Systems and methods for increasing power output in a waste heat driven air brayton cycle turbocharger system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020191048-A1
Application number	US-201816221306-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2018
Priority date	Dec 14, 2018
Publication date	Jun 18, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various systems and methods are provided for a turbocharger system. In one example, system for use with a power generator having a rotary machine including a combustor comprises: a heat exchanger positioned to receive exhaust gases from the combustor; and a turbocharger system, comprising: a low pressure turbocharger including a low pressure turbine adapted to receive gas flow from the heat exchanger and a low pressure compressor adapted to supply compressed air to the heat exchanger; a high pressure turbocharger including a high pressure turbine adapted to receive gas flow from the heat exchanger and a high pressure compressor adapted to receive gas flow from the low pressure compressor and supply compressed air to the rotary machine; and a second combustor adapted to inject exhaust gases into a flow path arranged between the heat exchanger and an inlet to each of the high pressure turbine and the low pressure turbine.

First claim

1 . A system for use with a power generator having a rotary machine including a first combustor and an exhaust passage flowing exhaust gases from the first combustor, comprising:
a heat exchanger positioned in the exhaust passage; and a turbocharger system, comprising:
at least one low pressure turbocharger including a low pressure turbine fluidly coupled to an outlet of the heat exchanger, the low pressure turbine adapted to receive gas flow from the heat exchanger, and a low pressure compressor fluidly coupled to an inlet of the heat exchanger, the low pressure compressor adapted to supply compressed air to the heat exchanger;
at least one high pressure turbocharger including a high pressure turbine fluidly coupled to the outlet of the heat exchanger, the high pressure turbine adapted to receive gas flow from the heat exchanger, and a high pressure compressor fluidly coupled to the rotary machine, the high pressure compressor adapted to receive gas flow from the low pressure compressor and supply compressed air to the rotary machine; and
an auxiliary, second combustor adapted to inject heated exhaust gases into a first flow path arranged between the outlet of the heat exchanger and an inlet to each of the high pressure turbine and the low pressure turbine.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller with computer readable instructions stored in memory, that when executed during operation of the power generation system, cause the controller to adjust a fueling rate of fuel supplied to the second combustor for combustion based on a desired power output of the rotary machine.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further cause the controller to increase the fueling rate of fuel supplied to the second combustor in response to the desired power output increasing.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the instructions further cause the controller to decrease the fueling rate of fuel supplied to the second combustor in response to a gas temperature upstream of the high pressure turbine and low pressure turbine being at or greater than a threshold temperature.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second combustor is fluidly coupled to a fuel source and is positioned in-line with the first flow path, the second combustor receiving air for combustion from the first flow path.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second combustor is fluidly coupled to a fuel source and is positioned in a second flow path that joins the first flow path between the outlet of the heat exchanger and the inlet to each of the high pressure turbine and the low pressure turbine.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an intercooler positioned in a compressed air flow path arranged between the low pressure compressor and the high pressure compressor, the intercooler adapted to cool compressed air flowing from the low pressure compressor to the high pressure compressor.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotary machine is a gas turbine engine further including a turbine section and a compressor section separate from turbocharger system and wherein the turbine section and compressor section rotate independently from the at least one low pressure turbocharger and the high pressure turbocharger.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an electric compressor fluidly coupled upstream of an inlet of the at least one low pressure turbocharger and driven by electrical power received from an electric motor.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a water injection system adapted to inject water into a third flow path arranged between the low pressure compressor and the inlet of the heat exchanger.

11 . A method for a turbocharger system for use with a power generating system, comprising:
providing compressed air from a high pressure compressor of the turbocharger system to a first combustor of a rotary machine; extracting heat from exhaust gases flowing in an exhaust path of the first combustor via a heat exchanger and transferring the extracted heat to gases flowing through a heat exchanger gas flow path of the turbocharger system; flowing heated gases from the heat exchanger gas flow path to each of a low pressure turbine and a high pressure turbine of the turbocharger system, the low pressure turbine driving rotation of a low pressure compressor and the high pressure turbine driving rotation of the high pressure compressor; flowing compressed gases from the low pressure compressor to each of the high pressure compressor and the heat exchanger; and combusting fuel at a second combustor and injecting combusted gases from the second combustor into the heat exchanger gas flow path, downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of each of the low pressure turbine and the high pressure turbine.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising adjusting a fueling rate of fuel provided to the second combustor for combustion based on a desired output of the turbocharger system.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the fueling rate of fuel provided to the second combustor for combustion based on the desired output includes increasing the fueling rate as the desired output increases above a baseline level achieved while not combusting fuel at the second combustor.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising decreasing the fueling rate in response to a temperature upstream of each of the low pressure turbine and the high pressure turbine reaching a threshold temperature.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising injecting water into the compressed gases from the low pressure compressor via a water injector positioned upstream of the heat exchanger in response to a temperature upstream of each of the low pressure turbine and the high pressure turbine reaching a threshold temperature.

16 . A method for a turbocharger system for use with a power generation system, comprising:
adjusting each of a rate of water injected into a first gas flow path to a heat exchanger positioned in an exhaust flow path of a rotary machine and a fueling rate to a first combustor, the first combustor injecting combusted gases into a second gas flow path arranged between an outlet of the heat exchanger and an inlet to each of a high pressure turbine and low pressure turbine of the turbocharger system, where the turbocharger system further includes a low pressure turbine supplying compressed air to the heat exchanger via the first gas flow path and driven by the low pressure turbine and a high pressure compressor driven by the high pressure turbine and supplying compressed gases to a second combustor of the rotary machine.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein adjusting each of the rate of water injected into the first gas flow path and the fueling rate to the first combustor is based on a desired power output of the rotary machine.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein adjusting each of the rate of water injected into the first gas flow path and the fueling rate to the first combustor is further based on water and fuel availability of a water injection system and a fuel injection system for the first combustor, respectively.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein adjusting each of the rate of water injected into the first gas flow path and the fueling rate to the first combustor comprises:
while no water is injected into the first gas flow path, increasing the fueling rate to the first combustor as a desired power output of the rotary machine increases until a temperature upstream of the high pressure turbine reac

Assignees

• Ge Global Sourcing Llc

Inventors

• Homison Christopher Joseph
• Johnson Lukas
• Loringer Daniel Edward

Classifications

• F01K23/101

  Regulating means specially adapted therefor (F01K23/105, F01K23/108 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• Y02E20/16

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

• F05D2220/60

  making use of surplus or waste energy · CPC title

• F02C3/30

  Adding water, steam or other fluids {for influencing combustion, e.g. to obtain cleaner exhaust gases (F02C7/141, F02C7/30, F01D21/00, F01K21/04, F23D11/10 take precedence)} · CPC title