Gas turbine with articulated heat recovery heat exchanger

A cogeneration apparatus for generating electricity and selectively heating a fluid, said apparatus comprising:

• a recuperated microturbine engine, the microturbine engine burning a mixture of compressed air and fuel to create products of combustion, expanding the products of combustion in a turbine to produce an exhaust flow, pre-heating the compressed air with the exhaust flow in a recuperator, and expelling the exhaust flow through an exhaust port;
• an exhaust manifold communicating with said exhaust port for conducting the exhaust flow therethrough;
• and
• a heat exchanger mounted within said manifold and movable between an obstructed flow position wherein the exhaust flow passes through said heat exchanger to transfer heat to the fluid, and an unobstructed flow position wherein a reduced amount of the exhaust flow passes through said heat exchanger and wherein a reduced amount of heat is transferred from the exhaust flow to the fluid.

A method for converting a microturbine system having an exhaust flow into a cogenerating microturbine system for generating electricity and selectively heating a fluid, the method comprising:

• providing a heat exchanger assembly with a movable heat exchanger portion;
• positioning the heat exchanger assembly on the microturbine with the heat exchanger portion substantially out of the exhaust flow;
• moving the heat exchanger portion to a position substantially in the exhaust flow;
• conducting a fluid through the heat exchanger portion;
• and
• heating the fluid in the heat exchanger portion with the exhaust flow.

A method for moving a movable portion of a cogenerating recuperated microturbine system having a compressor providing compressed air, the method comprising:

• providing an actuator having first and second ends and an inner chamber between the first and second ends, the actuator being operable in response to the introduction of compressed air to the inner chamber;
• coupling the first end of the actuator to a fixed portion of the microturbine system;
• coupling the second end of the actuator to the movable portion of the microturbine system;
• and
• introducing compressed air from the compressor into the inner chamber of the actuator to actuate the actuator and move the movable portion of the microturbine system;
• wherein the movable portion includes a heat exchanger having a fluid therewithin, and wherein the act of introducing includes moving the heat exchanger into and at least partially out of an exhaust flow under the influence of the actuator to selectively heat the fluid with the exhaust flow.