Method and apparatus for vaporizing liquid natural gas in a combined cycle power plant

Abstract

A method and apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a combined cycle generation plant by assisting the vaporization of cold liquid including liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in a combined cycle power plant. Cold liquid vaporization is assisted by circulating a warm heat transfer fluid to transfer heat to a LNG/LPG vaporizer. The heat transfer fluid is chilled by LNG/LPG cold liquid vaporization and warmed by heat from a gas turbine. The heat transfer fluid absorbs heat from the air intake of a gas turbine and from a secondary heat transfer fluid circulating in a combined cycle power plant. Chilling the gas turbine air intake densifies the air and increases the gas turbine output. Chilling the steam condenser cooling water increases steam turbine output. The effects of chill recovery is higher output and better efficiency of the combined cycle plant.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.