Gas pipeline compressor stations with kalina cycles
OwnerYakov Lerner, Mark Mirolli +1inventors
InventorsYakov Lerner, Mark Mirolli, Richard Pelletier
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Abstract
An improved apparatus and method for transporting gas through long pipelines is provided. The invention provides a binary mixture (e.g. ammonia-water) KALINA CYCLE® that is used as a bottoming cycle with a gas turbine. The non-isothermal boiling and condensation of the binary mixture achieves a high degree of recuperation. By throttling a part of the binary mixture, cooling is provided to the inlet air chiller for the gas turbine air compressor, which significantly improves the performance of the gas turbine. Thus, the invention provides a system for inlet air chilling integrated into a gas turbine-KALINA CYCLE® combined cycle used in a gas pipeline compressor station for pumping natural gas.
Claims55
A method for pumping natural gas through a pipeline using a compressor station that comprises a first gas turbine system wherein the gas turbine system comprises a first air compressor that compresses a first ambient air stream, a first combustor, a first turbine and a first heat recovery vapor generator, the method comprising:
- (a) expanding a heated gaseous working fluid stream including a low boiling point component and a higher boiling point component to transform the energy of said stream into useable form and provide a spent stream;
- (b) condensing said spent stream in a distillation/condensation sub-system to provide a low pressure condensed stream and a high pressure split stream,
- (c) passing the high pressure split stream through a first air chiller in heat exchange relationship with the first ambient air stream to generate a first air chiller outlet stream;
- and
- (d) passing the first ambient air stream in heat exchange relationship with the high pressure split stream through the first air chiller to generate a first cooled inlet air stream to be fed to the first air compressor,
- wherein the first gas turbine system is used for pumping natural gas through a natural gas pipeline and produces a first hot gas exhaust stream.
A method for compressing natural gas through a gas pipeline, the method comprising:
- (a) pumping natural gas using at least one gas turbine having an air compressor that produces a hot exhaust gas stream;
- (b) using the hot gas exhaust stream to heat an ammonia-water mixture that is used as the working fluid in a KALINA CYCLE®;
- and
- (c) using a part of the working fluid from the KALINA CYCLE® to cool the inlet air to said air compressor.
A compressor station for pumping natural gas having at least one gas turbine driving a natural gas compressor, said gas turbine producing a hot gas exhaust stream, an air compressor for compressing an ambient air stream to be input into the gas turbine, a vapor turbine and a distillation/condensation sub-system, the compressor station further comprising:
- (a) a turbine for expanding a heated gaseous working fluid stream including a low boiling point component and a higher boiling point component to transform the energy of said stream into useable form and provide a spent stream;
- (b) a low pressure condenser for condensing said spent stream in said distillation/condensation sub-system to provide a low pressure condensed stream and a high pressure split stream;
- and
- (c) an air chiller for passing the high pressure split stream and the ambient air stream through said air chiller in heat exchange relationship with each other to generate an air chiller outlet stream and a cooled inlet air stream to be fed to the gas turbine compressor.
An apparatus for compressing natural gas through a gas pipeline, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) at least one gas turbine having an air compressor, the gas turbine producing a hot exhaust gas stream;
- (b) a KALINA CYCLE® that uses the hot gas exhaust stream to heat an ammonia-water mixture that is used as the working fluid in said KALINA CYCLE®;
- and
- (c) a system for using a part of the working fluid from the KALINA CYCLE® to cool the inlet air to said air compressor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.