Intermediate pressure supercritical co2 power cycle
AssigneeSouthwest Research Institute
InventorsAaron M. MCCLUNG, Klaus BRUN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The systems and methods described herein reduce relatively high pressure supercritical CO2 to a relatively low-pressure supercritical CO2 using a first CO2 expansion system positioned upstream of the thermal input system. The relatively low-pressure supercritical CO2 passes through the thermal input system and into a second CO2 expansion system. The first supercritical CO2 expansion system provides a first power output and/or the second CO2 expansion system provides a second power output. A CO2 compressor system converts the gaseous CO2 exiting the second CO2 expansion system to the relatively high-pressure supercritical CO2, at least a portion of which is returned to the first CO2 expansion system.
Claims24
A carbon dioxide (CO2) power system, comprising:
- a first CO2 expansion system having an inlet and an outlet, the first CO2 expansion system to:
- receive, via the first CO2 expansion system inlet, CO2 at a first temperature and a first pressure;
- and
- expand at least a portion of the CO2 to provide a first power output;
- and
- discharge, via the first CO2 expansion system outlet, at least a portion of the CO2 at a second temperature and an intermediate second pressure, the second temperature lower than the first temperature and the second pressure lower than the first pressure;
- a heater having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the heater inlet fluidly couples to the first CO2 expansion system outlet, the combustor to:
- receive, via the heater inlet, at least a portion of the CO2 at the second temperature and the second pressure;
- and
- discharge, via the heater outlet, at least a portion of the CO2 at a third temperature and a third pressure, the third temperature greater than the second temperature;
- a second CO2 expansion system having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the second CO2 expansion system inlet fluidly couples to the combustor outlet, the second CO2 expansion system to:
- receive, via the second CO2 expansion system inlet, at least a portion of the CO2 at the third temperature and the third pressure;
- expand the CO2 to provide a second power output;
- and
- discharge, via the second CO2 expansion system discharge, at least a portion of the CO2 at a fourth temperature and a fourth pressure, the fourth temperature lower than the third temperature and the fourth pressure lower than the third pressure.
A CO2 power generation method, comprising:
- generating, via a first CO2 expansion system, a first power output by expanding supercritical CO2 at a first temperature and a first pressure to provide an intermediate pressure supercritical CO2 at a second temperature and a second pressure;
- the second temperature lower than the first temperature;
- and
- the second pressure lower than the first pressure;
- heating, by a heater, the intermediate pressure supercritical CO2 from the second temperature and the second pressure to provide supercritical CO2 a third temperature and a third pressure;
- the third temperature greater than the second temperature;
- generating, via a second CO2 expansion system, a second power output by expanding the gaseous CO2 at the third temperature and the third pressure to provide gaseous CO2 at a fourth temperature and a fourth pressure;
- the fourth temperature lower than the third temperature;
- and
- the fourth pressure lower than the third pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.