# US 2014/0150441 A1 · Power plant and method for generating electrical power

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- Number: US 2014/0150441 A1
- Document ID: US20140150441A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/094,477
- Filed: 2013-12-02
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: Lumenion GmbH
- Applicants: Lumenion AG
- Inventors: Andrew ZWINKELS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150441A1

## CPC

- F02C 7/224: Heating fuel before feeding to the burner
- F22B 33/18: Combinations of steam boilers with other apparatus
- F22B 35/00: Control systems for steam boilers (for regulating feed-water supply F22D5/00; for controlling superheat temperature F22G5/00)
- F01K 3/186: {using electric heat}
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F22B: METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
- F01K: STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES (gas-turbine or jet-propulsion plants F02; nuclear power plants, engine arrangements therein G21D)

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a power plant for generating electrical power having a burner unit, wherein thermal energy can be produced by burning a fuel, a turbine unit, wherein a rotational movement can be produced with the thermal energy, and a generator unit which is driven by the rotational movement to generate electrical power. The power plant is characterised according to the invention in that in order to produce the thermal energy, in addition to the burner unit, an electric heating unit is provided, through which electrical energy can be converted into thermal energy to drive the turbine unit. In addition the invention relates to a method for generating electrical power.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power plant for generating electrical power, comprising
a burner unit, in which thermal energy can be produced by burning a fuel,
a turbine unit, in which a rotational movement can be produced with the thermal energy, and
a generator unit which is driven by the rotational movement to generate electrical power,
wherein
in order to produce the thermal energy, in addition to the burner unit, an electric heating unit is provided, through which electrical energy can be converted into thermal energy to drive the turbine unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power plant of claim 1,
wherein
a control unit is provided which, in the case of an over-supply of electrical energy, increases a heating power of the electric heating unit and reduces a heating power of the burner unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The power plant of claim 2,
wherein
using the control unit the heating powers of the heating unit and burner unit can be controlled in dependence upon each other, so that the turbine unit can be operated with a substantially constant total power.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The power plant of claim 1,
wherein
the burner unit has a combustion chamber to burn the fuel,
the combustion chamber has a plurality of inlet ports,
a fuel feed line is connected to at least one of the inlet ports, and
a feed of a medium heated by the electric heating unit is facilitated by means of at least one other of the inlet ports.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The power plant of claim 4,
wherein
the amount of fuel supplied and the amount of medium heated in the electric heating unit can be controlled in dependence upon each other by the control unit so that a temperature in the combustion chamber is substantially constant.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The power plant of claim 1,
wherein
the electrical heating unit comprises a plasma torch to heat a medium, via which the turbine unit can be driven.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The power plant of claim 6,
wherein
the plasma torch is arranged on one of the inlet ports of the combustion chamber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The power plant of claim 2,
wherein
an inlet port for a fuel feed line and an inlet port for a plasma torch are formed similarly.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The power plant of claim 1,
wherein
the electric heating unit has induction means to heat a medium and
the induction means can be controlled with the control unit by changing a magnetic resistance on the induction means.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The power plant of claim 1,
wherein
a storage vessel is provided in which a medium can be stored which has been heated by the electric heating unit and
a discharge line is provided, with which the heated medium can be conveyed from the storage vessel to at least one of the combustion chamber and to the turbine unit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The power plant of claim 10,
wherein
it can be variably adjusted with the control unit whether a heated medium is conveyed from the electric heating unit to the storage vessel or to the combustion chamber or turbine unit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The power plant of claim 10,
wherein
the control unit is adapted to trigger conveying of the heated medium from the storage vessel in the case of a reduction in the heating power of the electric heating unit below a predefinable threshold value.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The power plant of claim 1,
wherein
the burner unit and the electric heating unit respectively have an outlet line,
the two outlet lines are connected to each other to form a joint outlet line,
the joint outlet line leads to the turbine unit.

### Claim 14

A method for generating electrical power wherein
in a burner unit, a fuel is burnt and thermal energy is produced,
the thermal energy is converted into a rotational movement in a turbine unit, and
a generator unit is driven by the rotational movement and electrical power is hereby produced,
wherein
the thermal energy is produced in addition to the burner unit by an electric heating unit, through which electrical energy is converted into thermal energy to drive the turbine unit.