GAS TURBINE BLOWER/PUMP

Abstract

A low emission, high efficiency Gas Turbine engine operating on a combination of Natural Gas and Bio Gas as fuel, driving either a high efficiency turbo-blower or a high efficiency Turbo Pump system combined with heat recovery systems and in other embodiments is provided a generator of electricity or providing evaporative cooling from using the remaining waste heat in the exhaust gas.

Claims

1. A unit having: (a) a first inlet and first outlet; (b) a second inlet and second outlet; (c) an impeller disposed between said first inlet and said first outlet; (d) a gas turbine disposed between said second inlet and said second outlet; (e) a combustion mixture introduced into said second inlet to drive said gas turbine and exhaust through said second outlet; (f) an impeller disposed between said first inlet and said first outlet; and (g) said gas turbine connected to said impeller so as to drive said impeller and move a fluid from said first inlet to said first outlet.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fluid is air and said impeller is an air blower.

3. A unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fluid is water and said impeller is a pump.

4. A unit as claimed in claim 1 including a shaft presenting an axis of rotation and said impeller and gas turbine are coaxially disposed on said shaft.

5. A unit as claimed in claim 4 including a combustor for combusting said combustion mixture and drive said gas turbine.

6. A unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein said combustion mixture includes air and a gas selected from the group of natural gas and biogas.

7. A unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein said gas turbine comprises a high pressure turbine and a free powered turbine.

8. A unit as claimed in claim 7 including a recuperator for extracting energy from said exhaust to preheat said air.

9. A unit as claimed in claim 8 including a gearbox disposed between said impeller and said turbine.

10. A unit as claimed in claim 9 including a heat exchanger.

11. A unit as claimed in claim 10 including an electric generator or refrigerator.

12. An integrated gas turbine unit comprising: (a) a working fluid inlet and working fluid outlet; (b) an impeller disposed between said working fluid inlet and said working fluid outlet; (c) a combustor disposed between an inlet and outlet for combusting a mixture of air and biofuel to drive a turbine; and (d) a shaft having an axis of rotation, said turbine and impeller coaxially connected to said shaft so as to move said working fluid.

13. The integrated gas turbine unit as claimed in claim 12 wherein said impeller comprises a blower and said working fluid comprises air.

14. An integrated gas turbine unit as claimed in claim 12 wherein said impeller comprises a pump and said working fluid comprises water.

15. An integrated gas turbine unit as claimed in claim 12 including a gearbox to selectively change the rotation of said impeller.

16. An integrated gas turbine unit as claimed in claim 15 including a controller to adjust the ratio of said mixture of air and natural gas and/or biogas.

17. A method of driving an impeller with a gas turbine comprising: (a) coaxially connecting said impeller and turbine; (b) rotatably driving said turbine by combusting a mixture of air and fuel so as to rotationally drive said turbine and impeller and produce an exhaust gas; and (c) capturing waste heat from said exhaust gas to preheat said airy and move a working fluid by said impeller.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said impeller comprises a blower and said working fluid is air.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said impeller comprises a pump and said working fluid is water.

20. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said turbine is a gas turbine that directly drives said impeller.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The following detailed description will be better understood with reference to the accompany figures, wherein;

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view taken from the right front side view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view taken from the rear right side view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the Gas Turbine Blower unit 10.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the Gas Turbine Blower unit 10.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.

[0028] FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.

[0029] FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of the invention relating to a Gas Turbine Blower unit 12 taken along lines 9-9 of FIG. 4 showing the rotors mounted in an arrangement with the main components.

[0030] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the Gas Turbine Blower unit, blower system shown in FIG. 9 with a gas turbine compressor driven by high-pressure gas turbine, a combustor of natural gas or biogas, a single blower impeller driven by a free power turbine and a recuperator recovering the heat from the exhaust gas that will be used to increase the gas turbine inlet temperature.

[0031] FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the invention relating to a Gas Turbine Pump unit 16 taken along lines 11-11 of FIG. 7.

[0032] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the Gas Turbine Pump unit, device, system shown in FIG. 11 with a gas turbine compressor driven by high pressure gas turbine, a combustor of natural gas or biogas, a single pump impeller driven by free power turbine and a recuperator recovering heat from the exhaust gas to be used to increase the gas turbine inlet temperature.

[0033] FIG. 13 is a chart illustrating one example of the efficiency and cost savings of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0034] The same parts are marked throughout the figures with like numbers.

[0035] Two specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. These embodiments are only exemplary of the present invention. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in engineering or design project, numerous detail decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals which may vary from one embodiment to another.

[0036] The embodiments discussed below may include an optional gearbox 13 to reduce or increase rotor speed driven by free power turbine, an optional heat exchanger 27 and an optional electrical generator or cooling refrigerator 29 to recovery the wasted neat from the exhaust gas down stream from recuperator 60.

[0037] FIGS. 1 through 6 generally illustrate one embodiment of the invention relating to Gas Turbine unit or device 10 having a gas turbine module 12 combustion air inlet 14 blower or pump module 16, exhaust plenum 18, exhaust outlet 20 and inlet 22. In one embodiment the inlet 22 is an air inlet or first inlet, or working fluid inlet 24 to a blower 26. In a second embodiment to be described herein the inlet 22 is a water inlet 28 to a pump 40 to be described herein.

[0038] The Gas Turbine device 10 also includes an outlet or first outlet or working fluid outlet 32.

[0039] In one embodiment the outlet first outlet or working fluid outlet 32 is an air outlet 34. More particularly air through the blower inlet 24 is compressed by a blower impeller 37 and then is discharged through the blower scroll or volute channel 36.

[0040] In another embodiment shown for example in FIG. 7 the Gas Turbine unit 10 includes a water inlet 28 a pump impeller 40 and water outlet 42.

[0041] The integration of the assembly as described herein not only produces an energy efficient blower/pump system 10 but also presents a unit 10 which is compact in size and design. In one embodiment the width of the unit as shown for example in FIG. 9 can be 39 inches and the height 37 inches. However such dimensions are given by way of example only as other compact sizes may be experienced depending on the size requirement to accomplish the rated flow ranging from 1,000 to 50,000 SCFM and discharge pressures from 0.5 to 1.2 atmospheres.

[0042] FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 illustrates one embodiment of a Gas Turbine Blower system 12 which generally includes a centrifugal blower impeller 37, a gas turbine axial and/or centrifugal compressor 50, a natural gas or biogas combustor 70, a high pressure axial and/or radial gas turbine 80, an axial and/or radial free power turbine 90 and a recuperator 60.

[0043] On the blower side, the air through the blower inlet 24 is compressed by the blower impeller 37, and then it is discharged after leaving the blower scroll 36 to outlet 34. The blower impeller 37 is driven by the free power turbine 90 through a common shaft or axis 17.

[0044] On the gas turbine side, the air passes through the inlet 14 is compressed by the compressor 50 to an elevated pressure over ambient pressure of for example 4-5 pressure ratio at which point it enters into the recuperator 60 which increases the air temperature. The heated air is burned with the fuel of natural gas/biogas in the combustor 70, and the high pressure and temperature gas is expanded in the high pressure gas turbine 80, and then the gas is expanded again in the free power turbine 90. Finally the gas is exhausted from the recuperator 60 which recovers heat to the air before combustor 70. The compressor 50 is driven by the high pressure gas turbine 80 through a common shaft or axis 2.

[0045] FIG. 10 illustrates the one embodiment of a Gas Turbine Blower system 12 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9. The air flow inlet 24 of the blower 37 is in one example approximately 3000 to 15000 cubic feet per minute (CFM). The discharge air through outlet 34 in one example is 1.2-1.5 pressure ratio to a wastewater treatment system.

[0046] A free power turbine 90 provides the power to meet the requirement of working fluid. As shown in the drawing, the free turbine 90 is a single stage axial turbine, but it may be a single radial turbine or may have multiple stages of expansion.

[0047] A controller 21 such as a computer or the like is used to adjust the fuel of natural gas/biogas 25 and the air flow inlet 14 of the compressor 50 depending on the requirement of discharge air 34. In order to reduce or increase the speed of the blower impeller 37, an optional gearbox 13 can be installed on the shaft or the axis of rotation 17 between the blower 37 and free power turbine 90. In order to further increase energy efficiency, an optional heat exchanger 27 and an optional electrical generator or refrigerator system 29 can be installed at the exhaust of the recuperator 60.

[0048] FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in relation to a Gas Turbine Pump unit, device and system 16 which generally includes a pump impeller 40 a gas turbine axial and/or centrifugal compressor 50, a natural gas or biogas combustor 70, a high pressure axial and/or radial turbine 80, a axial and/or radial free power turbine 90 and a recuperator 60.

[0049] On the pump side, the water through the pump inlet 28 is compressed by the pump impeller 40, and then it is discharged after leaving the pump scroll or volute passage 36 to outlet 42. The pump impeller 40 is driven by the free power turbine 90 through a common shaft or axis 17.

[0050] FIG. 12 illustrates the embodiment of the invention described in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 relating to the Gas Turbine Pump unit, device and system 16 with other options on a block diagram. The water flow inlet 28 of the pump impeller 40, for example can be approximately 15,000 to 50,000 gallon per minute (GPM), the discharge water through outlet 42 is provided with varying pressure ratio to meet the requirements of a wastewater treatment system. The controller 21 is used to adjust the fuel of natural gas/biogas 25 and the air flow inlet 14 of the compressor 50 depending on the requirement of discharge water through outlet 42. In order to reduce or increase the speed of pump impeller 40, an optional gearbox 13 can be installed on the shaft or axis 17 between the pump 40 and free power turbine 90. In order to further increase energy efficiency, an optional heat exchanger 27 and an optional electrical generator or refrigerator system 29 can be installed at the exhaust of the recuperator 60.

[0051] Furthermore FIG. 13 is a chart which illustrates the efficiency and cost savings by utilizing the gas turbine system 10 as described herein versus a traditional electric motor option of traditional methods used before.

[0052] In particular FIG. 13 illustrates one example of the operating costs of the electric motor option in several states namely Florida, Texas and California versus the operating costs of the Gas Turbine system 10 as described herein for the same locations in Florida, Texas and California which showed a savings of 31% in costs in Florida, 40% savings in costs in Texas and 33% savings in costs in California to run the systems with natural gas; based on the current cost of electricity and the historically high level cost of natural gas prices. The savings will be significantly higher when biogas is added to natural gas and more so if the system is operated with only biogas.