Apparatus for combusting a fuel at high pressure and high temperature, and associated system

An energy generation system, comprising:

• a combustor apparatus, including:
• a mixing arrangement configured to mix a solid carbonaceous fuel with enriched oxygen and a working fluid to form a fuel mixture;
• and
• a combustion chamber at least partially defined by a perimetric transpiration member, the transpiration member including a porous inner transpiration member surrounded by an outer transpiration member, and further being surrounded by a pressure containment member, the pressure containment member and the outer transpiration member defining corresponding laterally-extending passages extending to the porous inner transpiration member, the combustion chamber having an inlet portion longitudinally spaced apart from an opposing outlet portion, the inlet portion of the combustion chamber being configured to receive the fuel mixture for the fuel mixture to be combusted within the combustion chamber at a combustion temperature to form a combustion product, the combustion chamber being further configured to direct the combustion product longitudinally toward the outlet portion, the outer transpiration member being configured to direct a transpiration substance, received through the passages, about a perimeter of the porous inner transpiration member, and the porous inner transpiration member further being configured to substantially uniformly direct the transpiration substance laterally therethrough, about the perimeter thereof and longitudinally between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, toward the combustion chamber for buffering interaction between the combustion product and the porous inner transpiration member;
• one of a single carbon dioxide source configured to supply supercritical carbon dioxide and a single water source configured to supply water, the one of the supercritical carbon dioxide and the water being supplied as both the working fluid to the mixing arrangement and the transpiration substance to the porous transpiration member upon and from initiation of combustion within the combustion chamber;
• a transformation apparatus configured to receive the combustion product from the combustion chamber, the transformation apparatus being responsive to the combustion product to transform energy associated therewith into kinetic energy;
• and
• a separator apparatus disposed between the combustor apparatus and the transformation apparatus, the separator apparatus being configured to substantially remove liquefied incombustible elements from the combustion product received thereby prior to the combustion product being directed to the transformation apparatus,
• wherein the transpiration substance is configured to be introduced into the combustion chamber via the porous inner transpiration member so as to regulate a mixture of the transpiration substance and the combustion product entering the separator apparatus above a liquefication temperature of the incombustible elements,
• wherein the separator apparatus further comprises a plurality of serially arranged centrifugal separator devices, each centrifugal separator device having a plurality of centrifugal separator elements operably arranged in parallel, and
• wherein the liquefied incombustible elements removed from the combustion product by the separator apparatus are removably collected in a sump associated with the separator apparatus.