Method and apparatus for generating electricity using a thermal power plant
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsBenoit Davidian, Cyrille Paufique
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Abstract
A method for generating electricity by means of a thermal power plant and a liquid vaporization apparatus involves producing heat energy by means of the power plant and using the heat energy to vaporize water or to heat water vapor, expanding the water vapor formed in a first turbine and using the first turbine to drive an electricity generator in order to produce electricity, vaporizing liquefied gas coming from a cryogenic storage in order to produce pressurized gas, reheating the pressurized gas with a part of the water vapor intended for the first turbine of the power plant and expanding the pressurized fluid in a second turbine to produce electricity.
Claims13
A method for the generation of electricity by means of a thermal power plant and a liquid vaporization apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) producing thermal energy thereby creating hot gases, using at least a first portion of the hot gases to vaporize water or to heat water vapor, and then expanding the resulting water vapor stream in a first turbine, which thereby produces electricity via an electricity generator driven by the first turbine, wherein the thermal energy is produced by combustion of a fuel;
- b) vaporizing a cryogenic liquid sourced from a cryogenic storage facility to produce a pressurized gas;
- c) heating the pressurized gas to form a heated pressurized fluid, wherein the pressurized gas is heated using heat from a source selected from the group consisting of the hot gases, a second portion of the hot gases, a proportion of the water vapor to be delivered to the first turbine of the thermal power plant, and a proportion of the heat of the water vapor to be delivered to the first turbine of the thermal power plant;
- d) expanding the heated pressurized fluid in a second turbine for the production of electricity;
- wherein the source used to heat the pressurized gas is the second portion of the hot gases, wherein the flow rate of the second portion of the hot gases is no more than 30% of the sum of the first portion and the second portion of the hot gases.
A method for the generation of electricity by means of a thermal power plant and a liquid vaporization apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) producing thermal energy thereby creating hot gases, using at least a first portion of the hot gases to vaporize water or to heat water vapor, and then expanding the resulting water vapor stream in a first turbine, which thereby produces electricity via an electricity generator driven by the first turbine, wherein the thermal energy is produced by combustion of a fuel;
- b) vaporizing a cryogenic liquid sourced from a cryogenic storage facility to produce a pressurized gas;
- c) heating the pressurized gas to form a heated pressurized fluid, wherein the pressurized gas is heated using heat from a source selected from the group consisting of the hot gases, a second portion of the hot gases, a proportion of the water vapor to be delivered to the first turbine of the thermal power plant, and a proportion of the heat of the water vapor to be delivered to the first turbine of the thermal power plant;
- and
- d) expanding the heated pressurized fluid in a second turbine for the production of electricity,
- wherein the hot gases heat the pressurized gas prior to heating the water or water vapor in step a).
An integrated electricity generating apparatus, comprising:
- a thermal power plant having a steam turbine that is configured to drive a first electrical generator;
- a liquefaction unit in electrical communication with the first electrical generator, such that the liquefaction unit can receive electricity from the first electrical generator;
- a cryogenic liquid storage facility in fluid communication with the liquefaction unit;
- a vaporization unit in fluid communication with the cryogenic liquid storage facility;
- a heat exchanger configured to heat a cryogenic liquid sourced from the cryogenic liquid storage facility against hot gases sourced from the thermal power plant;
- and
- a second turbine configured to receive a vaporized fluid from a means for preheating the cryogenic liquid, wherein the second turbine is configured to drive a second electrical generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.