Gas turbine power plant

Claim 2

An improved gas turbine power plant using a state-of-the-art gas turbine comprising: (A) a state-of-the-art gas turbine apparatus having at least one gas-driven turbine section and a compressor section driven by the turbine section for supplying a first pressurized gaseous stream; (B) a combustor for burning a carbonaceous fuel or wood to form combusted gases to provide heat energy for driving the turbine section; (C) at least a first heat exchanger means for transferring a portion of the heat energy provided by said combusted gases in said combustor to said pressurized gaseous stream; and (D) at least, a first heat recovery steam generator which converts water to a first steam flow wherein said first steam flow is mixed with the pressurized gaseous stream from said compressor section to form a gaseous mixture and wherein said gaseous mixture is fed to said turbine section and is discharged therefrom as an exhaust gas stream.

Claim 3

The improved power plant of claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger has a first conduit inlet for receiving said first pressurized gaseous stream, a said first steam flow and a second conduit outlet for passing out said gaseous mixture, a third conduit inlet for receiving said combusted gases from said combustor, and a fourth conduit outlet for passing said combusted gases from said heat exchanger.

Claim 4

The improved power plant of claim 2 wherein said first heat exchanger is separate from said combustor and said combustor having a first conduit inlet into said combustor wherein there is fed the exhaust gases from said turbine section, and a second conduit inlet into said combustor in which there is fed the fuel, and a third conduit outlet from said combustor from which is passed said combusted gases into said heat exchanger.

Claim 5

The improved power plant of claim 3 wherein said heat recovery steam generator has a first conduit inlet for receiving the combusted gases from said heat exchanger and a second conduit inlet for receiving water and a third conduit outlet for passing steam formed in said steam generator.

Claim 6

The improved power plant of claim 4 wherein said first steam generator has a fourth conduit outlet for passing the combusted gases into a cleanup means for removal of particulates from said stream of combusted gases, said cleanup means having a first conduit inlet for said combusted gases from said steam generator and a second conduit outlet for discharging said combusted gases.

Claim 7

The improved power plant of claim 5 further including heat generating means in said steam generator having in addition a fifth conduit inlet for receiving fuel, a sixth conduit inlet for receiving air to convert additional amounts of said water passing through said second conduit inlet into steam, and a seventh conduit outlet in said steam generator for removing process steam.

Claim 8

The improved power plant of claim 1 wherein the carbonaceous fuel is a water slurry of coal.

Claim 9

An improved gas turbine power plant using a state of the art gas turbine in which heat energy is supplied by burning wood comprising: (A) a state of the art gas turbine apparatus having at least one gas-driven turbine section and a compressor section for supplying a first pressurized gaseous stream; (B) a combustor for burning wood volatilized gases to form combusted gases to provide heat energy for driving the turbine; (C) at least a first heat exchanger means for transferring a portion of the heat energy provided by said combusted gases to said pressurized gaseous stream; (D) at least a first heat recovery steam generator which converts water to a first steam flow wherein said first steam flow is mixed with the pressurized gaseous stream from said compressor section to form a gaseous mixture and wherein said gaseous mixture is fed to drive said turbine section; and (E) at least one wood volatilizer means having a first conduit inlet for receiving wood particles, a second conduit inlet for receiving hot air heat from said first heat exchanger means, a third conduit outlet for passing wood volatilized gases from said volatilizer means to said combustor, and a fourth conduit outlet for removing ash.

Claim 10

An improved gas turbine power plant using a state of the art gas turbine in which heat energy is supplied by burning wood comprising: (A) a state of the art gas turbine apparatus having at least one gas-driven turbine section and a compressor section for supplying a first pressurized gaseous stream; (B) a combustor for burning wood volatilized gases to form combusted gases to provide heat energy for driving the turbine; (C) at least a first heat exchanger means for transferring a portion of the heat energy provided by said combusted gases to said pressurized gaseous stream; (D) at least a first heat recovery steam generator which converts water to a first steam flow wherein said first steam flow is mixed with the pressurized gaseous stream from said compressor section to form a gaseous mixture and wherein said gaseous mixture is fed to drive said turbine section; and (E) at least one wood volatilizer means having a first conduit inlet for receiving wood particles, a second conduit inlet for receiving hot air heat from said first heat exchanger means, a third conduit outlet for passing wood volatilized gases from said volatilizer means to said combustor, and a fourth conduit outlet for removing ash.

Claim 11

The improved power plant of claim 8 wherein there is further present wood dryer means having a first conduit inlet for receiving wood particles and a second conduit inlet for passing a portion of the combusted gases from said combustor to said dryer means and a third conduit outlet for passing dried wood particles from said dryer means to said volatilizer.

Claim 12

The improved power plant of claim 9 wherein said heat exchanger means has a first conduit inlet for receiving said first pressurized gaseous stream, said first steam flow and a second conduit outlet for passing out said gaseous mixture to said turbine section, a third conduit inlet for receiving said combusted gases from said combustor and a fourth conduit outlet for passing said combusted gases therefrom.

Claim 13

The improved power plant of claim 10 wherein said first heat exchanger is combined with said combustor and said combustor having a first conduit inlet into said combustor for receiving the exhaust gases from said turbine section, and a second conduit inlet into said combustor for receiving volatilized gases from said third conduit outlet from said volatilizer means, and a third conduit outlet from said combustor from which pass the combusted gases into said third conduit inlet in said heat exchanger means, and said fourth conduit outlet from said heat exchanger means for passing out the combusted gases, a portion of which pass to the second conduit inlet of said volatilizer means and the rest of which gases go to the first steam generator.

Claim 14

The improved power plant of claim 10 wherein said first heat recovery steam generator has a first conduit inlet for receiving the combusted gases from said fourth conduit outlet from said first heat exchanger means, a second conduit inlet for receiving water, and a third conduit outlet for passing steam formed in said steam generator so as to mix it with said first pressurized gaseous stream.

Claim 15

The improved power plant of claim 12 wherein said first steam generator has a fourth conduit outlet for passing said combusted gases into cleanup means for removing particles from the said combusted gases, said cleanup means having a first conduit inlet for said combusted gases from the first steam generator, and a second conduit outlet for discharging said combusted gases.

Claim 16

The improved power plant of claim 13 further including additional heat generating means for said first steam generator which has in addition a fourth conduit inlet for receiving the fuel, and a fifth conduit inlet for receiving air to burn in said additional heat generating means to convert additional amounts of said water passing through the second conduit inlet in said first steam generator into steam, and a sixth conduit outlet in said first steam generator means for removing process steam.

Claim 17

The improved power plant of claim 11 wherein in said combined heat exchanger, combustor said combustor has a fourth conduit inlet for receiving heat energy from an auxiliary heat energy means.

Claim 18

The improved power plant of claim 14 wherein said first heat exchanger has a fifth conduit inlet for receiving air, means for passing air through said fifth conduit inlet and said first heat exchanger has a sixth conduit outlet for passin the heated air into the second conduit inlet in said volatilizer.

Claim 19

The improved power plant of claim 10 wherein said first heat exchanger means is separate from the combustor and wherein the combustor has a first conduit inlet into which is fed exhaust gases from said turbine section, and a second conduit inlet into which is fed the volatilized gases from said third conduit outlet from said volatilizer means, and a third conduit outlet from said combustor from which passes the combusted gases into said third conduit inlet in said first heat exchanger means, and a fourth conduit outlet in said heat exchanger means from which pass the combusted gases, a portion of which pass to the second conduit inlet of the volatilizer means and the rest of said combusted gases pass to the steam recovery generator.

Claim 20

The improved power plant of claim 17 wherein there is further included wood dryer means having said first conduit inlet for receiving wood particles, and said second conduit inlet for receiving the combusted gases and a third conduit outlet for passing dried wood particles to said volatilizer means.

Claim 21

The improved power plant of claim 18 further wherein said combustor has a fourth conduit inlet for receiving auxiliary heat energy.

Claim 22

The improved power plant of claim 19 wherein said first heat exchanger is separate from said combustor and in which in said first conduit inlet of said heat exchanger means there is fed the combusted gases from the third conduit outlet of said combustor and from said second conduit outlet of said heat exchanger means then passes the combusted gases into a first conduit inlet in said steam generator, and from a second conduit outlet in said steam generator means there passes the combusted gases into said second conduit inlet of said dryer means.

Claim 23

An improved gas turbine power plant having a combustor for burning a carbonaceous fuel to form combusted gases to provide heat energy for driving a gas turbine, (A) at least a first heat exchanger means for transferring a portion of the heat energy provided by combustion of said carbonaceous fuel to a pressurized gas stream; (B) at least a first heat recovery steam generator which converts water to a first steam flow wherein said steam flow is mixed with a first pressurized gas stream to form a gaseous mixture, and said gaseous mixture is fed to a gas turbine apparatus characterized in the improvement comprising a state-of-the-art gas turbine having at least one gas-driven turbine section and a compression section and which compression section pressurizes and supplies a gaseous mixture of the first pressurized gas stream and the first steam flow to drive the turbine section.

Claim 24

An improved gas turbine power plant having a combustor for burning a carbonaceous fuel to form combusted gases to provide heat energy for driving a gas turbine, (A) at least a first heat exchanger means for transferring a portion of the heat energy provided by combustion of said carbonaceous fuel to a pressurized gas stream; (B) at least a first heat recovery steam generator which converts water to a first steam flow wherein said steam flow is mixed with a first pressurized gas stream to form a gaseous mixture, and said gaseous mixture is fed to a gas turbine apparatus characterized in the improvement comprising a state-of-the-art gas turbine having at least one gas-driven turbine section and a compression section and which compression section pressurizes and supplies a gaseous mixture of the first pressurized gas stream and the first steam flow to drive the turbine section.

Claim 25

An improved gas turbine power plant using a gas turbine having a compression section and turbine section in which the heat energy is supplied by burning wood, with a combustor for burning wood volatilized gases to form combusted gases to provide heat energy for driving the turbine; (A) at least a first heat exchanger means for transferring a portion of the heat energy provided by said combusted gases to a first pressurized gas stream; (B) at least a first heat recovery steam generator which converts water to a first steam flow wherein said first steam flow is mixed with a pressurized gas stream to form a gaseous mixture and in which such gaseous mixture is fed to operate the turbine section; and (C) at least one volatilizer means having a first conduit inlet for receiving wood particles, a second conduit inlet for receiving hot air from said first heat exchanger means, a third conduit outlet for passing wood volatilized gases from said volatilizer to said combustor, and a fourth conduit outlet for removing ash, characterized in the improvement, comprising, in that there is utilized a state-of-the-art gas turbine which has a compressor section for supplying a first pressurized gaseous stream which pressurized gaseous stream is mixed along with the first steam flow which is then used to drive the turbine section.

Claim 26

An improved gas turbine power plant using a gas turbine having a compression section and turbine section in which the heat energy is supplied by burning wood, with a combustor for burning wood volatilized gases to form combusted gases to provide heat energy for driving the turbine; (A) at least a first heat exchanger means for transferring a portion of the heat energy provided by said combusted gases to a first pressurized gas stream; (B) at least a first heat recovery steam generator which converts water to a first steam flow wherein said first steam flow is mixed with a pressurized gas stream to form a gaseous mixture and in which such gaseous mixture is fed to operate the turbine section; and (C) at least one volatilizer means having a first conduit inlet for receiving wood particles, a second conduit inlet for receiving hot air from said first heat exchanger means, a third conduit outlet for passing wood volatilized gases from said volatilizer to said combustor, and a fourth conduit outlet for removing ash, characterized in the improvement, comprising, in that there is utilized a state-of-the-art gas turbine which has a compressor section for supplying a first pressurized gaseous stream which pressurized gaseous stream is mixed along with the first steam flow which is then used to drive the turbine section.

Claim 27

A process for operating a gas turbine power plant using a gas turbine in which the heat energy is supplied by burning wood, comprising: (a) passing a gas through the compressor section of a gas turbine apparatus having at least one gas-driven turbine section and a compressor section for supplying a first pressurized gas stream; (b) passing spent gases from said turbine section through a first conduit inlet in a combustor; (c) passing wood volatilized gases to a second conduit inlet in said combustor, burning said volatilized gases to form combusted gases and transmitting out of a third conduit outlet from said combustor, said combusted gases; (d) discharging said combusted gases from said combustor to a first heat exchanger means through a first conduit inlet and passing the combusted gases from said heat exchanger through a second conduit outlet; (e) passing said pressurized gaseous stream from said compressor section along with a steam flow that is mixed with the gaseous stream to form a gaseous mixture through a third conduit inlet; (f) heating said gaseous mixture in said first heat exchanger means and passing said gaseous mixture out of a fourth conduit outlet in said heat exchanger means to drive said turbine section; (g) receiving said combusted gases from the second conduit outlet in said heat exchanger through a first conduit inlet in said steam generator means, receiving water through a second conduit inlet and converting said water to said steam flow; and passing said steam flow through a third conduit outlet from said steam generator means; (h) mixing said steam flow with said first pressurized gases prior to the gaseous mixture passing through the first conduit inlet in said heat exchanger; (i) discharging said combusted gases from a fourth conduit outlet in said steam generator means; (j) passing wood particles to a first conduit inlet in at least one volatilizer means which convert said wood particles to wood volatiles and ash; and (k) removing the ash from the second conduit outlet in said volatilizer and passing the wood volatiles through a third conduit outlet to said second conduit inlet means in said combustor so as to provide the fuel that is burned in said combustor.

Claim 28

A process for operating a gas turbine power plant using a gas turbine in which the heat energy is supplied by burning wood, comprising: (a) passing a gas through the compressor section of a gas turbine apparatus having at least one gas-driven turbine section and a compressor section for supplying a first pressurized gas stream; (b) passing spent gases from said turbine section through a first conduit inlet in a combustor; (c) passing wood volatilized gases to a second conduit inlet in said combustor, burning said volatilized gases to form combusted gases and transmitting out of a third conduit outlet from said combustor, said combusted gases; (d) discharging said combusted gases from said combustor to a first heat exchanger means through a first conduit inlet and passing the combusted gases from said heat exchanger through a second conduit outlet; (e) passing said pressurized gaseous stream from said compressor section along with a steam flow that is mixed with the gaseous stream to form a gaseous mixture through a third conduit inlet; (f) heating said gaseous mixture in said first heat exchanger means and passing said gaseous mixture out of a fourth conduit outlet in said heat exchanger means to drive said turbine section; (g) receiving said combusted gases from the second conduit outlet in said heat exchanger through a first conduit inlet in said steam generator means, receiving water through a second conduit inlet and converting said water to said steam flow; and passing said steam flow through a third conduit outlet from said steam generator means; (h) mixing said steam flow with said first pressurized gases prior to the gaseous mixture passing through the first conduit inlet in said heat exchanger; (i) discharging said combusted gases from a fourth conduit outlet in said steam generator means; (j) passing wood particles to a first conduit inlet in at least one volatilizer means which convert said wood particles to wood volatiles and ash; and (k) removing the ash from the second conduit outlet in said volatilizer and passing the wood volatiles through a third conduit outlet to said second conduit inlet means in said combustor so as to provide the fuel that is burned in said combustor.

Claim 29

The process of claim 23 further comprising passing said combusted gases from said steam generator into cleanup means for removing particles from said combusted gases.

Claim 30

The process of claim 23 further comprising burning additional fuel in said steam generator so as to produce additional heat energy; and converting additional amounts of water into steam and utilizing the excess steam as process steam.

Claim 31

The process of claim 25 further, comprising, passing a portion of said combusted gases from said heat exchanger through a wood dryer means to dry said wood, prior to the wood being transmitted to said volatilizer; and passing the moisture and combusted gases from said dryer means to a cleanup means.