Method and apparatus for co-generating electricity in a process plant integrated with a thermal power generator using feedwater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12466731-B2
Application number	US-202217993229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2022
Priority date	Nov 26, 2021
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A method for co-generating electricity in a process plant using feedwater, where the process plant is integrated with a thermal power generator, is provided. The method includes obtaining a pressurized stream of hot feedwater from a feedwater generation unit of the process plant; compressing the pressurized stream of hot feedwater by pumping and splitting the pressurized stream of hot feedwater to obtain a first stream of feedwater and a second stream of feedwater; routing the second stream of feedwater to the thermal power generator; cooling the second stream of feedwater against a process fluid that is used in the thermal power generator to generate a heat in the thermal power generator and to obtain a cooled second stream of feedwater; and co-generating the electricity, using the thermal power generator integrated with the process plant, using the heat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for co-generating electricity in a process plant using feedwater, wherein the process plant is integrated with a thermal power generator, the method comprising:
obtaining a pressurized stream of hot feedwater from a feedwater generation unit of the process plant; compressing the pressurized stream of hot feedwater by pumping and splitting the pressurized stream of hot feedwater thereby obtaining a first stream of feedwater and a second stream of feedwater; routing the second stream of feedwater to the thermal power generator; cooling the second stream of feedwater against a process fluid that is used in the thermal power generator to generate a heat in the thermal power generator and to obtain a cooled second stream of feedwater; and co-generating the electricity, using the thermal power generator integrated with the process plant, using the heat.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprising:
mixing at least a portion of the cooled second stream of feedwater with the first stream of feedwater to obtain a mixed stream of feedwater; preheating the mixed stream of feedwater using a hot synthesis gas stream to obtain a preheated mixed stream of feedwater; and routing the preheated mixed stream of feedwater to a steam generator of the process plant.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising routing a portion of the cooled second stream of feedwater to the steam generator of the process plant without prior additional heating being used.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising preheating the first stream of feedwater using the hot synthesis gas stream to obtain a preheated first stream of feedwater that is routed to the steam generator.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising preheating the first stream of feedwater using a hot flue gas stream that is obtained from a combustion process of the thermal power generator.

6 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the hot synthesis gas stream is generated by at least one device, selected from the group consisting of: a steam methane reformer, an autothermal reformer, a partial oxidation (POX) reactor, or any combination of these.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sending at least a portion of the cooled second stream of feedwater to the feedwater generation unit of the process plant.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising re-utilizing at least a portion of the cooled second stream of feedwater within a reforming process of the thermal power generator.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising admixing at least a portion of the cooled second stream of feedwater upstream in a pump that provides feedwater compression.

10 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising sending at least a portion of the preheated first stream of feedwater to the thermal power generator for performing heat transfer.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pressurized stream of hot feedwater is split into a first portion and a second portion, the method further comprising:
sending the first portion to the thermal power generator for heat transfer and to obtain the cooled second stream of feedwater; and mixing the cooled second stream of feedwater with the second portion prior to compression.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
(a) re-mixing the cooled second stream of feedwater with the pressurized stream of hot feedwater, or (b) sending back the cooled second stream of feedwater to the feedwater generation unit.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
(i) importing the pressurized stream of hot feedwater to the reforming process from an external feedwater generation unit; and (ii) sending at least a portion of the pressurized stream of hot feedwater to the thermal power generator for heat transfer.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
(i) importing the preheated first stream of feedwater, having a lower pressure than the pressurized stream of hot feedwater, to the reforming process, and (ii) sending at least a portion of the preheated first stream of feedwater to the thermal power generator for heat transfer.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
preheating the cooled second stream of feedwater, having a lower pressure than the pressurized stream of hot feedwater, using either (a) the hot synthesis gas stream or (b) the hot flue gas stream to obtain a preheated stream; importing the preheated stream to the reforming process; and sending at least a portion of the preheated stream to the thermal power generator for heat transfer.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
(i) importing the cooled second stream of feedwater, having a lower pressure than the pressurized stream of hot feedwater, to the reforming process, and (ii) reducing a temperature of a synthesis gas outlet connected to a demineralized water preheater to a level suitable for a pressure swing adsorption process.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
(i) importing the cooled second stream of feedwater, having a lower pressure than the pressurized stream of hot feedwater, to the reforming process, and (ii) using at least a portion of the cooled second stream of feedwater obtained from the thermal power generator for final cooling of the hot synthesis gas stream.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising utilizing a hot process stream for supplying heat to the thermal power generator before the pressurized stream of hot feedwater is preheated again.

19 . A method for co-generating electricity in a process plant using feedwater, wherein the process plant is integrated with a thermal power generator, the method comprising:
obtaining a pressurized stream of hot feedwater from a feedwater generation unit of the process plant; compressing the pressurized stream of hot feedwater by pumping and splitting the pressurized stream of hot feedwater to obtain a first stream of feedwater and a second stream of feedwater, wherein the first stream of feedwater is routed to a preheater; routing the second stream of feedwater to the thermal power generator; cooling the second stream of feedwater against a process fluid that is used in the thermal power generator to generate a heat in the thermal power generator and to obtain a cooled second stream of feedwater; co-generating the electricity, using the thermal power generator integrated with the process plant, using the heat; mixing at least a portion of the cooled second stream of feedwater with the first stream of feedwater to obtain a mixed stream of feedwater; preheating the mixed stream of feedwater using a hot synthesis gas stream to obtain a preheated mixed stream of feedwater; and routing the preheated mixed stream of feedwater to the thermal power generator for heat transfer and for electricity generation.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the process plant is a synthesis gas production plant that is integrated with the thermal power generator for electricity generation.

Assignees

• Air Liquide

Inventors

• Roesch Alexander
• Schmid Mcguinness Teja

Classifications

• C01B2203/84

  Energy production · CPC title

• C01B2203/0894

  Generation of steam · CPC title

• C01B2203/042

  Purification by adsorption on solids · CPC title

• C01B2203/0233

  the reforming step being a steam reforming step · CPC title

• C01B3/34

  by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents · CPC title