Integrated coal-fired gas turbine power plant

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gas cleanup segment comprises an air shield cyclone separator having a first inlet means for receiving said flow of fluid from said pressurized fluid producing means and a second inlet means for receiving said motive effluent from said coal combustion system.

Claim 4

A process for the utilization of coal that comprises: substantially isothermally producing compressed gas in a hydraulic compressor; passing at least a portion of the compressed gas from the hydraulic compressor through a regenerator; introducing the compressed gas that passes through the regenerator into a coal combustion system comprising a pressurized fluidized bed combustor for inter-reaction with coal contained in said combustor; producing a gaseous effluent in the coal combustion system; passing the gaseous effluent from the coal combustion system through a gas cleanup segment; diverting a portion of the compressed gas from the hydraulic compressor to the gas cleanup segment, by passing said portion of the compressed gas in heat exchange relationship through a segment of the coal combustion system to absorb heat prior to being diverted to the gas cleanup segment; introducing the gaseous effluent that passes through the gas cleanup segment to an expansion turbine and expanding said effluent therein so that the turbine is driven to provide useful work; and removing the expanded gaseous effluent from the turbine and passing it in heat exchange relationship with the compressed gas passing through the regenerator.

Claim 5

A process for the utilization of coal that comprises: substantially isothermally producing compressed gas in a hydraulic compressor; passing at least a portion of the compressed gas from the hydraulic compressor through a regenerator; introducing the compressed gas that passes through the regenerator into a coal combustion system comprising a pressurized fluidized bed combustor for inter-reaction with coal contained in said combustor; producing a gaseous effluent in the coal combustion system; passing the gaseous effluent from the coal combustion system through a gas cleanup segment; diverting a portion of the compressed gas from the hydraulic compressor to the gas cleanup segment, by passing said portion of the compressed gas in heat exchange relationship through a segment of the coal combustion system to absorb heat prior to being diverted to the gas cleanup segment; introducing the gaseous effluent that passes through the gas cleanup segment to an expansion turbine and expanding said effluent therein so that the turbine is driven to provide useful work; and removing the expanded gaseous effluent from the turbine and passing it in heat exchange relationship with the compressed gas passing through the regenerator.

Claim 6

The process for the utilization of coal as in claim 3 wherein said steps of passing the gaseous effluent through a gas cleanup segment and of diverting a portion of the compressed gas to the gas cleanup segment comprise passing the gaseous effluent through a first inlet means of an air shield cyclone separator, for receiving said gaseous effluent, and diverting said portion of the compressed gas to a second inlet means of the separator, for receiving said portion of the compressed gas.