# US 10,480,411 B2 · Waste heat recovery device, gas turbine plant provided with same, and waste heat recovery method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,411 B2 - Document ID: US10480411B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/123,032 - Filed: 2015-03-16 - Published: 2017-03-16 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-24 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. - Applicants: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. - Inventors: Hideyuki Uechi; Hideaki Sugishita; Yukimasa Nakamoto; Yuichi Oka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480411B2 ## CPC - F02C 6/18: using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants (using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10) - F01D 5/081: {Cooling fluid being directed on the side of the rotor disc or at the roots of the blades (F01D5/087 takes precedence)} - F01D 25/125: {of bearings} - F01K 7/22: the turbines having inter-stage steam heating - F01K 23/10: with exhaust fluid of one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle (F01K17/025 takes precedence) - F01K 25/10: the vapours being cold, e.g. ammonia, carbon dioxide, ether - F05D 2220/72: a steam turbine - F05D 2220/76: an electrical generator - Y02E 20/16: Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT] - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F01K: STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES (gas-turbine or jet-propulsion plants F02; nuclear power plants, engine arrangements therein G21D) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A waste heat recovery device includes: a low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle in which a low-boiling-point medium circulates while the low-boiling-point medium is repeatedly condensed and evaporated; a heated water line that guides liquid water, which is heated here, to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle from a waste heat recovery boiler; and a water recovery line that returns the water, which has passed through the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, to the waste heat recovery boiler. The low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle includes a heater that heats the low-boiling-point medium by exchanging heat between the low-boiling-point medium, which is a liquid, and liquid water, which has passed through the heated water line. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A waste heat recovery device comprising: a low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle in which a low-boiling-point medium circulates while the low-boiling-point medium is repeatedly condensed and evaporated; a heated water line that guides heated water in liquid form to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle from a boiler configured to heat the water by high-temperature gas; and a water recovery line that returns the water, which has been led from the heated water line to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, and passed through the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, to the boiler; and a water supply line that supplies the water to the boiler, wherein the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle includes a heater that heats the low-boiling-point medium by exchanging heat between the low-boiling-point medium, which is a liquid, and the water, which is the liquid having passed through the heated water line, wherein the boiler includes at least one or more evaporators that generate steam by heating the water using the high-temperature gas, and economizers that are provided for respective the at least one or more evaporators to heat the water, which is sent to the at least one or more evaporators, by the high-temperature gas, wherein the heated water line guides the water in liquid, which is heated by either of the economizers provided respectively for the at least one or more evaporators, to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, and wherein the water recovery line returns the water, which has passed through the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, to the boiler through the water supply line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The waste heat recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the heated water line guides the water in liquid form, which is heated by the economizer corresponding to a low-pressure evaporator having the lowest internal pressure among the one or more evaporators, to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The waste heat recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the water recovery line returns the water, which has passed through the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, to the economizer, which corresponds to a low-pressure evaporator having the lowest internal pressure among the one or more evaporators, through a water supply line that supplies the water to the boiler, and a temperature of the water, which is sent to the economizer corresponding to the low-pressure evaporator, is a temperature that is higher than a dew-point temperature of the exhaust gas at an exhaust gas outlet of the economizer. ### Claim 4 A waste heat recovery device comprising: a low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle in which a low-boiling-point medium circulates while the low-boiling-point medium is repeatedly condensed and evaporated; a heated water line that guides heated water in liquid form to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle from a boiler configured to heat the water by using high-temperature gas; a water recovery line that returns the water, which has been led from the heated water line to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, and passed through the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, to the boiler; a water supply line that supplies the water to the boiler; and a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a medium apart from the high-temperature gas and at least one of the water flowing in the water recovery line, the water flowing in the heated water line, and the water flowing in the water supply line, wherein the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle includes a heater that heats the low-boiling-point medium by exchanging heat between the low-boiling-point medium in liquid form, and the water, which is the liquid having passed through the heated water line. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The waste heat recovery device according to claim 4, further comprising a gas turbine, wherein the boiler is a waste heat recovery boiler configured to heat the water by exhaust gas generated from the gas turbine, and wherein the medium besides the high-temperature gas is an object to be cooled in the gas turbine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The waste heat recovery device according to claim 5, wherein the heat exchanger has a cooler configured to heat the water flowing in the water recovery line by exchanging heat between the water and the object to be cooled in the gas turbine so as to heat the water while cooling the object to be cooled in the gas turbine, and wherein the cooler includes an air cooler that cools compressed air, which is taken from a compressor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between a part of the compressed air as the object to be cooled and the water and sends the cooled compressed air to a high-temperature component that is in contact with combustion gas in the gas turbine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The waste heat recovery device according to claim 1, further comprising a generator, wherein the heat exchanger includes a generator cooler configured to cool a cooling medium by exchanging heat between the cooling medium as the medium besides the high-temperature gas and the water, the cooling medium being used for cooling a component of the generator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The waste heat recovery device according to claim 5, wherein the heat exchanger includes a cooler configured to heat the water flowing in the heated water line by exchanging heat between the water and the object to be cooled in the gas turbine so as to heat the water while cooling the object to be cooled in the gas turbine, and wherein the cooler includes an air cooler that cools compressed air, which is taken from a compressor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between a part of the compressed air as the object to be cooled and the water and sends the cooled compressed air to a high-temperature component that is in contact with combustion gas in the gas turbine. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The waste heat recovery device according to claim 5, wherein the heat exchanger includes a water supply system-heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the water flowing the water supply line and the object to be cooled in the gas turbine so as to heat the water while cooling the object to be cooled in the gas turbine, and wherein the water supply system-heat exchanger includes at least one cooler of an intercooler that cools compressed air, which is taken from an intermediate stage of a compressor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between the compressed air as the object to be cooled and the water, and returns the cooled compressed air to the intermediate stage of the compressor or a rear portion of the intermediate stage, a lubricating oil cooler that cools a lubricating oil, which flows out of a bearing rotatably supporting a rotor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between the lubricating oil as the object to be cooled and the water, and returns the cooled lubricating oil to the bearing, and an air cooler that cools compressed air, which is taken from a compressor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between a part of the compressed air as the object to be cooled and the water and sends the cooled compressed air to a high-temperature component that is in contact with combustion gas in the gas turbine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A gas turbine plant comprising: a gas turbine that generates exhaust gas and the waste heat recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the water from the water supply line is heated by the exhaust gas from the gas turbine, wherein the exhaust gas is the high-temperature gas. ### Claim 11 A waste heat recovery method comprising: a Rankine cycle-performing step of circulating a low-boiling-point medium in a low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle such that the low-boiling-point medium is repeatedly condensed and evaporated; a heated water-introducing step of guiding heated water in liquid form to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle from a boiler that heats the water by high-temperature gas; and a water recovery step of returning the water, which has been guided to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle and has passed through the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, to the boiler, a water supply step of supplying the water to the boiler; and a heat-exchange step of exchanging heat between a medium apart from the high-temperature gas and at least one of the water flowing in the heated water-introducing step, the water flowing in the water recovery step, and the water flowing in the water supply step, wherein the Rankine cycle-performing step includes a heating step of heating the low-boiling-point medium by exchanging heat between the water, which is the liquid introduced to the low-boiling-point medium Rankine cycle, and the low-boiling-point medium that is a liquid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The waste heat recovery method according to claim 11, further including a generator cooling step of cooling a cooling medium by exchanging heat between the cooling medium as the medium besides the high-temperature gas and the water, the cooling medium being used for cooling a component of a generator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The waste heat recovery method according to claim 11, wherein in the heated water-introducing step, exhaust gas generated from a gas turbine is used as the high-temperature gas to heat the water, and wherein the medium besides the high-temperature gas is an object to be cooled in the gas turbine. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The waste heat recovery method according to claim 13, wherein the heat exchange step includes a cooling step of exchanging heat between the water flowing in the water recovery step and the object to be cooled in the gas turbine so as to heat the water while cooling the object to be cooled in the gas turbine, and wherein the cooling step further includes an air cooling step of cooling compressed air, which is taken from a compressor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between a part of the compressed air as the object to be cooled and the water and sends the cooled compressed air to a high-temperature component that is in contact with combustion gas in the gas turbine. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The waste heat recovery method according to claim 13, wherein the heat exchange step includes a cooling step of exchanging heat between the water flowing in the heated water-introducing step and the object to be cooled in the gas turbine so as to heat the water while cooling the object to be cooled in the gas turbine, and wherein the cooling step further includes an air cooling step of cooling compressed air, which is taken from a compressor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between a part of the compressed air as the object to be cooled and the water and sends the cooled compressed air to a high-temperature component that is in contact with combustion gas in the gas turbine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The waste heat recovery method according to claim 13, wherein the heat-exchange step includes a cooling step of exchanging heat between the water flowing in the water supply step and the object to be cooled in the gas turbine so as to heat the water while cooling the object to be cooled in the gas turbine, and wherein the cooling step includes at least one of steps having: an intercooling step of cooling compressed air, which is taken from an intermediate stage of a compressor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between the compressed air as the object to be cooled and the water, and returning the cooled compressed air to the intermediate stage of the compressor or a rear portion of the intermediate stage, a lubricating-oil cooling step of cooling a lubricating oil, which flows out of a bearing rotatably supporting a rotor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between the lubricating oil as the object to be cooled and the water, and returning the cooled lubricating oil to the bearing, and an air cooling step of cooling compressed air, which is taken from a compressor of the gas turbine, by exchanging heat between a part of the compressed air as the object to be cooled and the water, and sending the cooled compressed air to a high-temperature component that is in contact with combustion gas in the gas turbine.