Power generation system and method for activating fuel cell in power generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10490832-B2
Application number	US-201815935649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2018
Priority date	Oct 31, 2012
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A power generation system includes a gas turbine having a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, an inlet guide vane in an air intake port in the compressor, a first compressed air supply line for supplying compressed air compressed by the compressor to the combustor, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) having an air electrode and a fuel electrode, a second compressed air supply line for supplying at least part of the compressed air compressed by the compressor to the air electrode, a control valve in the second compressed air supply line, and a control device for opening the control valve when the SOFC is activated and changing a degree of opening of the inlet guide vane from a preset reference degree of opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power generation system, comprising:
a gas turbine having a compressor and a combustor;
a first compressed air supply line for supplying compressed air compressed by the compressor to the combustor;
a fuel cell having an air electrode and a fuel electrode;
a second compressed air supply line for supplying at least a portion of the compressed air compressed by the compressor to the air electrode;
a first on-off valve provided on the second compressed air supply line;
a compressed air supply unit connected to the second compressed air supply line on the fuel cell side from the first on-off valve; and
a control unit for closing the first on-off valve and driving the compressed air supply unit upon the fuel cell being activated.

2. The power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the compressed air supply unit includes a third compressed air supply line connected at one end thereof to the second compressed air supply line on the fuel cell side from the first on-off valve, an activation compressor connected to the other end of the third compressed air supply line, and a second on-off valve provided on the third compressed air supply line, and upon the fuel cell being activated, the control unit closes the first on-off valve, opens the second on-off valve, and drives the activation compressor.

3. The power generation system according to claim 1 , further comprising a first sensor that measures the pressure of the compressed air compressed by the compressor and a second sensor that measures the pressure of the second compressed air supply line on the fuel cell side from the first on-off valve, wherein upon a second pressure measured by the second sensor reaches a first pressure measured by the first sensor, the control unit stops the driving of the compressed air supply unit and opens the first on-off valve.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Sys

Inventors

• Manabe So
• Nakamoto Yukimasa
• Ozawa Hiroyuki

Classifications

• H01M8/04111 Primary

  using a compressor turbine assembly · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• F02C3/04

  having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16) · CPC title

• H01M8/04119

  with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying · CPC title

• Y02E20/16

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