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US 12,416,245 B2Granted
Dual purpose energy plant
AssigneeNuovo Pignone Tecnologie Srl
InventorsCarlos Henning, David Madden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for generating electricity with reduced or negative carbon emissions. The system includes a power plant section having an electricity generating unit having an input coupled to a hydrocarbon fuel supply and an energy exchange path. The system also includes a direct air capture (DAC) section having a CO2 adsorption device having a CO2 adsorbent material and a ventilator electrically coupled to the electricity generating unit, the ventilator directing air flow through the CO2 adsorption device in a carbon capture mode, wherein the CO2 adsorption device is coupled to and in energy communication with the energy exchange path for releasing adsorbed CO2 in a carbon release mode.
Claims9
A system for generating electricity provided to an electric grid with reduced or negative carbon emissions, the system comprising:
- a power plant section comprising an electricity generating unit comprising an energy exchange path, wherein the electricity generating unit comprises:
- a working fluid comprising carbon dioxide (CO2);
- a combustor coupled to a supply of hydrocarbon fuel and a supply of pure oxygen and configured to combust the hydrocarbon fuel with the pure oxygen to heat the CO2 to a supercritical state and to produce additional CO2;
- an expander coupled to an output of the combustor to receive the CO2 in the supercritical state and configured to convert energy of the CO2 in the supercritical state to mechanical output energy, the expander comprising a working fluid discharge path as the as the energy exchange path;
- an electric generator coupled to the expander and configured to receive the mechanical output energy for generating the electricity, the electric generator comprising an output coupled to the electric grid;
- an energy exchanger comprising an input coupled to the expander and configured to receive CO2 discharged from the expander;
- a compressor comprising an input coupled to an output of the energy exchanger and an output coupled to an input of the combustor to compress and recycle at least a portion of the CO2 discharged by the expander;
- a direct air capture (DAC) section comprising a CO2 adsorption device having a CO2 adsorbent material and a ventilator electrically coupled to the electric generator, the ventilator directing air flow through the CO2 adsorption device in a carbon capture mode;
- wherein the CO2 adsorption device is coupled to and in energy communication with the energy exchange path for releasing adsorbed CO2 in a carbon release mode further comprising a water separator disposed in a line between the energy exchanger and the compressor and configured to separate water from a discharge of the energy exchanger;
- further comprising another compressor disposed in a line between the CO2 adsorption device and at least one of an input of the water separator or a line leading to an input of the water separator, the another compressor comprising an input coupled to an output of the CO2 adsorption device configured to discharge CO2 in the carbon release mode.
7 more elements
A method for generating electricity provided to an electric grid with reduced or negative carbon emissions, the method comprising:
- using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a working fluid in an electricity generating unit of a power plant section of an electric power plant system;
- combusting hydrogen fuel and pure oxygen in a combustor coupled to a supply of hydrocarbon fuel and a supply of pure oxygen to heat the CO2 to a supercritical state and to produce additional CO2;
- converting energy of the CO2 in the supercritical state to mechanical output energy using an expander coupled to an output the combustor;
- generating the electricity using an electric generator coupled to the expander to receive the mechanical output energy and to provide the electricity to the electric grid;
- using a working fluid discharge path of the expander as an energy exchange path;
- receiving CO2 discharged from the expander using an energy exchanger comprising an input coupled to the expander to receive CO2 discharged from the expander;
- compressing and recycling at least a portion of the CO2 discharged by the expander to the combustor using a compressor comprising an input coupled to an output of the energy exchanger and an output coupled to an input of the combustor;
- gathering by adsorption carbon dioxide (CO2) from air in a Direct Air Capture (DAC) section of the electric power plant system using a CO2 adsorption device having a CO2 adsorbent material in a carbon capture mode;
- flowing the air through the CO2 adsorption device using a ventilator receiving electric power from the electric generator in the carbon capture mode;
- and
- releasing CO2 from the CO2 adsorption device by providing energy to the CO2 adsorbent material with energy from the energy exchange path in a carbon release mode further comprising separating water from a discharge comprising CO2 and water from the energy exchanger using a water separator having an output coupled to the input of the compressor;
- further comprising compressing CO2 output from the CO2 adsorption device in the carbon release mode using another compressor and providing compressed CO2 from the another compressor to at least one of an input of the water separator or a line leading to an input of the water separator.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.