Abstract In a turbine power plant, fluid hydrocarbon fuel is first cracked with steam under pressure; the cracked compressed gas is then expanded in a gas turbine to perform work and thereafter burned in a boiler to generate steam to drive a steam turbine. The cracked, compressed gas may also be expanded to an intermediate pressure in a gas turbine to perform work, combusted under pressure, the combusted, compressed gas expanded in a second gas turbine to perform work and then fed to a boiler where the heat of the combusted gas is utilized to generate stem to drive a steam turbine. The cracked, compressed gas may also be fully expanded in a gas turbine to perform work and thereafter combusted and a portion of the hot combustion gas therefrom is fed to a boiler to generate steam to drive a steam turbine and the balance is recycled to an externally heated cracker and then to the boiler.
Power plant process comprising a. cracking a fluid hydrocarbon fuel with steam and/or air under pressure to form a gaseous mixture high in carbon monoxide and hydrogen; b. expanding the cracked compressed gaseous mixture from (a) in a gas turbine to perform work; c. thereafter combusting the expanded gaseous mixture from (b) to produce combustion gases; and d. feeding at least a portion of the combustion gases from (c) to a boiler to generate steam to drive a steam turbine.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
Power plant process comprising a. cracking a fluid hydrocarbon fuel with steam and/or air under pressure to form a gaseous mixture high in carbon monoxide and hydrogen; b. expanding the cracked compressed gaseous mixture from (a) in a gas turbine to perform work; c. thereafter combusting the expanded gaseous mixture from (b) to produce combustion gases; and d. feeding at least a portion of the combustion gases from (c) to a boiler to generate steam to drive a steam turbine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
10 words
Process of claim 1 wherein said fuel is catalytically cracked.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
10 words
Process of claim 1 wherein said fuel is thermally cracked.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
Process of claim 1 wherein the balance of the combustion gases from (c) is fed to an indirectly heated cracker wherein said fluid hydrocarbon fuel is cracked and then to a boiler to generate steam to drive a steam turbine.