Combined cooling and power plant with water extraction
AssigneeUniversity of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsWilliam E. Lear, Jr., Sherif A. Sherif
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbine engine system and a method for using the turbine engine system that includes at least one low-pressure compressor, at least one high-pressure compressor, at least one low-pressure turbine, and at least one high-pressure turbine. In addition, the turbine engine system includes an absorption refrigeration system that is used to pre-cool an air-gas mixture before it enters the high-pressure compressor. As such, the pre-cooled mixture is easier to compress, thereby increasing the thermal efficiency of the turbine engine. Additionally, the exhaust heat from the air-gas mixture that is pre-cooled may be used to drive the absorption refrigeration system. Lastly, water, may be extracted from the evaporator of the absorption refrigeration cycle.
Claims22
A turbine system comprising:
- a turbine system including a first compressor for receiving air and providing compressed air,
- the compressed air being fluidly connected to a mixing point,
- the mixing point being fluidly connected to an input of a second compressor,
- an output of the second compressor being fluidly connected to an input of a combustor, the combustor providing a hot gas flow,
- the hot gas flow being fluidly connected to an input of a high pressure turbine, the high pressure turbine providing an exhaust gas flow,
- a low pressure turbine being fluidly connected to the high pressure turbine for receiving at least a portion of the exhaust gas flow, and
- a recirculation means for recirculating at least another portion of the exhaust gas flow back to mix with the compressed air at the mixing point to form an air-gas mixture;
- and
- a refrigeration system disposed at least in part after the mixing point;
- wherein the refrigeration system is constructed and arranged to cool the air-gas mixture between the first compressor and the second compressor, wherein the refrigeration system is constructed and arranged to use exhaust heat from (i) the first compressor, (ii) the recirculated portion of the hot exhaust gas flow, or (iii) both.
A method for increasing the thermal efficiency of a turbine engine comprising the steps of:
- using a refrigeration system to pre-cool an air-gas mixture formed by mixing air exiting a first compressor of the turbine engine and a recirculated portion of a hot exhaust gas flow from a high-pressure turbine;
- and
- feeding the pre-cooled air-gas mixture from the refrigeration system to a second compressor of the turbine engine, wherein the air-gas mixture includes exhaust heat and the exhaust heat is used to drive the refrigeration system.
A turbine system comprising:
- a turbine system including a first compressor for receiving air and providing compressed air,
- the compressed air being fluidly connected to a mixing point,
- the mixing point being fluidly connected to an input of a second compressor,
- an output of the second compressor being fluidly connected to an input of a combustor, the combustor providing a hot gas flow,
- the hot gas flow being fluidly connected to an input of a high pressure turbine, the high pressure turbine providing an exhaust gas flow,
- a low pressure turbine being fluidly connected to the high pressure turbine for receiving at least a portion of the exhaust gas flow, and
- a recirculation means for recirculating at least another portion of the exhaust gas flow back to mix with the compressed air at the mixing point to form an air-gas mixture;
- and
- a refrigeration system disposed at least in part after the mixing point;
- wherein the refrigeration system is constructed and arranged to cool the air-gas mixture between the first compressor and the second compressor, wherein the refrigeration system is an absorption refrigeration system and includes a fluidly connected absorbent/refrigerant-comprising loop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.