System and Method of Cooling Turbine Airfoils with Sequestered Carbon Dioxide

A turbine power generation system, comprising:

• a compressor configured to compress air;
• a combustor configured to combust a mixture of compressed air from said compressor with a fuel to produce an exhaust gas stream including carbon dioxide;
• a turbine configured to convert thermal energy of said exhaust stream into mechanical energy;
• and
• a conduit configured to inject a stream of carbon dioxide into the turbine from a carbon dioxide source so as to cool the turbine, the carbon dioxide source comprising carbon dioxide in a concentration of greater than about 75 percent by volume.

A method for cooling hot gas path components of a turbine power generation system comprising:

• providing a gas turbine, including
• a compressor configured to compress air;
• a combustor configured to combust a mixture of compressed air from said compressor with a fuel to produce an exhaust gas stream including carbon dioxide;
• and
• a turbine configured to convert thermal energy of said exhaust stream into mechanical energy;
• combusting said fuel in said combustor;
• injecting a stream of carbon dioxide into said gas turbine engine so as to provide cooling to one or more of said hot gas path components, said stream of carbon dioxide provided from a carbon dioxide source comprising carbon dioxide in a concentration of greater than about 75 percent by volume.