PRESSURIZATION OF EXHAUST GASES FROM A TURBINE POWER PLANT

Abstract

A method for pressurizing exhaust gases from a turbine power plant includes the steps of: applying a pressure to at least a proportion, in particular a proportion rich in carbon dioxide, of the exhaust gases from the power plant by way of a fluid operating machine of a pressurization device, and applying a torque to the fluid operating machine and/or driving the fluid operating machine by way of such a torque, which is present at an output shaft of a main turbine of the power plant.

Claims

1. A pressurization device for a plurality of exhaust gases from a turbine power plant, the pressurization device comprising: at least one fluid operating machine which is configured at least one of for compressing a plurality of gaseous components of the plurality of exhaust gases and for pressurizing a plurality of liquid components in the plurality of exhaust gases, the fluid operating machine including one drive shaft which, in order to transfer a torque, is configured for being connected with an output shaft of a main turbine of the turbine power plant; and a power transmission element, which is connected to the drive shaft of the fluid operating machine and has at least one hydrodynamic transmission element, which is configured for being connected to the output shaft of the main turbine.

2. The pressurization device according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft of the fluid operating machine is configured for being arranged coaxially relative to the output shaft of the main turbine.

3. The pressurization device according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission element has at least one of a coupling and a transmission.

4. The pressurization device according to claim 3, wherein the power transmission element includes a hydrodynamic transmission element which includes at least one of (a) a hydrodynamic torque converter and (b) a hydrodynamic coupling with a lock-up coupling.

5. The pressurization device according to claim 4, wherein the hydrodynamic transmission element includes a continuously variable, controllable degree of filling with an oil.

6. The pressurization device according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission element includes at least one mechanical gear stage.

7. The pressurization device according to claim 6, wherein the mechanical gear stage includes at least one of a spur gear and a planetary gear.

8. The pressurization device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid operating machine is free of a coupling with an additional driving machine.

9. A turbine power plant, comprising: at least one turbine having an output shaft; at least one generator connected to the output shaft for transmitting a torque and configured for converting the torque applied to the output shaft into an electrical energy, the output shaft of the turbine being configured for being coupled to an input shaft of a pressurization device, which is for a plurality of exhaust gases from the turbine power plant, the pressurization device including: at least one fluid operating machine which is configured at least one of for compressing a plurality of gaseous components of the plurality of exhaust gases and for pressurizing a plurality of liquid components in the plurality of exhaust gases, the fluid operating machine including one drive shaft, which is the input shaft and which, in order to transfer the torque, is configured for being connected with the output shaft of the at least one turbine, which is a main turbine of the turbine power plant; and a power transmission element, which is connected to the input shaft of the fluid operating machine and has at least one hydrodynamic transmission element, which is configured for being connected to the output shaft of the at least one turbine.

10. The turbine power plant according to claim 9, wherein the at least one turbine is a steam turbine, and the turbine power plant is arranged for a combustion of a fuel, which, during the combustion, at least one of heats and pressurizes the fuel, which is water and which serves as a drive fluid for the at least one turbine, the pressurization device being configured for applying a pressure to, and thereby for compressing, the plurality of exhaust gases from the combustion of the fuel.

11. The turbine power plant according to claim 9, wherein the at least one turbine is a gas turbine, and the turbine power plant is arranged for a combustion of a fuel, which is a gaseous fuel, which, at least one of during and after the combustion, serves as a drive fluid for the at least one turbine, the pressurization device being configured for applying a pressure to, and thereby for compressing, the plurality of exhaust gases from the combustion of the fuel.

12. A method for pressurization of a plurality of exhaust gases from a turbine power plant, the method comprising the steps of: pressurizing at least a partial volume of the plurality of exhaust gases of the turbine power plant, by way of a fluid operating machine of a pressurization device; and at least one of pressurizing and driving of the fluid operating machine with a torque applied to an output shaft of a main turbine of the turbine power plant, by way of a connection and/or a coupling of the output shaft with an input shaft of the fluid operating machine.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the partial volume is rich in carbon dioxide, the pressurization device being for the plurality of exhaust gases from the turbine power plant, the pressurization device including: at least one of the fluid operating machine which is configured at least one of for compressing a plurality of gaseous components of the plurality of exhaust gases and for pressurizing a plurality of liquid components in the plurality of exhaust gases, the fluid operating machine including one drive shaft, which is the input shaft and which, in order to transfer the torque, is configured for being connected with the output shaft of the main turbine of the turbine power plant; and a power transmission element, which is connected to the drive shaft of the fluid operating machine and has at least one hydrodynamic transmission element, which is configured for being connected to the output shaft of the main turbine.

14. The method according to claim 13, further including the step of connecting the output shaft of the main turbine and the drive shaft of the fluid operating machine by way of a power transfer element.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a connection between the output shaft and the fluid operating machine is at least one of (a) released for a starting of the turbine power plant and (b) established on reaching a predetermined closing criterion.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein a rotational speed of at least one of the fluid operating machine and the drive shaft of the fluid operating machine is adapted to a fluid working requirement of the pressurization device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0049] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a steam turbine power plant with a pressurization device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0050] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a gas turbine power plant with a pressurization device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0051] FIG. 3 is a schematic detail of a friction clutch as the power transfer element for a pressurization device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, in a power plant according to FIG. 1 or in a power plant according to FIG. 2;

[0052] FIG. 4 is a schematic detail of a hydrodynamic coupling as the power transfer element for a pressurization device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, in a power plant according to FIG. 1 or in a power plant according to FIG. 2;

[0053] FIG. 5 is a schematic detail of a torque converter with a spur gear stage as the power transfer element for a pressurization device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, in a power plant according to FIG. 1 or in a power plant according to FIG. 2;

[0054] FIG. 6 is a schematic detail view of a planetary gearing as the power transfer element for a pressurization device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, in a power plant according to FIG. 1 or in a power plant according to FIG. 2; and

[0055] FIG. 7 is a schematic detail view of a series connection of a hydrodynamic coupling, a hydrodynamic torque converter and of planetary gearing as the power transfer element for a pressurization device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, in a power plant according to FIG. 1 or in a power plant according to FIG. 2;

[0056] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0057] The design example in FIG. 1 shows schematically a turbine power plant 100 in the embodiment of a steam turbine power plant. Steam turbine power plant 100 is designed for the combustion of a gaseous fuel, for example natural gas or methane in a combustion chamber 114, wherein the fuel can for example be supplied from a tank 102. A heat exchanger 116 of a steam circuit 118 is arranged in combustion chamber 114, wherein the combustion heat of the fuel is used to heat and/or to pressurize water into steam circuit 118.

[0058] Steam turbine power plant 100 has a steam turbine 110 with one high-pressure steam expander 104 and two low-pressure steam expanders 106 and 108, at which the steam charged with the combustion heat can relax and thereby cause the expanders to rotate. After expansion of the steam, it collects in a condenser 120. From condenser 120, water can again be supplied to heat exchanger 116 for evaporation.

[0059] Expanders 104, 106, 108 together, form steam turbine 110 and are designed to drive a common output shaft 112, in particular by way of the expansion of the steam at the expanders.

[0060] Output shaft 112 is connected with a generator 122 for the transmission of torque. Generator 122 is designed to convert the torque applied to output shaft 112 into electric energy. Steam turbine 110 and generator 122 can for example be provided in an integrated arrangement as a generator-turbine unit 124 (also referred to as generator-turbine set).

[0061] In addition, power plant 100 has a pressurization device 2 for exhaust gases from combustion chamber 114, wherein pressurization device 2 includes at least one (in the design example) fluid operating machine 4, designed as a compressor for compressing gaseous components of the exhaust gases from combustion chamber 114.

[0062] Fluid operating machine 4 has an input shaft 6 designed to be coupled (i.e., connected) to output shaft 112 of steam turbine 110 for torque transmission by way of a power transmission element 8.

[0063] Fluid operating machine 4 may, in operation, compress (and thereby liquify, if necessary) exhaust gases supplied from an exhaust conduit 10 and supply them to a device 12 for separating carbon dioxide from the compressed exhaust gases. The separated carbon dioxide can then be injected into a suitable storage facility 14, for example, in particular by way of a CCS process.

[0064] By coupling output shaft 112 and input shaft 6 by way of a power transmission element 8, a compressor power required for a CCS process can be applied without transformation losses and additionally without a proportional dependence of the compressor power on the turbine power.

[0065] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a turbine power plant 200, which differs from power plant 100 according to FIG. 1 especially in that it is designed as a gas turbine power plant. Thus, the driving power is not applied indirectly via a steam circuit; rather, gas turbine 210 is acted upon directly by the combustion exhaust gases from the combustion of the fuel.

[0066] For this purpose, gas turbine 210 has an air compressor 204 for compressing air, for example ambient air 203, whereby the fuel can be fed, for example from a tank 202, into a combustion chamber 214, in particular can be injected or injected under pressure. The compressed air is also fed to combustion chamber 214, so that the resulting compressed mixture in combustion chamber 214 combusts and can be fed to two expanders 206 and 208 of gas turbine 210.

[0067] The two expanders 206 and 208 are connected in a rotationally fixed manner to an output shaft 212 of gas turbine 210, which can drive a generator 222. The arrangement of gas turbine 210 and generator 222 can for example take the form of an integrated generator-turbine unit 224.

[0068] Power plant 200 also includes a pressurization device 2 for exhaust gases. In the design example, pressurization device 2 does not differ from pressurization device 2 according to FIG. 1. Only the exhaust gases are fed from outlets of expanders 206, 208 into an exhaust duct 10 instead of from combustion chamber 114.

[0069] In the design example shown in FIG. 2 fluid power machine 4 has a drive shaft 6. The latter is designed to be coupled (that is, connected) with output shaft 212 of steam turbine 210 for torque transmission by way of a power transfer element 8.

[0070] By using different power transfer elements 8, different additional advantages can be realized according to different embodiments of the invention. Relevant design examples are illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 7, described below. The therein illustrated advantageously utilized power transfer elements 8 can be used respectively, independent of whether they are used in a steam turbine power plant 100 according to FIG. 1 or in a gas turbine power plant 200 according to FIG. 2. Accordingly, FIGS. 3 to 7 are to be understood, that they can represent detail I-I of FIG. 1 as well as detail II-II of FIG. 2.

[0071] In the design example in FIG. 3, power transfer element 8 is designed as a simple friction clutch 30, if necessary, with sufficient, non-illustrated liquid cooling. Friction clutch 30 has a clutch disk 31 as well as a locking element 32.

[0072] For example, for starting turbine power plant 100 or 200, locking element 32 can be switched to an open position so that input shaft 6 of fluid power machine 4 remains decoupled from the torque of output shaft 112 or 212 of the power plant. This allows power plant 100 or 200 to ramp up quickly without having to pull the fluid operating machine 4 along during ramp-up.

[0073] When a closing criterion is reached, in this case an operating speed of output shaft 112, 212, closing element 32 can be switched to a closed position so that the torque of output shaft 112, 212 is applied to input shaft 6 of fluid power machine 4.

[0074] In the design example in FIG. 3, a partially closed position of closing element 32 may be provided, so that drive shaft 6 rotates with a certain slip relative to output shaft 112 or 212. In this manner, a speed variation of drive shaft 6 can be achieved and thus the compressor capacity can be adjusted in a certain rotational speed range.

[0075] In the design example in FIG. 4, power transfer element 8 is designed as a hydrodynamic coupling 40. Hydrodynamic coupling 40 has a housing 41, filled with an operating oil. By way of the operating oil, torque can be transmitted from a pump wheel 42, which is connected to output shaft 112 or 212 in a rotationally fixed manner, to a turbine wheel 43, which is connected to input shaft 6 in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0076] The speed ratio between output shaft 112 or 212 and drive shaft 6, can on the one hand be controlled inter alia by the fill level of the housing with the operating oil. The higher the operating oil level, the higher the speed of drive shaft 6. The operating oil fill level may for example, be adjusted by way of an adjustable pitot tube 44.

[0077] An identical speed of shafts 112 and 212 on the one hand and 6 on the other hand can be achieved by way of a lock-up clutch 55 for mechanically engaging hydrodynamic coupling 40.

[0078] In the design example in FIG. 5, power transfer element 8 has an in-series connected hydrodynamic torque converter 50 and a spur gear stage 51.

[0079] In addition to a pump wheel 52 and a turbine wheel 53, hydrodynamic torque converter 50 has guide blades 54. Depending on the setting of guide blades 54, turbine wheel 53 is energized slower or faster by an operating oil, so that the transmitted speed can be varied in this way. In this way, the available compressor output of fluid operating machine 4 can be continuously adjusted within a certain speed range.

[0080] Hydrodynamic torque converter 50 also has a lock-up clutch 55 by way of which shafts 112 or 212 on the one hand and 6 on the other hand can be coupled to one another in a mechanically rotationally fixed manner.

[0081] Spur gear stage 51 on the other hand serves to adjust a control speed for the operation of fluid operating machine 4. Depending on the diameter ratio of the two spur gears 56 and 57, the rotational speed at the output side of the torque converter 50 can be stepped up or down, depending on the requirements of the fluid operating machine 4.

[0082] In the design example in FIG. 6, power transmission element 8 has a planetary gear, designed as an epicyclic gear 60. Epicyclic gear unit 60 has a sun gear 61 which is connected to output shaft 112 or 212 in a rotationally fixed manner. Planets 62 are arranged around sun gear 61, whereby planet carrier 63 can be released or fixed for rotation by way of a releasable planetary coupling 64. A ring gear 65 is arranged around planets 62, which can be released or fixed for rotation by way of a ring gear coupling 66. The ring gear is connected to drive shaft 6 of fluid power machine 4 in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0083] For example, to start power plant 100 or 200, output shaft 112 or 212 can be decoupled from the fluid operating machine by switching hollow gear coupling 66 to a closed state and planetary coupling 64 to an open state. In this way, output shaft 112 or 212 rotates planets 62 without load, while the ring gear and thus input shaft 6 are fixed against rotation.

[0084] Once the power plant has been started, hollow gear coupling 66 can be released. Then—in normal operation—at least 2 speed stages for drive shaft 6 and thus for fluid operating machine 4 are switchable via an opening or closing of planetary coupling 64.

[0085] In the design example shown in FIG. 7, power transmission element 8 has a combination of several gear elements integrated in a housing to form a variable transmission 70. Such integrated variable transmissions 70 are marketed by the applicant under trade name VORECON©.

[0086] In the transmission 70 shown in FIG. 7, a hydrodynamic coupling 71 (for example like coupling 40 in FIG. 4), a hydrodynamic torque converter 72 (for example like converter 50 in FIG. 5), a stationary planetary gear 73 and an epicyclic gear 74 designed as a planetary gear are connected in series.

[0087] For example, to start up power plant 100 or 200, hydrodynamic coupling 71 is emptied and its lock-up coupling is opened. Output shaft 112 or 212 on the one hand and input shaft 6 on the other hand are decoupled; the start-up of power plant 100 or 200 can take place almost without load.

[0088] Hydrodynamic coupling 71 is filled with operating oil after start-up of power plant 100 or 200 and transmits power. Fluid operating machine 4 accelerates gently to a minimum speed.

[0089] Lock-up device then closes and overrides hydrodynamic coupling 71. The speed control of fluid operating machine 4 is then performed by the adjustable guide vanes in torque converter 72.

[0090] Output shaft 112 or 212 is connected with the ring gear of epicyclic gear 74. A large part of the input power is thus transmitted directly mechanically and almost loss-free to epicyclic gear 74.

[0091] In addition, a hydrodynamic torque converter 72 is connected with output shaft 112 or 212. The pump wheel of the torque converter is connected with output shaft 112 or 212 and diverts a small part of the input power.

[0092] An operating oil flow transfers the diverted power from the pump wheel to the turbine wheel of torque converter 72 (hydrodynamic power transfer). The diverted power is transmitted via the turbine wheel to the planet carrier of the planetary gear, whereby stationary planetary gear 73 is provided for the adjustment of a basic rotational speed, in that the planets have a spur gear stage.

[0093] The power from the ring gear and the power from the planet carrier add up in epicyclic gear 74. The planetary gears transmit the summed power to the sun gear, to drive shaft 6 and finally to fluid operating machine 4.

[0094] Adjustable guide blades in torque converter 72 guide the operating oil flow and determine the rotational speed of the turbine wheel. The speed of the fluid operating machine 4 can thereby be continuously adjusted within a certain rotational speed range.

COMPONENT IDENTIFICATION LISTING

[0095] 2 Pressurization device [0096] 4 fluid power machine [0097] 6 drive shaft [0098] 8 power transfer element [0099] 10 exhaust gas routing [0100] 12 carbon-dioxide separation [0101] 14 carbon-dioxide [0102] 30 friction clutch [0103] 31 clutch disk [0104] 32 closing element [0105] 40 hydrodynamic coupling [0106] 41 housing [0107] 42 pump wheel [0108] 43 turbine wheel [0109] 44 pilot tube [0110] 45 lock-up coupling [0111] 50 hydrodynamic torque converter [0112] 51 spur gear stage [0113] 52 pump wheel [0114] 53 turbine wheel [0115] 54 guide blades [0116] 55 lock-up coupling [0117] 56, 57 spur gears [0118] 60 epicyclic gear, in particular planetary gear [0119] 61 sun gear [0120] 62 planets [0121] 63 planet carrier [0122] 64 planetary coupling [0123] 65 ring gear [0124] 66 ring gear coupling [0125] 70 variable speed transmission [0126] 71 hydrodynamic coupling [0127] 72 hydrodynamic torque converter [0128] 73 stationary planetary gear [0129] 74 epicyclic gear [0130] 100 steam turbine power plant [0131] 102 fuel tank [0132] 104 high pressure steam expander [0133] 106, 108 low pressure steam expander [0134] 110 steam turbine [0135] 112 output shaft [0136] 114 combustion chamber [0137] 116 heat exchanger [0138] 118 steam circuit [0139] 120 condenser [0140] 122 generator [0141] 124 turbine generator unit [0142] 200 gas turbine power plant [0143] 202 fuel tank [0144] 203 ambient air [0145] 204 mixture compressor [0146] 206, 208 (gas) expander [0147] 210 gas turbine [0148] 212 output shaft [0149] 214 combustion chamber [0150] 222 generator [0151] 224 turbine generator unit

[0152] While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.