Turbocharger system for a rotary machine and method of assembling the same

A rotary machine comprising:

• a compressor section configured to receive and compress intake air;
• a turbine section coupled to said compressor section via a rotor;
• a combustor section comprising at least one combustor configured to receive the compressed intake air from said compressor section, generate combustion gases, and channel the combustion gases into said turbine section such that a rotational force is imparted on said rotor, wherein the combustion gases are exhausted from said turbine section as exhaust gases;
• and
• a turbocharger system comprising:
• a low pressure turbocharger (LPT) comprising an LPT compressor and an LPT turbine coupled together via an LPT rotor, wherein said LPT compressor is configured to receive and compress ambient air, and wherein said turbocharger system is configured to divide the compressed ambient air into a heat exchanger flow and an HPT compressor inlet flow;
• a high pressure turbocharger (HPT) comprising an HPT compressor and an HPT turbine coupled together via an HPT rotor, wherein said HPT compressor is configured to receive and further compress the HPT compressor inlet flow, and wherein said turbocharger system is configured to channel the compressed HPT compressor inlet flow to at least one of said combustor section and said turbine section as auxiliary compressed air;
• and
• a heat exchanger configured to place the heat exchanger flow into thermal communication with the exhaust gases, wherein said turbocharger system is configured to divide the heat exchanger flow discharged from said heat exchanger into parallel streams, and wherein said LPT turbine and said HPT turbine are each configured to be driven by a respective one of the parallel streams.

A method of assembling a turbocharger system for a rotary machine, said method comprising:

• coupling an outlet of an LPT compressor of a low pressure turbocharger (LPT) in flow communication with, in parallel, an inlet of a heat exchanger and an inlet of an HPT compressor of a high pressure turbocharger (HPT), wherein:
• the LPT includes an LPT turbine coupled to the LPT compressor via an LPT rotor,
• the HPT includes an HPT turbine coupled to the HPT compressor via an HPT rotor, and
• the LPT compressor is configured to receive ambient air and supply LPT compressed air via the outlet of the LPT compressor;
• configuring the heat exchanger to place the LPT compressed air received from the outlet of the LPT compressor into thermal communication with exhaust gases associated with the rotary machine;
• coupling an outlet of the heat exchanger in flow communication with, in parallel, an inlet of the LPT turbine and an inlet of the HPT turbine;
• and
• coupling an outlet of the HPT compressor in flow communication with the rotary machine, wherein the HPT compressor is configured to supply auxiliary compressed air via the outlet of the HPT compressor.