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US 11,199,327 B2Granted
Systems and methods for operation of a flexible fuel combustor
Assignee8 Rivers Capital, LLC
InventorsXijia Lu, Jeremy Eron Fetvedt, Peter Michael McGroddy
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that are useful for controlling one or more aspects of a power production plant. More particularly, the disclosure relates to power production plants and methods of carrying out a power production method utilizing different fuel chemistries. Combustion of the different fuel mixtures can be controlled so that a defined set of combustion characteristics remains substantially constant across a range of different fuel chemistries.
Claims20
A method for normalizing combustion in a power production process, the method comprising:
- providing a variable fuel to a combustor, the variable fuel having a composition that varies during operation of the power production process;
- compressing the variable fuel by a compressor to form a compressed fuel stream to be provided to the combustor;
- providing a diluent into the combustor, the diluent comprises a first portion in a first conduit and a second portion in a second conduit, wherein the first portion of the diluent is provided to the combustor, and the second portion of the diluent is combined with the compressed fuel stream to form a diluted compressed fuel stream to be provided to the combustor;
- combusting the variable fuel in the combustor with an oxidant to provide a combustor exhaust stream;
- passing the combustor exhaust stream through a turbine to generate power;
- and
- implementing at least one control function such that one or both of a temperature and a mass flow of the combustor exhaust stream exiting the combustor varies by no greater than 10% as the composition of the variable fuel varies during operation of the power production process,
- wherein the at least one control function includes:
- controlling a mass flow rate of the diluent provided into the combustor to be greater than a mass flow rate of the variable fuel provided to the combustor;
- controlling a mass flow rate of the diluent provided into the combustor to be greater than a mass flow rate of the oxidant provided to the combustor;
- or
- controlling a mass flow rate of the diluent provided into the combustor to be greater than a mass flow rate of both of the variable fuel provided to the combustor and the oxidant provided to the combustor.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.