US 2014/0026982 A1Published application

TurbinAL(TM) HIGH FLOW CO2 DELIVERY SYSTEM

AssigneeAir Liquide America Specialty Gases LLC

InventorsJames A. SHURTLEFF, Joseph K. Bernacki, Martin O'TOOLE

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

TurbinAL™ is a high-flow carbon dioxide system providing continuous, pressure and temperature regulated gas supply of carbon dioxide for turbine system purging. In a preferred embodiment, the TurbinAL™ system has: a) Four or more dip-tube equipped carbon dioxide cylinder six- or sixteen-packs with integral check valves, flow restriction orifices, and single outlet manifolds; b) Two flow manifolds which are connected to the packs with flexible gas safety lines; c) A transducer controlled automatic switchover manifold that switches gas flow from one flow manifold to the other with no interruption in gas flow; d) An electric heater system designed to vaporize liquid carbon dioxide drawn from a cylinder (via the dip tube) to be supplied to the turbines as a temperature controlled gas; e) A programmable logic controller (PLC) to automatically control and monitor system functions; and f) A flow control device to prevent excess flow to the turbine(s).

Claims22

Dependent claims

An apparatus for the purging of hydrogen cooling gas from a turbine, the apparatus comprising:

a) a first and second source of liquid carbon dioxide in fluid communication with a flow manifold,
b) the flow manifold in fluid communication with a vaporizing heater,
c) the flow manifold comprising a device configured to switch the source of liquid carbon dioxide into the vaporizing heater from the first source of liquid carbon dioxide to the second source of liquid carbon dioxide or from the second source of liquid carbon dioxide to the first source of liquid carbon dioxide,
d) the vaporizing heater configured to receive the liquid carbon dioxide from the flow manifold and vaporize the liquid carbon dioxide to a gaseous state,
e) an outlet in fluid communication with the vaporizing heater, the outlet configured to deliver gaseous carbon dioxide from the vaporizing heater,
f) one or both of
A) a pressure sensor adapted to detect a liquid carbon dioxide pressure in the first or second source of liquid carbon dioxide and configured to send a signal to a controller and
B) a flow rate measurement device adapted to sense a loss of liquid carbon dioxide flow rate corresponding to a loss of pressure and configured to send a signal to the controller,
g) the controller configured to
A) receive the signal from the pressure transducer and
B) to actuate the device configured to switch the source of liquid carbon dioxide in response the signal from the pressure transducer, the flow rate measurement device, or both, to thereby switch the source of liquid carbon dioxide in fluid communication with the vaporizing heater through the manifold.

8 more elements

An apparatus for the purging of hydrogen cooling gas from a turbine, the apparatus comprising:

a) a first and second source of liquid carbon dioxide in fluid communication with a flow manifold,
b) the flow manifold in fluid communication with a vaporizing heater,
c) the flow manifold comprising a device configured to switch the source of liquid carbon dioxide into the vaporizing heater from the first source of liquid carbon dioxide to the second source of liquid carbon dioxide or from the second source of liquid carbon dioxide to the first source of liquid carbon dioxide,
d) the vaporizing heater configured to receive the liquid carbon dioxide from the flow manifold and vaporize the liquid carbon dioxide to a gaseous state,
e) an outlet in fluid communication with the vaporizing heater, the outlet configured to deliver gaseous carbon dioxide from the vaporizing heater,
f) one or both of
A) a pressure sensor adapted to detect a liquid carbon dioxide pressure in the first or second source of liquid carbon dioxide and configured to send a signal to a controller,
g) the controller configured to
A) receive the signal from the pressure transducer and
B) to actuate the device configured to switch the source of liquid carbon dioxide in response the signal from the pressure transducer, the flow rate measurement device, or both, to thereby switch the source of liquid carbon dioxide in fluid communication with the vaporizing heater through the manifold,
C) wherein the controller is a programmed logic controller (PLC) specifically adapted to actuate the device configured to switch the source of liquid carbon dioxide when the signal from the pressure transducer is less than or equal to 1000 psig,
and wherein
h) the first and second sources of liquid carbon dioxide each comprise two or more liquid carbon dioxide cylinders and the two or more liquid carbon dioxide cylinders are in fluid communication through a cylinder manifold,
i) the first and second source of liquid carbon dioxide have an associated first and second flow manifold in fluid communication with the respective first and second source of liquid carbon dioxide,
j) the first and second source of liquid carbon dioxide are in fluid communication with the flow manifold through an intermediate cryogenic liquid cylinder hose or a pigtail connection,
k) the device configured to switch the source of liquid carbon dioxide into the vaporizing heater from the first source of liquid carbon dioxide to the second source of liquid carbon dioxide, or from the second source of liquid carbon dioxide to the first source of liquid carbon dioxide, is a switchover manifold configured to open and close a fluid communication path from the first and second sources of liquid carbon dioxide,
l) the vaporizing heater is configured to produce a gaseous carbon dioxide having a temperature in the range of −10 to 100 degrees C.,
m) a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the gaseous carbon dioxide produced by the vaporizing heater, and
n) an outlet flow rate control valve or pressure regulator.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.