Combined cycle power plant utilizing organic water additives
AssigneeEcolab USA Inc.
InventorsDavid Morey, Phillip Egebrecht
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Organic water conditioning agents may be added to an aqueous stream that is supplied to a steam generator, such as a heat recovery steam generator within a combined cycle power plant. These organic water conditioning agents may degrade to electrically-charged decomposition products that can interfere with cation conductivity measurements made on the aqueous stream. To allow deployment of the organic water conditioning agents, a sampling device can process aqueous samples to destroy interfering organic molecules, such as through heat or irradiation. Cation conductivity measurements can then be made on the aqueous sample after destroying and removing interfering organic species from the sample stream.
Claims23
A method for chemically treating water supplied to a steam generator, the method comprising:
- introducing an organic water conditioning agent into an aqueous stream that is supplied to a steam generator, the steam generator generating steam from the aqueous stream containing the organic water conditioning agent to drive a steam turbine;
- drawing a sample of the aqueous stream containing the organic water conditioning agent and any acid decomposition products thereof,
- measuring a conductivity of the sample to provide a measured specific conductivity of the sample;
- after measuring the conductivity of the sample, at least one of irradiating the sample and heating the sample, thereby causing the organic water conditioning agent and any acid decomposition products thereof to decompose into a gaseous byproduct;
- after at least one of irradiating the sample and heating the sample, passing the sample through a cation exchange resin to remove cations from the sample;
- and
- after passing the sample through the cation exchange resin, measuring a conductivity of the sample to provide a measured cation conductivity for the sample.
A method for chemically treating water used by a heat recovery steam generator in a combined cycle power plant, the method comprising:
- introducing an organic water conditioning agent into an aqueous stream;
- supplying the aqueous stream to a heat recovery steam generator that generates steam using thermal energy in an exhaust gas from a gas turbine, the steam generated by the heat recovery steam generator being supplied to a steam generator;
- drawing a sample of the aqueous stream containing the organic water conditioning agent and any acid decomposition products thereof;
- measuring a conductivity of the sample to provide a measured specific conductivity of the sample;
- after measuring the conductivity of the sample, at least one of irradiating the sample and heating the sample, thereby causing the organic water conditioning agent and any acid decomposition products thereof to decompose into a gaseous byproduct;
- after at least one of irradiating the sample and heating the sample, passing the sample through a cation exchange resin to remove cations from the sample;
- after passing the sample through the cation exchange resin, measuring a conductivity of the sample to provide a measured cation conductivity for the sample;
- adjusting an amount of the organic water conditioning agent added to the aqueous stream based on the measured specific conductivity of the sample;
- and
- controlling supply of the aqueous stream to the heat recovery steam generator based on the measured cation conductivity of the sample.
A combined cycle power plant system comprising:
- a steam turbine;
- a heat recovery steam generator operable connected to the steam turbine to provide steam to the steam turbine;
- a condenser;
- piping fluidly connecting, directly or indirectly the heat recovery steam generator to the steam turbine, the steam turbine to the condenser, and the condenser to the heat recovery steam generator, the piping defining a fluid network through which an aqueous stream is configured to flow;
- a conductivity monitoring device positioned to receive a sample of the aqueous stream from the piping, the conductivity monitoring device comprising:
- a first conductivity sensor configured to measure a conductivity of the sample to provide a measured specific conductivity of the sample;
- a reaction chamber configured to receive the sample after measurement by the first conductivity sensor and at least one of irradiate the sample and heat the sample;
- a cation exchange resin positioned downstream of the reaction chamber and configured to remove cations from the sample;
- a second conductivity sensor configured to measure a conductivity of the sample downstream of the cation exchange resin to provide a measured cation conductivity for the sample;
- and
- a metering device positioned to control addition of an organic water conditioning agent into the aqueous stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.