Externally fired combined cycle gas turbine system

An externally fired gas turbine system of the type having a compressor for compressing ambient air and producing compressed air, an air heat exchanger for heating the compressed air to produce heated compressed air, a turbine for expanding the heated and compressed air to produce expanded air, and a generator connected to the turbine for generating electricity, said system comprising:

• a) combustible products producing apparatus for processing fuel to produced combustible products that include combustible gases;
• b) an external combustion chamber operatively associated with said air heat exchanger for burning said combustible products and transferring heat to said compressed air in the air heat exchanger and producing heat depleted combustion products;
• c) a closed Rankine cycle power plant having a water heat exchanger for vaporizing water and producing steam, means for applying said heat depleted combustion products to said water heat exchanger, a steam turbine for expanding the steam and producing power and expanded steam, a steam condenser for condensing the expanded steam and producing condensate, and means for returning said condensate to said water heat exchanger;
• d) wherein said combustible products producing apparatus includes a pyrolyzer for processing oil shale and producing combustible products that include combustible gases and a carbonaceous residue, an air furnace for combusting organic matter remaining in the carbonaceous residue and producing hot flue gases and hot ash, and means for supplying coarse hot ash separated from the hot ash to the pyrolyzer for sustaining its operation;
• and
• e) wherein said water heat exchanger includes a preheater heated by said heat depleted combustion products for preheating the water condensate, and a vaporizer for vaporizing water preheated by said vaporizer.

An externally fired gas turbine system of the type having a compressor for compressing ambient air and producing compressed air, an air heat exchanger for heating the compressed air to produce heated compressed air, and a turbine coupled to said compressor and to a generator for expanding said heated compressed air to drive the generator and compressor, and to produce expanded air, said system comprising:

• a) a pyrolyzer for processing fuel and producing combustible products that include combustible gases, and a carbonaceous residue, an air furnace for combusting said carbonaceous residue and producing hot flue gases containing available heat and hot ash, and means for separating hot ash from said flue gases and supplying the hot ash to the pyrolyzer for sustaining its operation;
• b) an external combustion chamber operatively associated with said air heat exchanger for burning said combustible gases and indirectly heating said compressed air to produce said heated compressed air, and to produce heat depleted combustion products containing available heat;
• and
• c) a closed Rankine cycle power plant having a water heat exchanger for vaporizing water and producing steam, means for applying said available heat to said water heat exchanger, a steam turbine for expanding the steam and producing power and expanded steam, a steam condenser for condensing the expanded steam and producing steam condensate, and means for returning said condensate to said water heat exchanger.

An externally fired gas turbine system of the type having a compressor for compressing ambient air and producing compressed air, an air heat exchanger for heating the compressed air to produce heated compressed air, a turbine for expanding the heated and compressed air to produce expanded air, and a generator connected to the turbine for generating electricity, said system comprising:

• a) combustible products producing apparatus for processing fuel to produce combustible products that include combustible gases;
• b) an external combustion chamber operatively associated with said air heat exchanger for burning said combustible products and transferring heat to said compressed air in the air heat exchanger and producing heat depleted combustion products;
• c) a closed Rankine cycle power plant having a water heat exchanger for vaporizing water and producing steam, means for applying said heat depleted combustion products to said water heat exchanger, a steam turbine for expanding the steam and producing power and expanded steam, a steam condenser for condensing the expanded steam and producing condensate, and means for returning said condensate to said water heat exchanger;
• and
• d) wherein said water heat exchanger includes a preheater heated by said heat depleted combustion products for preheating the water condensate and producing cooled heat depleted combustion products, and a vaporizer for vaporizing water preheated by said vaporizer.