen separator 28 for removing oxygen from the flue gas. Sensible heat contained in the oxygen depleted feed gas from the oxygen producing device 12 may be recovered by the feed gas stream 15.

Abstract: An air infiltration abatement system (300) for a power plant (10) includes a recirculated flue gas source (175), a recirculated flue gas supply line (310) connected to the recirculated flue gas source (175) and a power plant component. The power plant component has a leakage area in fluid communication with the recirculated flue gas supply line (310). The recirculated flue gas source (175) receives a combustion flue gas (75) from an oxygen fired boiler (20) of the power plant (10), and provides the combustion flue gas (75) to the recirculated flue gas supply line (310). The recirculated flue gas supply line (310) supplies the combustion flue gas (75) as a recirculated flue gas (330) to the oxygen fired boiler (20) via the leakage area of the power plant component.

Abstract: A continuous moving bed solar steam generation and storage system is provided to generate steam for production processes after loss or reduction of received solar energy. The system includes a receiver 10 that receives a flowing stream of particulate material 30 that absorbs solar radiant energy 15 as it passes through beams of the energy 15 received from collectors 14. The heated stream of material 30 passes into a first chamber 40 to heat a tube bundle 42 therein. Heat from the particulate material 30 is transferred to the bundle 42, evaporating the water to generate, reheat (RH) and/or superheat (SH) steam 46. The cooled material 30 passes to a second chamber 60. The material 30 is drained from the second chamber 60 and carried to a cyclone 80 in the receiver 10. The material 30 drains from the cyclone 80 to complete the flow cycle.

Abstract: A solar power generation system includes a solar receiver disposed on a tower that receives radiant heat reflected from a field of solar collectors. The solar receiver includes an evaporator having a plurality of vertically oriented tubes to form a panel for receiving a fluid, such as water and/or steam, wherein the tubes have a rifled internal surface. The fluid within the tubes has a mass flow greater than 0.2×106 lb/hr/ft3 at a pressure in the range of 100-2850 psia, wherein radiant heat fluxes on the outside of the tubes exceed 185,00 but/hr/ft2.

Abstract: A solar thermal power plant 10 includes a steam generation portion 12 and a turbine 30. The steam generation portion 12 includes a steam drum 50 that separates water and steam, and an evaporator 36 and super heater 38 in fluid communication with the steam drum. The evaporator 36 receives and heats a portion of a flow of water from the steam drum 50 to provide the steam using solar energy provided thereto. The super heater 38 heats the steam from the evaporator 36 to provide super heated steam. A turbine 30 receives the super heated steam from the steam generation portion 12 to rotate the turbine. A plurality of extraction stages 66 extracts steam from the turbine 30 and provides the steam to a plurality of feedwater heaters 68. The feedwater heaters 68 heat the feedwater provided by the turbine 30, wherein the heated feedwater is provided to the steam generation portion 12.

Abstract: A standby heat supply system is provided for a solar receiver steam generator to maintain the system at a relatively constant temperature during the nocturnal period when solar radiation is unavailable. An exemplary solar steam generator having a standby heat supply system includes a steam loop having at least one solar panel, a steam drum and circulating pump, whereby solar energy heats the water to generate steam which is provided to the steam drum. The standby heat supply system includes an external standby heater wherein the water from the steam drum is provided to the external standby heater. A heat isolation valve is actuated during the nocturnal period to allow the water to circulate through the standby heater. Another exemplary embodiment of a solar steam generator includes an internal standby heat supply system having heater elements immersed in the steam drum for direct heating of the water during nocturnal periods.

Abstract: A system is described wherein a boiler 10 is integrated with an oxygen producing device 12. Combustion heat generated in the boiler 10 is used to generate steam in the boiler and is also applied to at least one of a sweep gas stream 13 and a feed gas stream 15 to ensure that the sweep gas and feed gas streams 12, 15 are provided at the appropriate temperature to the oxygen producing device 12. Flue gas generated by fuel combustion within the combustion chamber 14 may be used as the sweep gas stream 13, in which case, the flue gas exiting the oxygen producing device 12 includes the oxygen removed from the feed gas stream. The flue gas/oxygen mixture may be used for fuel combustion within the combustion chamber, and may be provided to an oxygen separator 28 for removing oxygen from the flue gas. Sensible heat contained in the oxygen depleted feed gas from the oxygen producing device 12 may be recovered by the feed gas stream 15.

Abstract: A fossil fuel fired combustion apparatus and a method for operating the fossil fuel fired combustion apparatus are provided which offer the flexibility to use carbon dioxide (CO2) both as a desirable end product and as support to the combustion process. The method includes the step of introducing a substantially pure oxygen feed stream into the fossil fuel fired combustion apparatus and the step of combusting a fossil fuel in the presence of the substantially pure oxygen feed stream to produce a flue gas having carbon dioxide and water vapor as its two largest constituent elements by volume. The method also includes the step of passing the flue gas through an oxygen feed stream pre-heater at which heat from the flue gas is transferred to the oxygen feed stream. Furthermore, the method includes the step of separating the flue gas into an end product portion and a recycling portion.

Abstract: The water flow circuit for a heat recovery steam generator is a hybrid system which combines a circulating drum type circuit and a once-through circuit. A low pressure evaporator is designed for natural or forced circulation and a high pressure evaporator is designed for once-through flow. Orifices may be located in the inlet of the evaporator tubes for flow stability and an intermediate header between the evaporator and high pressure superheater improves stability, minimizes orifice pressure drop and equalizes pressure losses between evaporator tubes.

Abstract: The flue gas temperature coming from an air preheater to a particulate collection device such as an electrostatic precipitation or fabric filter is reduced to improve the operation of the particulate collection device. This may be done by reducing the exit flue gas temperature from the air preheater or reducing the temperature after exiting. In one embodiment, air in excess of that needed for combustion is passed through the air preheater with the heated excess air either being dumped or used for a variety of purposes in the plant. A particular embodiment involves segmenting the air outlet side of a rotary regenerative air preheater and withdrawing the excess air from the segment where the dust loading is the lowest. Further, additional cooling of the flue gas can be provided by reducing the quantity of primary air that typically bypasses the air preheater and then providing other ways to control the primary air temperature to the pulverizers.

Abstract: The water flow circuit for a heat recovery steam generator includes both a low pressure circuit and a high pressure circuit. Both circuits are designed for once-through flow and both include evaporators with rifled tubing. A pressure equalizing header may be located between the evaporator and superheater and orifices may be located at the inlet to the evaporator for flow stability.

Abstract: A coal fired power plant includes the catalytic reduction of NO.sub.x in the flue gas and the catalytic oxidation of SO.sub.2 to SO.sub.3 followed by the hydration of the SO.sub.3 to H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 vapor and then the condensation to H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 liquid. The condensation takes place in a wet sulfuric acid condenser by heat exchange with incoming combustion air. A portion of the heat picked up by that combustion air is used to provide a portion of the heat for the condensate from the steam turbine. The combustion air is then fed to an air preheater and to the steam generator as primary and secondary combustion air.

Abstract: A two part heat recovery unit receives a high temperature gas mixture (2) in the lower, refractory-lined dwell furnace (4) wherein the gas is cooled to condense out liquid inert ash material. The cooled gas mixture exits the dwell furnace (4) vertically upward through a transistion duct (18) which includes a restricted throat (28). Additional ash and potassium seed compounds condensed from the gas mixture in the convective furnace (20) either form a loose flyash which exits the convective furnace (20) with the gas mixture via the backpass (24), or collect on the walls and heat transfer surfaces (22) of the furnace (20) as a liquid which runs downward toward the throat (28) and is there reentrained by the high velocity gas stream.

Abstract: A magnetohydrodynamic topping unit is added to a pre-existing fossil fuel steam generating plant by a system of conduits and a chamber which show the high velocity output gas of the generator, attenuate oxides of nitrogen, reduce the temperature of the channel output gas, and initiate recovery of seed material. The connecting system is arranged to recover heat from the output gas of the MHD channel by absorbing this heat in the feed water system of the steam generator. The addition of the MHD channel to the existing steam generator provides an alternate source of heat for the steam generator.

Abstract: This invention features a mechanism within a flat plate solar collector for modulating the temperature therein by reflecting incident solar radiation with a solar reflective surface and as a function of the temperature within the flat plate collector. The mechanism comprises a movable solar reflective surface which is positioned so as to permit at least partial and preferably complete exposure of a solar energy absorbing surface within the collector when the temperature within the flat plate collector is at a predetermined low level and it is positioned, preferably automatically, so as to at least partially and preferably completely reflect incident solar radiation when the temperature within the flat plate collector is above a predetermined high temperature level.