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US 2026/0063250 A1Published application
Liquid air energy conversion system and method
OwnerHenry E. Howardinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid air energy conversion system is provided that is a variant of conventional gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) that integrates three subsystems or unit operations, namely a main air compression and pre-purification subsystem, a deep sub-ambient gas compression subsystem, and a power expansion and waste heat recovery subsystem. The disclosed liquid air energy conversion system enhances and optimizes the energy extraction from liquid air by avoiding main air compression directly associated with the gas turbine and the air fed to the overall system and process is limited to the air flow required to vaporize the liquid air.
Claims21
A liquid air energy conversion system comprising:
- a main compression and pre-purification subsystem configured for compressing a feed cryogenic gas stream to yield a low pressure cryogenic gas stream and purifying the low pressure cryogenic gas stream to yield a pre-purified, low pressure cryogenic gas stream;
- a deep sub-ambient gas compression subsystem configured to:
- (a) receive a liquid air stream and pump the liquid air stream to a supercritical pressure yielding one or more supercritical liquid air streams;
- (b) vaporize the one or more supercritical liquid air streams via indirect heat exchange against the purified, low pressure cryogenic gas stream to yield one or more very high pressure air streams and one or more cooled, purified, low pressure cryogenic gas streams;
- and (c) compress the one or more cooled, purified, low pressure cryogenic gas streams in one or more compressors, including at least one cold compressor to yield one or more moderate pressure, high pressure and/or very high pressure gas streams;
- a power expansion and waste heat recovery subsystem configured to:
- (a) receive a stream of combustion gas and expand the combustion gas to yield a flue gas exhaust stream and shaft work used to create a first source of electrical power;
- (b) warm all of or a portion of the one or more very high pressure air streams and/or all of or a portion of the one or more moderate pressure, high pressure or very high pressure gas streams to yield one or more warmed streams via indirect heat exchange with the flue gas exhaust stream;
- and (c) expand the one or more of the warmed streams in one or more turbine-expanders to produce one or more exhaust streams and shaft work used to create one or more auxiliary sources of electrical power;
- wherein the combustion gas is produced from the combustion of a fuel source with one or more streams originating from the deep sub-ambient gas compression subsystem.
7 more elements
A method of liquid air energy conversion comprising the steps of:
- compressing a feed cryogenic gas stream to yield a low pressure cryogenic gas stream;
- purifying the low pressure cryogenic gas stream to yield a pre-purified, low pressure cryogenic gas stream;
- pumping the liquid air stream to a supercritical pressure yielding one or more supercritical liquid air streams;
- vaporizing the one or more supercritical liquid air streams via indirect heat exchange against the purified, low pressure cryogenic gas stream to yield one or more very high pressure air streams and one or more cooled, purified, low pressure cryogenic gas streams;
- compressing the one or more cooled, purified, low pressure cryogenic gas streams in one or more compressors, including at least one cold compressor to yield one or more moderate pressure, high pressure and/or very high pressure gas streams;
- expanding a combustion gas in a combustion gas turbine to yield a flue gas exhaust stream and shaft work used to create a first source of electrical power;
- warming all of or a portion of the one or more very high pressure air streams and/or all of or a portion of the one or more moderate pressure, high pressure or very high pressure gas streams to yield one or more warmed streams via indirect heat exchange with the flue gas exhaust stream;
- and
- expanding the one or more of the warmed streams in one or more turbine-expanders to produce one or more exhaust streams and shaft work used to create one or more auxiliary sources of electrical power;
- wherein the combustion gas is produced from the combustion of a fuel source with one or more originating from the deep sub-ambient gas compression subsystem.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.