Apparatus and method for close coupling of heat recovery steam generators with gas turbines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10001272-B2
Application number	US-85010810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2010
Priority date	Sep 3, 2009
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A heat recovery steam generator (“HRSG”) 40 , which is closely coupled to a gas turbine, includes a flow controls structural array 10 disposed upstream of the tubes 42 of the HRSG 40 . The structural array 10 is formed of a plurality of grate-like panels 18 secured to horizontal supports 24 mounted to the support structure of the HRSG 40 . The structural array 10 diffuses the high velocity exhaust stream 14 exiting the gas turbine and redistributes the gas flow evenly throughout the HRSG 40 . The structural array 10 reduces wear and damage of the tubes 46.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat recovery steam generator for receiving an exhaust stream from a turbine, the heat recovery steam generator comprising:
a chamber having a plurality of tubes disposed therein;
an inlet duct in fluid communication with the chamber having a diverging profile and extending upstream from the chamber to provide the exhaust stream from the turbine through the inlet duct to the chamber; and
a grate-like structural array, disposed within the chamber, downstream of and spaced from the inlet duct and upstream of the plurality of tubes, the structural array including at least one grate-like panel having a plurality of grid openings, wherein the at least one grate-like structural array is sized and disposed to dissipate the energy of the entire portion of the exhaust stream exiting the inlet duct to reduce the aerodynamic loading exerted on the plurality of tubes by the exhaust stream, wherein the surface between the grid openings provides resistance to redirect a portion of the exhaust stream around the grate-like structural array to distribute the portion of the exhaust stream to other sections of the tubes, and wherein the grid openings are sized to pass the remaining portion of the exhaust stream through the grid openings.

2. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 wherein the inlet duct provides the exhaust stream directly only to the lower portion of the chamber.

3. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 further comprising structural supports disposed within the chamber, wherein the grate-like structural array is secured to the structural supports.

4. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 wherein the grid openings are disposed over the entire surface of the at least one grate-like panel and are sized and spaced to provide a surface thereon to absorb the aerodynamic loading of the exhaust stream.

5. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 wherein the at least one grate-like panel comprises a first set of bars extending in one direction and a second set of bars extending in a second direction to form the grid openings.

6. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 5 wherein the first set of bars extend generally horizontally and the second set of bars extend generally vertically.

7. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 5 wherein one of the first set of bars are disposed upstream of the second set of bars or the second set of bars are disposed upstream of the first set of bars.

8. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 5 wherein at least one of the first and second set of bars have a rectangular cross-section.

9. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 5 wherein at least one of the first and second set of bars have a U-shaped cross-section.

10. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 wherein the at least one grate-like panel includes a plurality of grate-like panels.

11. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 10 wherein each of the grate-like panels extend in a plurality of spaced horizontal rows.

12. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 11 further comprising at least one horizontal support disposed between the grate-like panels to secure the grate-like panels together.

13. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 12 wherein the horizontal support and grate-like panels are attached by pinned and/or slip connections to allow thermal expansion.

14. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 wherein the exhaust stream passing through the grate-like structural array form a plurality of jets having a diameter of approximately 1/10 of the spacing between the grate-like structural array and the tubes.

15. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 3 wherein the grate-like structural array is adjustably secured to the structural supports to permit the distance between the grate-like structural array and the tubes to be varied.

16. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 15 further includes adjustable mounts interconnecting the grate-like structural array and the structural supports to vary the distance between the grate-like structural array and the tubes.

17. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 wherein the grate-like structural array is sized to engage the exhaust stream prior to passing through the tubes and permitting the remaining portion of the exhaust stream to pass around the grate-like structural array to the tubes to thereby prevent the any of the exhaust gas from directly contacting the tubes.

18. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 wherein the turbine and the chamber are closely coupled such that direct exposure of the tubes to the exhaust stream would result in damage to the tubes.

19. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 , wherein the inlet duct includes an inlet and an outlet, and the grate-like structural array having a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of the outlet of the inlet duct.

20. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 , wherein the inlet duct is conically shaped.

21. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 , further comprising structural supports disposed within the chamber, and wherein the grate-like structural array is secured to the structural supports.

22. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 , wherein the grate-like structural array extends over and is disposed upstream of only a lower portion of the tubes.

23. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 19 , wherein the grate-like structural array is disposed across the entire portion of the tubes to prevent direct contact of the exhaust stream with the tubes.

24. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 12 , wherein the at least one horizontal support includes a panel that provides a surface sized to provide sufficient resistance to redirect a portion of the exhaust stream above the grate-like structural array.

25. A heat recovery steam generator for receiving an exhaust stream from a turbine, the heat recovery steam generator comprising:
a chamber having a plurality of tubes disposed therein;
an inlet duct having a diverging profile and having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet duct in fluid communication with the chamber and extending upstream from the chamber to provide the exhaust stream from the turbine through the inlet duct to the chamber; and
a grate-like structural array, disposed within the chamber, downstream of and spaced from the inlet duct and upstream of and spaced from the plurality of tubes, the structural array including at least one grate-like panel having a plurality of grid openings, wherein the at least one grate-like structural array has a cross-sectional area at least as large as a cross-sectional area of the outlet of the inlet duct and disposed to extent before the entire portion of the outlet of the inlet duct to reduce the aerodynamic loading exerted on the plurality of tubes by the exhaust stream, wherein the surface between the grid openings provides resistance to redirect a portion of the exhaust stream around the grate-like structural array to distribute the portion of the exhaust stream to other sections of the tubes, and wherein the grid openings are sized to pass the remaining portion of the exhaust stream through the grid openings.

26. The heat recovery steam generator of claim 1 wherein the plurality of grid openings are substantially uniform in size.

Assignees

• Balcezak William C
• Bauver Ii Wesley P
• Livermore Robert
• Perrin Ian J
• Yeaton Aaron
• General Electric Technology Gmbh

Inventors

• Balcezak William C
• Bauver Ii Wesley P
• Livermore Robert
• Perrin Ian J
• Yeaton Aaron

Classifications

• Y02E20/16

  Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT] · CPC title

• F28F9/0263

  by varying the geometry or cross-section of header box · CPC title

• F28F9/028

  by using inserts for modifying the pattern of flow inside the header box, e.g. by using flow restrictors or permeable bodies or blocks with channels · CPC title

• F28F2265/00

  Safety or protection arrangements; Arrangements for preventing malfunction · CPC title

• F22B1/1815 Primary

  using the exhaust gases of gas-turbines · CPC title