Method for Increasing the Efficiency of a Combined Gas/Steam Power Station With Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle

A method for increasing the efficiency of a combined gas and steam power generating plant with integrated fuel gasification where the plant has a gas turbine compressor and an air fractionation plant with a predetermined operating pressure, comprising:

• extracting compressed air from the gas turbine compressor at a pressure level adapted to the operating pressure of the air fractionation plant;
• feeding the extracted air to the air fractionation plant;
• breaking down the extracted air into at least component parts of nitrogen and oxygen via the air fractionation plant;
• extracting the broken down nitrogen from the air fraction plant;
• and
• cooling components of the gas and power generating plant with at least a portion of the extracted nitrogen volume to increase the overall plant operating efficiency.

A method for increasing the efficiency of a combined gas and steam power generating plant with integrated fuel gasification, where the generating plant has a gas turbine compressor and an air fractionation plant with a predetermined operating pressure, comprising:

• extracting compressed air from the gas turbine compressor at a pressure level adapted to the operating pressure of the air fractionation plant;
• feeding the extracted air to the air fractionation plant;
• breaking down the extracted air into at least component parts of nitrogen and oxygen via the air fractionation plant;
• extracting the broken down nitrogen from the air fraction plant;
• heating at least a portion of the extracted nitrogen volume;
• expanding the heated nitrogen in a further turbine to increase the operational efficiency of the gas and steam power generating plant with integrated fuel gasification.