Abstract: A combined Brayton cycle power plant (5). A combustion gas turbine engine (21) in the power plant uses a first Brayton cycle (20), and produces waste heat in an exhaust combustion gas (36). A heat exchanger (58) transfers the waste heat to a compressed working airflow (56) for a second Brayton cycle (50) in a heat recovery gas turbine engine (51). The heat transfer lowers the temperature of the combustion exhaust gas (36) to within an operating range of a conventional selective catalytic reduction unit (80), for efficient reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions to meet environmental regulations.

Abstract: A system (10) and a method for converting carbonaceous fuel (102) into a gaseous product (42). According to one embodiment a fuel slurry (118) is introduced into a chamber (120) and heated under sufficient pressure to prevent the carrier component (100) from boiling so that the carbonaceous component (102) does not separate from the carrier component (100). The step of heating the carrier component (100) may include increasing pressure and temperature to place the carrier component (100) in a supercritical state while sustaining the carbonaceous component (102) and carrier component (100) in a mixed state. In this embodiment a pump (136) imposes sufficient chamber pressure to prevent boiling of the carrier component (100) as the mixture is heated to at least 345° C., and a gasifier chamber (120) is positioned to receive the gaseous mixture (118) at a lower pressure than the supercritical pressure for creation of syngas (42).

Abstract: A system and method for increasing the efficiency and/or power produced by an integrated gasification combined cycle system by increasing the integration between the air separation unit island, the heat recovery steam generator and the remainder of the system. By integrating heat produced by the heat recovery steam generator in the remainder of the integrated gasification combined cycle system, heat may be utilized that may have otherwise been lost or used further downstream in the system. The integration helps to increase the efficiency of the combustion reaction and/or the gasification reaction used to produce the syngas utilized in the integrated gasification combined cycle system.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing the efficiency and/or power produced by an integrated gasification combined cycle system by increasing the integration between the air separation unit island of the integrated gasification combined cycle system and the remainder of the system. By integrating one or more of the nitrogen and oxygen gas product streams from the air separation unit in the remainder of the integrated gasification combined cycle system, heat may be utilized that helps to increase the efficiency of the combustion reaction and/or the gasification reaction used to produce the syngas utilized in the system.

Abstract: A power plant may include a combustion apparatus (11) producing an exhaust gas (12), an absorber (20) receiving the exhaust gas (12), the absorber (20) including a desiccant and producing a first stream of desiccant solution containing water and a first concentration of desiccant, and an apparatus (29, 70, 94) for dehydrating the first stream of desiccant solution while maintaining the water in a liquid phase. The apparatus (29, 70, 94) may include one or more reverse osmosis apparatus (30, 40) that receive the first stream of desiccant solution and produce a second stream of desiccant solution containing a second concentration of desiccant greater than the first concentration of desiccant. The apparatus (29, 70, 94) may include a heat exchanger (71, 110), a crystallizing heat exchanger (74, 96), a separator (78, 98) and a flash tank (112) for dehydrating the desiccant solution while maintaining water in a liquid phase and subsequently recovering water from the solution.

Abstract: A combined cycle power plant (100) utilizing a compressor air bleed (62) as a source of heat for generating steam in a steam generator (78) for supplying the gland seals of the steam turbine (3) and as a motive force for an air ejector (90) for evacuating the condenser (8) during plant start-up. The compressor air bleed avoids delay awaiting the availability of steam from the heat recovery steam generator (4) without the need for an auxiliary boiler.

Abstract: A combined cycle power plant (20) including a main air-cooled condenser (22) condensing steam at a first pressure and an auxiliary air-cooled condenser (24) condensing steam at a second pressure higher than the first pressure. Designing an air-cooled combined cycle power plant for startup on a hot day can significantly increase the size and cost of the required air-cooled condenser. Adding an auxiliary air-cooled condenser having appropriate thermal characteristics relative to a main air cooled compressor to the steam bypass circuit of an air-cooled combined cycle power plant enables the plant to meet plant startup requirements during periods of peak thermal load in a more cost effective manner than would be achievable with the main air cooled condenser alone.

Abstract: A power plant (10) including a boiler unit portion (12) and a gas turbine unit portion (14) operable in multiple modes, including operation of the boiler unit portion independent of the gas turbine unit portion. Exhaust gas from the gas turbine is cooled in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) (52, 54) where steam is produced. The exhaust gas may also be provided to support combustion in a separately fueled boiler (16). The exhaust gas may be extracted from any location within or downstream of the HRSG. Steam produced in the HRSG and/or in the boiler may be supplied to a steam turbine unit (42, 44, 46). Dampers (60, 62, 74) are provided to selectively direct the gas turbine exhaust to the boiler or to bypass the boiler. An existing boiler fired steam power plant may be reconfigured to have the described arrangement.

Abstract: A gas turbine cycle that utilizes the vaporization of liquefied natural gas as a source of inlet air chilling for a gas turbine. The cycle uses regeneration for preheating of combustor air and offers the potential of gas turbine cycle efficiencies in excess of 60%. The systems and methods permit the vaporization of LNG using ambient air, with the resulting super cooled air being easier to compress and/or having fewer contaminants therein. As the air is easier to compress, less energy is needed to operate the compressor, thereby increasing the efficiency of the system. A portion of the vaporized natural gas may be used as the combustion fuel for the gas turbine system, thereby permitting multiple turbines to be operated using a single topping cycle. In alternative embodiments, the vaporization of the LNG may be used as part of a bottoming cycle to increase the efficiencies of the gas turbine system.

Abstract: A steam power plant (100) implementing an improved Rankine cycle (55) wherein steam is injected (82, 96) directly into the energy addition portion of the plant, and the resulting two-phase flow is pressurized by multiphase pumps (88, 98). By relying more heavily on pump pressurization than on a temperature difference for energy injection, plant efficiency is improved over prior art designs since energy injection by pump pressurization results in less irreversibility than energy injection by temperature difference. Direct steam injection and multiphase pumping may be used to bypass the condenser (20), to replace any one or all of the feedwater heaters (24, 32, 34), and/or to provide additional high-pressure energy addition.