Gas turbine engine power plant with a coal burning fluidized bed

Claim 1

A gas turbine engine power plant comprising: a compressor having a delivery end for discharging compressed air; a coal burning fluidised bed for coal ash and unburnt coal; means for supplying all of the compressed air from the delivery end of said compressor into the coal burning fluidised bed to fluidising the coal ash and unburnt coal therein and to have direct chemical contact with the coal ash and unburnt coal and to be heated thereby; a cleaner for receiving and cleaning all of the heated air and exhaust gases from said fluidised bed; a compressor driving turbine in series with a power turbine which drives a load; means for supplying all of the heated air and exhaust gases from said cleaner first to clean compressor driving turbine and then to said power turbine and from said power turbine to atmosphere; a coal supply means connected to said fluidised bed for supplying coal suspended in compressed air to the fluidised bed; a coal supply control means operatively connected to said coal supply means for controlling the supply of coal delivered by said coal supply means to said fluidised bed; and a bed temperature sensing means operatively connected to said fluidised bed and to said coal supply control means, said sensing means being arranged to produce signals dependent on bed temperature to thereby selectively operate said coal supply control means in response to such signals so as to cause said coal supply means to deliver more coal to said bed when said bed temperature drops below a predetermined minimum value and to cut off delivery of coal to said bed to thereby limit bed temperature to a predetermined maximum value.