Power generating system

A power generation system comprising:

• a catalytic combustor receiving a compressed, elevated temperature fuel-air mixture to react with the catalyst in said combustor to produce high energy reaction products;
• a gas turbine receiving the high energy, reaction products from said catalytic combustor to expand said products therethrough and derive useful rotational work therefrom;
• a compressor having a common shaft with said gas turbine and driven thereby to receive a fuel-air mixture and raise the pressure thereof;
• a heat exchanger receiving the compressed fuel-air mixture from said compressor and said high energy reaction products from said catalytic combustor to remove heat from the reaction products and add heat to the fuel-air mixture;
• a preheat burner operably disposed between said turbine exhaust and said heat exchanger to receive and combust fuel during startup of the system to preheat the fuel-air mixture from said compressor to a temperature sufficient to initiate the catalytic reaction within said catalytic combustor until the reaction products from said catalytic combustor are sufficient in temperature to raise the fuel-air mixture to a temperature sufficient to maintain the catalytic reaction;
• and
• an electrical generating means operably associated with said gas turbine and driven thereby to produce electrical energy.

A power generating system comprising:

• a catalytic combustor receiving a compressed, elevated temperature fuel-air mixture to react with the catalyst in said combustor to produce high energy reaction products;
• a gas turbine receiving the high energy, reaction products from said catalytic combustor to expand said products therethrough and derive useful rotational work therefrom;
• a compressor having a common shaft with said gas turbine and driven thereby to receive air and raise the pressure thereof;
• a heat exchanger receiving the compressed air from said compressor and said high energy reaction products from said catalytic combustor to remove heat from the reaction products and add heat to the air;
• and
• a preheat burner operably disposed between said turbine exhaust and said heat exchanger to receive and combust fuel during startup of the power generating system to preheat the air from said compressor to a temperature sufficient, when said compressed air is mixed with fuel, to initiate the catalytic reaction within said catalytic combustor until the reaction products from said catalytic combustor are sufficient in temperature to raise the air to a temperature sufficient to maintain the catalytic reaction.

A co-generation device comprising:

• a filter capable of filtering inlet air;
• a mixer for mixing air and a fuel, and connected to said filter;
• a compressor for compressing said air and said fuel, said compresor connected to said mixer;
• a main heat exchanger having a cold side and a hot side, each having an inlet and an outlet, said cold side inlet connected to said compressor;
• a catalytic combustor connected to said cold side outlet of said main heat exchanger;
• a turbine, having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet connected to said catalytic combustor;
• a preheat burner, connected to said outlet of said turbine, to supply initial heat in order to start the cogeneration device, the preheat burner connected to said hot side inlet of said main heat exchanger;
• a recovery heat exchanger, connected to said hot side outlet of said main heat exchanger, to recover heat for use for any purpose;
• and
• a generator set mechanically connected to said turbine, for producing electric energy from mechanical work supplied by said turbine.

A device for catalytically combusting fuel and deriving work therefrom comprising:

• means for admitting fuel to said device;
• means for admitting combustion air to said device;
• means for mixing said combustion air with said fuel to form a combustible mixture;
• means for compressing said combustible mixture;
• a main heat exchanger having a cold side inlet;
• a cold side outlet;
• a hot side inlet and a hot side outlet, said cold side inlet in mass flow communication with said cold side outlet, and said hot side inlet in mass flow communication with said hot side outlet, said cold side inlet capable of inletting said compressed combustible mixture to add heat thereto and raise the temperature thereof;
• catalytic combustion means, downstream of and connected to said cold side outlet, for combusting said combustible mixture;
• a turbine means, connected to said combustion means for extracting mechanical work from said combustion means, said turbine means connected to said hot side inlet of said main heat exchanger, said combusted mixture to provide heat to said combustible mixture as it flows through said heat main exchanger, said combusted mixture then passing through said hot side outlet of said heat main exchanger;
• and
• burner means connected between said turbine means and said hot side inlet of said main heat exchanger to provide heat during startup.

The method of co-generating electricity and heat from fuel comprising the steps of:

• forming a fuel-air mixture;
• compressing said fuel-air mixture;
• heating the compressed fuel-air mixture;
• catalytically combusting said mixture;
• expanding the combustion products through a turbine to produce mechanical energy;
• utilizing the heat from the expanded combustion products in the air-fuel mixture heating step;
• and
• preheating the compressed fuel-air mixture during startup.

A power generating system used to convert fuel into electrical energy and heat energy comprising:

• a fuel inlet;
• an air inlet having a filter, to admit air and filter out any contaminants contained in the air;
• a first fuel control valve connected to said fuel inlet to regulate the amount of fuel admitted to said fuel inlet;
• a mixer having two inputs and an output,
• one said input connected to said first fuel control valve, the other said input connected to said air inlet;
• a compressor, having an inlet and an outlet, said compressor inlet connected to said mixer output, for accepting and compressing the air-fuel mixture;
• a central heat exchanger having a heat receiving circuit and a heat transmitting circuit, said heat receiving circuit connected to said outlet of said compressor, to admit and add heat to said air-fuel mixture;
• a catalytic combustion chamber, having an inlet and an outlet, and containing a catalyst suitable for combusting said fuel-air mixture at a pre-specified design temperature to form combustion products, said catalytic combustion chamber inlet connected to said heat receiving circuit of said central heat exchanger, to accept said fuel-air mixture after heat has been added in said heat exchanger;
• a turbine, having an input and an output, said turbine input connected to said catalytic combustion chamber outlet to accept and become powered by the flow of combustion products formed in said catalytic combustion chamber, said turbine further having a shaft capable of transmitting mechanical energy imparted to said turbine by the flow of said combustion products;
• a preheat burner, having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet connected to said turbine output to provide heat during start-up to raise the heat of the system sufficiently for combustion to begin, and thereafter to be deactivated, said preheat burner outlet connected to said heat transmitting circuit of said central heat exchanger, to transmit some of the heat produced by combustion, to said fuel-air mixture to raise its temperature to a level sufficient to cause combustion when said fuel-air mixture is in the presence of said catalyst;
• exhaust heat water heater having a heat transmitting circuit and a heat receiving circuit, said heat transmitting circuit of said exhaust heat water heater connected to accept flow of said combustion products from said heat transmitting circuit of said central heat exchanger;
• an exhaust conduit connected to said heat transmitting circuit of said exhaust heat water heater to assist in transporting the combustion products to any location for exhaust;
• a water inlet;
• a water outlet;
• a coolant heat sink exchanger having a heat receiving circuit and a heat transmitting circuit, said heat receiving circuit connected to said water inlet to receive cool water, said heat receiving circuit of said coolant heat sink exchanger connected to said heat receiving circuit of said exhaust heat water heater to enable said exhaust heat water heater to receive water from said coolant heat sink exchanger, and said heat receiving circuit of said exhaust heat water heater connected to said water outlet, which provides hot water for any use;
• a generator set having a rotatable shaft connected to said shaft of said turbine, to enable said turbine to transmit mechanical work to said generator set to enable said generator set to produce useful electrical energy;
• an equipment heat exchanger having a heat receiving surface and a heat receiving circuit, said heat receiving surface to assist in drawing frictional heat away from said turbine, said compressor and said generator set, said heat receiving circuit to accept, transmit heat into and pass along any suitable liquid coolant, said heat receiving circuit of said equipment heat exchanger connected to said heat transmitting circuit of said coolant heat sink exchanger to allow said coolant to flow from said equipment heat exchanger to said coolant heat sink exchanger;
• and
• a pump having an input and an output, said input of said pump operably connected to said heat receiving circuit of said coolant heat sink exchanger, to accept the flow of cooled coolant and pump same, the said output of said pump connected to said heat receiving circuit of said equipment heat exchanger, in order to complete the path of flow for said coolant.