Components and systems for reducing thermal stress of heat recovery steam generators in combined cycle power plant systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10669897-B2
Application number	US-201715833311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2017
Priority date	Dec 6, 2017
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

Heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) including components and systems for reducing thermal stress experienced by manifolds within the HRSGs are disclosed. The HRSG may include a manifold receiving a working fluid of the HRSG, a plurality of piping links in fluid communication with the manifold, and an enclosure surrounding the manifold and the plurality of piping links. The HRSG may also include at least one thermal element positioned within the enclosure. The thermal element(s) may surround the manifold. Additionally, or alternatively, the HRSG may include a supplemental heating system in fluid communication with an interior of the enclosure. The supplemental heating system may include a heater for heating fluid (e.g., air), and an inlet conduit in fluid communication with and positioned downstream of the heater. The inlet conduit may be formed through the enclosure to provide the heated fluid to the interior of the enclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) comprising:
a manifold receiving a working fluid of the HRSG;
a plurality of piping links in fluid communication with the manifold;
an enclosure surrounding the manifold and at least a portion of the plurality of piping links; and
at least one thermal element positioned within the enclosure, the at least one thermal element surrounding the manifold.

2. The HRSG of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermal element includes:
a heat storage component positioned within a casing, the heat storage component directly contacting and surrounding the manifold.

3. The HRSG of claim 2 , wherein the at least one thermal element further includes:
a thermally insulative shell surrounds the casing containing the heat storage component.

4. The HRSG of claim 2 , further comprising:
a heating component positioned within the casing containing the heat storage component, the heating component immersed within the heat storage component and at least partially surrounding the manifold; and
a control system operably coupled to the heating component, the control system configured to activate the heating component.

5. The HRSG of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermal element includes:
a thermally insulative shell directly contacting and surrounding the manifold.

6. The HRSG of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure includes at least one of:
a body formed from a thermally insulative material, or
a body including an inner surface, and a thermally insulative layer lining the inner surface of the body of the enclosure.

7. The HRSG of claim 1 , further comprising:
a supplemental heating system in fluid communication with an interior of the enclosure, the supplemental heating system including:
a heater for heating a fluid; and
an inlet conduit in fluid communication with and positioned downstream of the heater, the inlet conduit formed through the enclosure to provide the heated fluid to the interior of the enclosure.

8. The HRSG of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermal element is in a liquid state when heated.

9. A heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) comprising:
a manifold receiving a working fluid of the HRSG;
a plurality of piping links in fluid communication with the manifold;
an enclosure including an interior, the enclosure surrounding the manifold and at least a portion of the plurality of piping links; and
a supplemental heating system in fluid communication with the interior of the enclosure, the supplemental heating system including:
a heater for heating fluid; and
an inlet conduit in fluid communication with and positioned downstream of the heater, the inlet conduit formed through the enclosure to provide the heated fluid to the interior of the enclosure.

10. The HRSG of claim 9 , wherein the supplemental heating system further includes:
a blower in fluid communication with and positioned upstream of the heater; and
an outlet conduit formed through the enclosure to remove the heated fluid from the enclosure.

11. The HRSG of claim 10 , wherein the outlet conduit of the supplemental heating system is in fluid communication with and positioned upstream of the blower.

12. The HRSG of claim 11 , further comprising:
an eductor positioned between and fluidly coupling the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit; and
an eductor conduit in fluid communication with the eductor,
wherein the blower is in fluid communication with and positioned upstream of the eductor conduit.

13. The HRSG of claim 12 , wherein the heater is one of:
in fluid communication with and positioned on the eductor conduit, upstream of the eductor, or
positioned on the inlet conduit, downstream of the eductor.

14. The HRSG of claim 12 , further comprising:
a venting conduit formed through the enclosure to remove at least a portion of the heated fluid from the interior of the enclosure.

15. The HRSG of claim 10 , wherein the outlet conduit is in fluid communication with ambient air.

16. The HRSG of claim 10 , wherein the blower is in fluid communication with and receives one of:
ambient air, or
fluid previously heated by the heater.

17. The HRSG of claim 10 , further comprising:
a control system operably coupled to the heater and the blower, the control system configured to activate the heater and the blower.

18. A combined cycle power plant system comprising:
a gas turbine system including a turbine component discharging an exhaust gas; and
a heat recover steam generator (HRSG) in fluid communication with the turbine component for receiving the exhaust gas, the HRSG including:
a manifold receiving a working fluid of the HRSG;
a plurality of piping links in fluid communication with the manifold;
a enclosure including an interior, the enclosure enclosing the manifold and at least a portion of the plurality of piping links; and
at least one of:
at least one thermal element positioned within the enclosure, the at least one thermal element surrounding the manifold, or
a supplemental heating system in fluid communication with the interior of the enclosure, the supplemental heating system including:
a heater for heating fluid; and
an inlet conduit in fluid communication with and positioned downstream of the heater, the inlet conduit formed through the enclosure to provide the heated fluid to the interior of the enclosure.

19. The combined cycle power plant system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one thermal element of the HRSG includes:
a heat storage component positioned within a casing, the heat storage component directly contacting and surrounding the manifold.

20. The combined cycle power plant system of claim 18 , wherein the supplemental heating system of the HRSG further includes:
a blower in fluid communication with and positioned upstream of the heater; and
an outlet conduit formed through the enclosure to remove the heated fluid from the enclosure.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Matarrese Alessandro
• Bairley Donald William
• Bauver Ii Wesley Paul
• Dang Van

Classifications

• F01K13/02 Primary

  Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting · CPC title

• F01L19/02

  Drive or adjustment during operation, peculiar thereto · CPC title

• F02C6/18

  using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants (using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10) · CPC title

• F22B1/1815 Primary

  using the exhaust gases of gas-turbines · CPC title

• F01K23/10

  with exhaust fluid of one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle (F01K17/025 takes precedence) · CPC title