# US 2014/0360201 A1 · Method and apparatus for supplying a combustion chamber with nitrogen > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0360201 A1 - Document ID: US20140360201A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/359,155 - Filed: 2012-11-23 - Published: 2014-12-11 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-25 - Assignees: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude - Applicants: L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude - Inventors: Richard Dubettier-Grenier; Sylvain Gerard; Loic Joly - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360201A1 ## CPC - F02C 3/28: using a separate gas producer for gasifying the fuel before combustion - F02C 3/30: Adding water, steam or other fluids {for influencing combustion, e.g. to obtain cleaner exhaust gases (F02C7/141, F02C7/30, F01D21/00, F01K21/04, F23D11/10 take precedence)} - F23L 7/00: Supplying non-combustible liquids or gases, other than air, to the fire, e.g. oxygen, steam - F25J 3/0403: {of nitrogen} - F25J 3/04157: {Afterstage cooling and so-called "pre-cooling" of the feed air upstream the air purification unit and main heat exchange line (F25J3/04618 takes precedence)} - F25J 3/04545: {for the gasification of solid or heavy liquid fuels, e.g. integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC]} - F25J 3/04575: {for a gas expansion plant, e.g. dilution of the combustion gas in a gas turbine} - F25J 3/04618: {for cooling an air stream fed to the air fractionation unit} - F25J 2205/34: as evaporative cooling tower to produce chilled water, e.g. evaporative water chiller [EWC] - F25J 2230/04: Compressor cooling arrangement, e.g. inter- or after-stage cooling or condensate removal - F25J 2270/90: External refrigeration, e.g. conventional closed-loop mechanical refrigeration unit using Freon or NH3, unspecified external refrigeration - Y02E 20/18: Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS] - 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) - F23L: SUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ({air-supply arrangements for fluent fuels F23C;} firebridges with means for feeding air or steam F23M3/04; baffles or shields with air supply passages F23M9/04); VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS {(dampers and throat restrictors for open fire-places F24; air inlet valves for open fire fronts F24)}; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES - F25J: LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS {OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS} MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT {OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE (cryogenic pumps F04B37/08; gas storage vessels, gas holders F17; filing vessels with, or discharging from vessels, compressed, liquefied or solidified gases F17C; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B)} - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract In a method for supplying nitrogen to a combustion chamber, gaseous nitrogen (9) is drawn off from an air separation unit (7) at a first pressure, the nitrogen is compressed in at least two stages (C1, C2) of a nitrogen compressor and sent to a combustion chamber (25) at a second pressure, which is the output pressure of the last stage (C3) of the nitrogen compressor, between two stages of the nitrogen compressor the nitrogen is humidified by direct contact in passing through a contactor (17) supplied at its top with water, and the humidified nitrogen is compressed in at least one stage of the nitrogen compressor and sent to the combustion chamber. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-10. (canceled) ### Claim 11 A method for supplying nitrogen to a combustion chamber, the method comprising the steps of: withdrawing gaseous nitrogen from an air separation unit at a first pressure; compressing the gaseous nitrogen in a nitrogen compressor having more than one stage and sending the gaseous nitrogen to a combustion chamber at a second pressure, wherein the second pressure is the output pressure of the last stage of the nitrogen compressor; humidifying, between two stages of the nitrogen compressor, the gaseous nitrogen by direct contact in passing through a contactor supplied at its top with water to produce humidified nitrogen; and compressing the humidified nitrogen in at least one stage of the nitrogen compressor to form the gaseous nitrogen that is sent to the combustion chamber at the second pressure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, in which all the water sent to the contactor is transferred to the gaseous flow of nitrogen. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the water sent to the contactor is at a temperature that differs by no more than 10° C. or even 5° C. from ambient temperature. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the nitrogen is also humidified in a contactor downstream of the first stage of the nitrogen compressor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the water sent into the contactor downstream of the last stage of the nitrogen compressor is preheated by a flow from the air separation unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the nitrogen is humidified only by direct contact with water. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a gas from the combustion chamber is expanded in a turbine. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the combustion chamber is fed with a fuel coming from a gasification unit, the gasification unit being fed with gaseous oxygen coming from the air separation unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein only part of the water sent to the contactor is transferred to the gaseous flow of nitrogen and the excess water emerging from the contactor in liquid form is used as chilled water in the air separation unit. ### Claim 20 An apparatus for supplying nitrogen to a combustion chamber, the apparatus comprising: a compressor having at least two stages; at least one direct-contact contactor configured to receive nitrogen compressed in a stage of the compressor and to send compressed and humidified nitrogen to the next stage of the compressor; means for sending water to the at least one direct-contact contactor; and means for sending compressed and humidified nitrogen from the last stage of the compressor to the combustion chamber. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the direct-contact contactor is connected downstream of a first stage of the compressor and upstream of a second stage of the compressor, such that the direct-contact contactor is configured to receive compressed nitrogen from the first stage, humidify the compressed nitrogen, and then send the humidified nitrogen to the second stage. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 further comprising means for humidifying the nitrogen by direct contact downstream of the last stage of the compressor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 further comprising an absence of humidifying means for the nitrogen downstream of the last stage of the compressor. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the contactor is a cooling means for the compressed nitrogen. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the contactor comprises an absence of an exit means for liquid. ### Claim 26 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the gaseous nitrogen is cooled by direct contact with the water in the contactor.