System and method for bypassing carbon capture system of gas turbine engine

Abstract

A system is provided with a bypass system having a first valve, a first drive coupled to the first valve, and a controller coupled to the first drive. The controller is configured to operate the first driver to move the first valve between a first position and a second position. The first position of the first valve opens a gas treatment flow path and closes a bypass flow path of an exhaust flow from a gas turbine engine. The second position of the first valve closes the gas treatment flow path and opens the bypass flow path of the exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine. The gas treatment flow path is configured to extend through a gas treatment system having a gas capture system. The bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas treatment system having the gas capture system.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present application generally relates to systems and methods for treating gases, such as exhaust gases.

[0002] Industrial plants, such as power plants, may produce a variety of gases, such as exhaust gases from combustion systems. Combustion systems may include gas turbine engines, reciprocating piston-cylinder engines, furnaces, boilers, or other industrial equipment. These exhaust gases may include one or more undesirable gases, such as acid gases and / or greenhouse gases. For example, undesirable gases may include carbon oxides (CO X ) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO X ) such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and / or sulfur oxides (SO X ) such as sulfur dioxide (SO2). CO2 is both an acid gas and a greenhouse gas. Unfortunately, various conditions in industrial plants can complicate the use of gas handling systems, including startup conditions, low load conditions, malfunctioning gas handling components, or a combination thereof. Therefore, there is a need for a gas handling system having a bypass system that is configured to bypass the gas handling system under certain conditions. Summary of the invention

[0003] Certain embodiments comparable in scope to the originally claimed subject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed embodiments, but rather, these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief overview of possible forms of the subject matter. In fact, the presently claimed embodiments may include various forms that may be similar or different from the embodiments set forth below.

[0004] In certain embodiments, a system includes a bypass system having a first valve, a first actuator coupled to the first valve, and a controller coupled to the first actuator. The controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve between a first position and a second position. The first position of the first valve opens a gas treatment flow path and closes a bypass flow path of an exhaust stream from a gas turbine engine. The second position of the first valve closes the gas treatment flow path and opens the bypass flow path of the exhaust stream from the gas turbine engine. The gas treatment flow path is configured to extend through a gas treatment system having a gas capture system. The bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas treatment system having the gas capture system.

[0005] In certain embodiments, the system includes a controller coupled to a bypass system having a first actuator coupled to a first valve, wherein the controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve between a first position and a second position. The first position of the first valve opens a gas treatment flow path and closes a bypass flow path of an exhaust flow from a gas turbine engine. The second position of the first valve closes the gas treatment flow path and opens the bypass flow path of the exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine. The gas treatment flow path is configured to extend through a gas treatment system having a gas capture system. The bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas treatment system having the gas capture system.

[0006] In certain embodiments, a method includes controlling a first actuator to move a first valve of a bypass system to a first position to open a gas treatment flow path and close a bypass flow path of an exhaust flow from a gas turbine engine, wherein the gas treatment flow path is configured to extend through a gas treatment system having a gas capture system. The method also includes controlling the first actuator to move the first valve of the bypass system to a second position to close the gas treatment flow path and open the bypass flow path of the exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine, wherein the bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas treatment system having the gas capture system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presently disclosed technology will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

[0008] Figure 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a combined cycle power plant with a bypass system for a gas processing system with a gas capture system, wherein the combined cycle power plant includes a gas turbine engine, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), and a steam turbine.

[0009] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle power plant further illustrating details of a gas capture system and a bypass system.

[0010] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle power plant further illustrating a lower level bypass configuration of a bypass system coupled to an exhaust stack.

[0011] Figure 4 yes Figures 1 to 3Schematic diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle power plant further illustrating an elevated level bypass configuration of a bypass system coupled to an exhaust stack.

[0012] Figure 5 yes Figures 1 to 4 Schematic diagram of one embodiment of a combined cycle power plant further showing details of a bypass system coupled to an exhaust stack and a gas handling system.

[0013] Figure 6 yes Figures 1 to 5 Schematic diagram of one embodiment of a seal gas system for a combined cycle power plant showing details of seal components, a seal gas injector, and the seal system coupled to a bypass system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] One or more specific embodiments of the presently disclosed system are described below. In order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation may be described in the specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, many implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as complying with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from implementation to implementation. In addition, it should be understood that such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but it is still a routine task of design, fabrication, and manufacturing for ordinary technicians who benefit from this disclosure.

[0015] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presently disclosed embodiments, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

[0016] The disclosed embodiments include systems and methods for bypassing a gas treatment system, such as a carbon capture system, using a bypass system. The bypass system is configured to divert the exhaust flow through an exhaust chimney when the gas treatment system needs to be bypassed. For example, the bypass system may include a throttle valve system configured to move between a first position of routing the exhaust flow through the gas treatment system and a second position of routing the exhaust flow through the exhaust chimney. A control system may be coupled to the bypass system and a monitoring system to determine when to move the bypass system between the first position and the second position. The sealing system may also route a sealing fluid flow (e.g., a sealing gas flow) to one or more seals of the bypass system to avoid exhaust leakage, undesirable gases (e.g., x) captured in the gas treatment system, or a combination thereof. For example, the sealing fluid flow may include an air flow and / or an inert gas flow, such as a nitrogen flow. The sealing system is configured to pressurize the sealing fluid flow, thereby providing a sealing pressure greater than an adjacent flow to help prevent leakage. Various aspects and embodiments of the gas treatment system are discussed in further detail below.

[0017] Figure 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a combined cycle power plant 10 having a gas turbine engine 12 coupled to a control system 14. As discussed in further detail below, the combined cycle power plant 10 may include a gas processing system 16 to process one or more gases in the gas turbine engine 12. In the disclosed embodiment, the gas processing system 16 includes a gas capture system 100 having a bypass system 102, wherein the bypass system 102 is configured to bypass the gas processing system 16 under certain conditions (e.g., startup conditions, low load conditions, faulty gas processing components such as fan trips, etc.). Various features of the gas processing system 16 are discussed in more detail below, and the various features may be used in any suitable combination with each other. However, before turning to the gas processing system 16, the combined cycle power plant 10 will be described as one possible scenario for using the gas processing system 16.

[0018] The gas turbine engine 12 includes an intake section 18, a compressor section 20, a combustor section 22, a turbine section 24, a load 26, and an exhaust section 28. The intake section 18 may include a duct having one or more muffler baffles, a fluid injection system (e.g., heating fluid injection for anti-icing), an air filter, or any combination thereof. The compressor section 20 may include an upstream inlet duct 30 having a bellmouth 32, wherein the inlet duct 30 includes an intake path located between an inner hub 34 and an outer wall 36. The inlet duct 30 also includes a stationary guide vane 38 and an inlet guide vane (IGV) 40. The inlet guide vane 40 may also be coupled to one or more actuators 42, which are communicatively coupled to the control system 14 and controlled by the control system.

[0019] The compressor section 20 includes one or more compressor stages 44, wherein each compressor stage 44 includes a plurality of compressor buckets 46 coupled to a compressor shaft 48 within a compressor housing 50, and a plurality of compressor vanes 52 coupled to the compressor housing 50. The compressor buckets 46 and the compressor vanes 52 are arranged circumferentially within each compressor stage 44 around a central axis of the compressor shaft 48. The compressor stages 44 may include between 1 and more than 30 compressor stages. In addition, the compressor stages 44 alternate between groups of compressor buckets 46 and groups of compressor vanes 52 in the direction of airflow through the compressor section 20. In operation, the compressor stages 44 progressively compress the incoming airflow before delivering it to the combustor section 22.

[0020] The combustor section 22 includes one or more combustors 54, each having one or more fuel nozzles 56. In certain embodiments, the combustor section 22 may have a single annular combustor 54 extending around the central axis of the gas turbine engine 12. However, in some embodiments, the combustor section 22 may include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more combustors 54 circumferentially spaced around the central axis of the gas turbine engine 12. The fuel nozzles 56 receive compressed air 58 from the compressor section 20 and fuel 60 from one or more fuel supply systems 62, mix the fuel and air, and ignite the mixture to produce hot combustion gases 64, which then exit each combustor 54 and enter the turbine section 24. In certain embodiments, the fuel processing system 61 may process the fuel before delivery to the fuel nozzles 56. For example, the fuel processing system 61 may include one or more fuel processing components 63, such as a fuel filter, a dehumidification unit, an acid gas processing unit, or any combination. However, in certain embodiments, the fuel processing system 61 may be excluded.

[0021] The turbine section 24 includes one or more turbine stages 66, wherein each turbine stage 66 includes a plurality of turbine buckets 68 arranged circumferentially around and coupled to a turbine shaft 70 inside a turbine housing 72, and a plurality of turbine vanes 74 arranged circumferentially around the turbine shaft 70. The turbine stages 66 may include 1 to 10 or more turbine stages. In addition, the turbine stages 66 alternate between groups of turbine buckets 68 and groups of turbine vanes 74 in the direction of the flow of hot combustion gas through the turbine section 24. In operation, the hot combustion gases 64 gradually expand and drive the rotation of the turbine buckets 68 in the turbine stages 66.

[0022] The load 26 may include a generator, a machine, or some other driven load. The load 26 may be located at the hot end of the gas turbine engine 12, such as Figure 1As shown, or the load 26 can be disposed at the cold end of the gas turbine engine 12 (e.g., adjacent to the compressor section 20). The exhaust section 28 can include an exhaust pipe, an exhaust treatment device, a muffler, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the exhaust section 28 can include and / or direct the exhaust flow through a heat exchanger and / or a cooling system. As discussed below, the exhaust section 28 can include the gas treatment system 16 or be fluidly coupled to the gas treatment system.

[0023] The control system 14 may include one or more controllers 76, each having a processor 78, a memory 80, instructions 82 stored on the memory 80 and executable by the processor 78, and a communication circuit 84 configured to communicate with the gas processing system 16. The control system 14 is also coupled to various sensors distributed throughout the combined cycle power plant 10 as indicated by element number 86. For example, the sensors 86 may be coupled to and monitor conditions at the intake section 18, the compressor section 20, the fuel supply system 62, the combustors 54 of the combustor section 22, the turbine section 24, the load 26, the exhaust section 28, and the gas processing system 16 (e.g., the gas capture system 100 and the bypass system 102). The control system 14 is configured to receive feedback from the sensors 86 to facilitate adjusting various operating parameters of the gas turbine engine 12, such as intake air flow, fuel supply from the fuel supply system 62 to the combustor 54, operation of the exhaust treatment equipment in the exhaust section 28, operation of the gas processing system 16, or any combination thereof. For example, the control system 14 is configured to operate the bypass system 102 based on feedback from the sensors 86 that indicates conditions that affect the operation of the gas processing system 16, such as a startup condition of the combined cycle power plant 10, a low load condition of the combined cycle power plant 10, a fault or other performance problem of the gas processing system 16, or any combination thereof. For example, the sensors 86 may obtain feedback (e.g., an alarm, an alarm, or a controller trip) indicating a faulty gas processing component, such as a fan (e.g., a booster fan 145), a pump, a valve, an electric actuator, a steam cycle system, an adsorbent-based system of the gas capture system 100, a solvent-based system of the gas capture system, a controller of the gas capture system 100, or any combination thereof. Based on the feedback from the sensors 86, the control system 14 may be configured to operate the bypass system 102 to bypass the exhaust flow around the gas processing system to the exhaust stack. Additional details of the bypass system 102 are discussed in further detail below.

[0024] In operation, the gas turbine engine 12 receives air from the intake section 18 into the inlet duct 30, as indicated by arrows 88, the inlet guide vanes 40 are controlled by the actuator 42 to adjust the angular position of the inlet guide vanes 40 to adjust the airflow entering the compressor section 20, and the compressor section 20 is configured to compress the airflow supplied to the combustor section 22. For example, each stage 44 of the compressor section 20 compresses the airflow with a plurality of buckets 46. The compressed airflow 58 then enters each of the combustors 54, where the fuel nozzles 56 mix the compressed airflow with fuel 60 from the fuel supply system 62. The mixture of fuel and air then burns in each combustor 54 to produce hot combustion gases 64, which flow into the turbine section 24 to drive the rotation of the turbine buckets 68 in each stage 66. Rotation of turbine buckets 68 drives rotation of turbine shaft 70, which in turn drives rotation of load 26 and compressor section 20 via shaft 90 coupled to load 26 and shaft 92 coupled to compressor shaft 48. Turbine section 24 then discharges exhaust gas 94 into exhaust section 28 for final treatment and discharge to the environment.

[0025] In the illustrated embodiment, the exhaust section includes a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) 96, which is configured to transfer heat from the exhaust to water, thereby generating steam to drive a steam turbine system 98. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the combined cycle power plant 10 has a gas turbine engine 12 that generates electricity and exhaust, a HRSG 96 that generates steam from the exhaust, and a steam turbine system 98 that generates electricity from the steam. The HRSG 96 may include a plurality of heat exchangers and / or heat exchange components disposed in different sections, such as a high pressure (HP) section, an intermediate pressure (IP) section, and a low pressure (LP) section. The components may include an economizer, an evaporator, a superheater, or any combination thereof in each of the HP section, the IP section, and the LP section. Similarly, the steam turbine system 98 may include a plurality of steam turbine sections, such as a high pressure (HP) steam turbine, an intermediate pressure (IP) steam turbine, and a low pressure (LP) steam turbine. In operation, low pressure (LP) steam, intermediate pressure (IP) steam, and high pressure (HP) steam may be supplied from the LP section, IP section, and HP section of the HRSG 96 to drive the respective LP steam turbine, IP steam turbine, and HP steam turbine of the steam turbine system 98. Additionally, the LP steam, IP steam, and / or HP steam from the HRSG 96 may be supplied to the gas processing system 16 for use in the gas capture system 100.

[0026] Downstream of the HRSG 96, the exhaust may flow through one or more coolers 99, such as direct coolers and / or indirect coolers (e.g., heat exchangers). For example, the coolers 99 may include direct contact coolers configured to inject a fluid (e.g., a liquid such as water) directly into the exhaust for direct cooling of the exhaust. The coolers 99 are configured to reduce the temperature of the exhaust upstream of the gas treatment system 16.

[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, the gas turbine system 10 has a gas treatment system 16 (e.g., for exhaust treatment along the exhaust flow path) coupled to the exhaust section 28. However, the gas treatment system 16 may also be coupled to one or more reciprocating piston cylinder engines, a furnace, a boiler, a chemical reactor, a gasification system having one or more gasifiers configured to produce syngas, or other industrial equipment. Each of these gas treatment systems 16 has features described in further detail below, and the disclosed embodiments are intended to be used in various combinations with each other in all of the aforementioned applications. As discussed below, for illustrative purposes, the gas treatment system 16 is described in the context of the exhaust flow path. The gas treatment system 16 is configured to remove and capture one or more undesirable gases (e.g., acid gases and / or exhaust gases) from the exhaust in the gas capture system 100. The gas capture system 100 may include an adsorbent-based gas capture system, a solvent-based gas capture system, or any combination thereof.

[0028] In operation of the gas capture system 100 (e.g., an adsorbent-based gas capture system), the adsorbent material is configured to adsorb undesirable gases from the exhaust gas during an adsorption mode, and the adsorbent material is configured to desorb undesirable gases from the exhaust gas during a desorption mode. The adsorption mode is an exothermic process, while the desorption mode is an endothermic process. During the desorption mode, a heat source is used to apply heat to the adsorbent material, thereby driving the undesirable gases to desorb from the adsorbent material. The heat source may include any suitable heat transfer fluid, such as a liquid and / or a gas. For example, the heat source may include steam and / or heated water. In certain embodiments, the gas capture system 100 may include a vacuum system configured to induce flow to assist in extracting undesirable gases from the gas capture system 100, such as the adsorbent material of an adsorbent-based gas capture system.

[0029] In operation of the gas capture system 100 (e.g., a solvent-based gas capture system), the absorber is configured to circulate both the exhaust gas and the solvent through the tank in a counter-current flow arrangement. For example, the absorber may circulate the exhaust gas in a vertically upward direction while the absorber circulates the solvent in a vertically downward direction. The solvent absorbs the undesirable gases from the exhaust gas. Upon exiting the absorber, the solvent flows through a regeneration unit, which then uses steam to help separate or strip the undesirable gases from the solvent. Thus, the gas capture system 100 may include one or both of an adsorbent-based gas capture system and a solvent-based gas capture system to remove and capture undesirable gases from the exhaust gas.

[0030] Undesirable gases include any gas that may be undesirable in the fuel supply and / or exhaust. For example, undesirable gases may include acid gases present in the fuel supply and exhaust. As another example, undesirable gases in the exhaust may include any exhaust gas that is typically regulated, including but not limited to carbon oxides (CO X ) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO X ) such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur oxides (SO X ) such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) or any combination thereof. The disclosed embodiments are particularly applicable to gas capture of CO2 from exhaust gases. However, when undesirable gases are involved, even though CO2 is listed as the only example, the following discussion is intended to cover each of these examples.

[0031] The gas processing system 16 may include a fluid supply system 104 configured to supply one or more fluids 106 to the gas capture system 100. The fluid 106 (e.g., gas, liquid, and / or steam) may include a purge fluid, a heating fluid, a cooling fluid, or any combination thereof. For example, the fluid 106 may include heated water and / or steam 108. The steam 108 may be generated and / or supplied by the HRSG 96, the steam turbine system 98, and / or one or more additional steam generators, such as a boiler 110. The boiler 110 (e.g., a stand-alone or external boiler) is configured to generate steam 108 from a heat source (e.g., combustion in the boiler 110). The fluid 106 (e.g., heated water and / or steam 108) may be used by the gas capture system 100 to help separate and capture undesirable gases from the exhaust.

[0032] In operation, the gas capture system 100 receives and processes the exhaust gas 94 by removing and capturing undesirable gases, thereby outputting a treated gas 112 (e.g., treated exhaust gas) and a captured gas 114. The treated gas 112 is depleted (or substantially free) of undesirable gases. The captured gas 114 is enriched in or substantially consists of undesirable gases. The gas capture system 100 uses a fluid 106 (e.g., heated water and / or steam 108) to facilitate the gas capture process, such as by providing heat to facilitate desorption of undesirable gases from an adsorbent material of an adsorbent-based gas capture system and / or for separating undesirable gases from a solvent of a solvent-based gas capture system. The treated gas 112 then flows through an exhaust stack. The captured gas 114 can be routed through downstream equipment 116, such as a dehydration system, a compression system, a storage device and / or a pipeline, or a combination thereof.

[0033] During operation, the control system 14 may be configured to operate the bypass system 102 to (1) enable the exhaust flow to pass through the gas treatment system 16 (e.g., the gas capture system 100) to remove and capture undesirable gases, or (2) bypass the exhaust flow through the exhaust stack without passing the exhaust through the gas treatment system 16 (e.g., the gas capture system 100), based on feedback from the sensors 86, user input, startup conditions, low load conditions, failures or performance issues with the gas treatment system 16 (e.g., fans such as booster fans), or any combination thereof. Details of the bypass system 102 are discussed in further detail below.

[0034] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle power plant 10 of the present invention, further illustrating details of a gas capture system 100 and a bypass system 102 of a gas processing system 16. The combined cycle power plant 10 has a gas turbine engine 12 that is configured to combust a fuel to produce an exhaust gas 94 that flows through a HRSG 96 to produce steam 108 for a steam turbine 98 and the gas processing system 16. The gas processing system 16, including one or more of the gas capture systems 100, is configured to receive and use steam 108 and / or heated water from the HRSG 96 and / or steam turbine 98 at one or more conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, steam / water content, etc.) to facilitate the removal and capture of undesirable gases (e.g., CO2) from the exhaust gas. As described above, although the gas capture system 100 may be well suited for the removal and capture of CO2, the undesirable gases may include carbon oxides (CO X ) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOX) such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur oxides (SO X) such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) or any one or more of any combination.

[0035] In the illustrated embodiment, the gas turbine engine 12 is drivingly coupled to a load 26, such as a generator. Similarly, the steam turbine 98 is drivingly coupled to a load 120, such as a generator. The gas turbine engine 12 and the steam turbine 98 together drive the loads 26 and 120 (e.g., generators) for generating electricity for the combined cycle power plant 10 and the power grid. The HRSG 96 may include a plurality of sections, such as a low pressure (LP) section 122, an intermediate pressure (IP) section 124, and a high pressure (HP) section 126, which are configured to produce steam 108 as low pressure (LP) steam, intermediate pressure (IP) steam, and high pressure (HP) steam, respectively. The HRSG 96 transfers heat from the exhaust gas 94 to water and / or steam to produce LP steam, IP steam, and HP steam. In certain embodiments, the steam turbine 98 includes a plurality of steam turbine sections, such as a low pressure (LP) steam turbine section, an intermediate pressure (IP) steam turbine section, and a high pressure (HP) steam turbine section, which are driven by LP steam, IP steam, and HP steam, respectively. Additionally, the gas processing system 16 may receive and use steam 108 , such as one or more of LP steam, IP steam, and HP steam, and / or heated water, from the HRSG 96 and / or steam turbine 98 . After generating steam 108 , the HRSG 96 passes the exhaust gas 94 to an exhaust stack 128 .

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the bypass system 102 may be coupled to the exhaust stack 128, wherein the bypass system 102 may be at least partially or substantially disposed within the exhaust stack 128, an adjacent exhaust duct, the HRSG 96, and / or the gas treatment system 16. The bypass system 102 is configured to control the direction of the exhaust gas 94 along a gas treatment flow path 130 or a bypass flow path 132. For example, the gas treatment flow path 130 may extend through the gas treatment system 16 and the downstream equipment 116 for treating the exhaust gas 94. In contrast, the bypass flow path 132 may extend upward through the exhaust stack 128 to a discharge opening 134, wherein the exhaust gas is discharged as an exhaust stream 136. Thus, the bypass flow path 132 does not pass through the gas treatment system 16, but rather the bypass flow path 132 routes the exhaust gas 94 around the gas treatment system 16.

[0037] The bypass system 102 may include a plurality of flow control components 138, such as a first flow control valve or diverter damper 140, a second flow control valve or gate damper 142, and a sealing gas system 144. The first flow control valve or diverter damper 140 may include an N-port valve or damper, an N-way valve or damper, or a combination thereof, where N is at least equal to 3 or greater. In other words, the first flow control valve or diverter damper 140 may include an inlet (e.g., an exhaust inlet for the exhaust gas 94), a first outlet (e.g., an exhaust treatment outlet leading to the exhaust flow path 130), and a second outlet (e.g., a bypass outlet leading to the bypass flow path 132). The first flow control valve or diverter damper 140 may include additional inlets and / or outlets for various applications, sampling, processing, or use of the exhaust gas 94. In the following discussion, as one possible example, the first flow control valve or diverter damper 140 is generally referred to as a diverter damper, although various configurations of the bypass system 102 are contemplated. However, the diverter damper 140 may generally be configured to switch or alternate flow configurations between the gas processing flow path 130 (e.g., gas processing mode) and the bypass flow path 132 (e.g., bypass mode). Although a variety of valves may be used for such flow control, the disclosed embodiments use the diverter damper 140 for reduced complexity, improved performance, and improved controllability in the combined cycle power plant 10.

[0038] As discussed in further detail below, the controller 76 is coupled to a diverter damper 140 (e.g., a driver or actuator), wherein the controller 76 is configured to move the diverter damper 140 between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position of the diverter damper 140 opens the gas treatment flow path 130 and closes a bypass flow path 132 to the exhaust gas 94 from the gas turbine engine 12. The second position of the diverter damper 140 closes the gas treatment flow path 130 and opens the bypass flow path 132 to the exhaust gas 94 from the gas turbine engine 12. Again, the gas treatment flow path 130 is configured to extend through the gas treatment system 16 having the gas capture system 100, wherein the bypass flow path 132 is configured to bypass the gas treatment system 16 having the gas capture system 100. In other words, the first position of the diverter damper 140 blocks the exhaust flow 94 from being discharged through the exhaust outlet 134 of the exhaust stack 128 and directs the exhaust flow 94 along the gas treatment flow path 130 into the gas treatment system 16. The second position of the diverter damper 140 blocks the exhaust gas 94 from flowing into the gas treatment system 16 along the gas treatment flow path 130, wherein the diverter damper 140 directs the exhaust gas 94 to flow upward through the exhaust stack 128 and through the exhaust outlet 134. As discussed below, the diverter damper 140 may include a rotatable gate, plate, panel, vane, or valve element that is coupled to an actuator controlled by the controller 76. However, the diverter damper 140 may have other configurations to switch the exhaust flow between the gas treatment flow path 130 and the bypass flow path 132.

[0039] Additionally and optionally, a second flow control valve or knife-type damper 142 may be included to help isolate the gas treatment system 16 when operating in a bypass mode, wherein the diverter damper 140 closes the gas treatment flow path 130 and opens the bypass flow path 132. The second flow control valve or knife-type damper 142 may include an N-port valve or damper, an N-way valve or damper, or a combination thereof, wherein N is at least equal to 2 or greater. In the illustrated embodiment, the second flow control valve or knife-type damper 142 may be designed to open or close the gas treatment flow path 132 as a 2-port valve or a 2-way valve or damper. In the following discussion, as one possible example, the second flow control valve or knife-type damper 142 is generally referred to as a knife-type damper, although various configurations of the bypass system 102 are contemplated.

[0040] In operation, the diverter damper 140 may be supplemented by a gate damper 142 to provide a more positive seal to prevent fluid flow between the gas treatment system 16 and the exhaust stack 128, such as to prevent undesirable gases (e.g., CO2) from leaking from the gas treatment system 16. As discussed below, the gate damper 142 may include an axially movable plate, panel, vane, or valve element that is coupled to an actuator controlled by the controller 76. The controller 76 operates the actuator to linearly move the gate damper 142 upward and downward, thereby opening and closing the flow of fluid into and through the gas treatment system 16 along the gas treatment flow path 130.

[0041] Each of the diverter damper 140 and the gate damper 142 can include one or more seals configured to provide an airtight seal to prevent leakage, such as leakage of exhaust gas 94, undesirable gases (e.g., CO2), or any combination thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the bypass system 102 also has a sealing gas system 144 configured to provide sealing gas to the diverter damper 140 and / or the gate damper 142 to help provide a buffer gas to prevent gas leakage. The details of the sealing gas system 144 will be discussed in further detail below. In general, the bypass system 102 is configured to move between two configurations: (1) a gas treatment mode that enables the exhaust flow to pass through the gas treatment system 16 by opening the gas treatment flow path 130 and closing the bypass flow path 132, or (2) a bypass mode that allows the exhaust flow to bypass the gas treatment system 16 by closing the gas treatment flow path 130 and opening the bypass flow path 132. The controller 76 is coupled to the bypass system 102 to provide control of the diverter damper 140 , the knife damper 142 , and the seal gas system 144 during operation to provide proper directional flow and sealing based on various conditions of the combined cycle power plant 10 .

[0042] For example, the controller 76 may monitor the various sensors 86 to determine whether conditions are appropriate for gas processing in the gas processing 16, or whether bypassing of the exhaust gas 94 is recommended. In certain embodiments, the bypass system 102 may be operated by the controller 76 to bypass the exhaust gas 94 from flowing through the exhaust stack 128 and out of the gas processing system 16 through the exhaust outlet 134 based on one or more of the following: startup conditions of the combined cycle power plant 10, low part load conditions of the combined cycle power plant 10, a fault or performance problem in the gas processing system 16 (e.g., fans, pumps, valves, drives, etc.), a fault or problem with the downstream equipment 116, or any other suitable user input or sensor feedback from the sensors 86. For example, the controller 76 may trigger the bypass system 102 to bypass the gas processing system 16 due to a problem (e.g., a trip, malfunction, or failure) with one or more fans that facilitate the flow of the exhaust gas 94 through the gas processing system 16, where the problem may result in insufficient exhaust gas 94 flowing through the gas processing system 16 (e.g., the gas capture system 100). As another example, the controller 76 may trigger the bypass system 102 to bypass the gas treatment system 16 due to a startup condition, wherein the startup condition has a high level of NO X Emissions (e.g., NO X level is above a NOx threshold), which is detrimental to the gas capture process (e.g., carbon capture of CO2) in the gas capture system 100. As another example, the controller 76 may trigger the bypass system 102 to bypass the gas treatment system 16 due to a low part load condition, wherein the low part load condition may be due to insufficient bottoming cycle steam to feed the gas capture process (e.g., carbon capture of CO2) in the gas capture system 100.

[0043] The gas treatment system 16 may include one or more gas capture systems of the same or different types of gas capture systems 100. As discussed above, the gas capture system 100 may include one or more fans 145 (e.g., booster fans), sorbent-based gas capture systems 146, and / or solid-based gas capture systems 148. The one or more fans 145 (e.g., motor-driven fans) are configured to increase the pressure of the exhaust gas 94 flowing through the gas treatment system 16, and specifically through the one or more gas capture systems 100. Each of the gas capture systems 146 and 148 may include a plurality of gas capture components, such as flow control valves, pumps, fans, heater coolers, actuators or drives, sensors, and / or other controllable elements that control the gas capture process. For example, one or more fans (e.g., motor-driven fans) may be provided upstream, downstream, or within the gas capture system 100 (e.g., 146 and / or 148) to help force the exhaust gas 94 to flow through the gas capture system 100. The one or more fans may be in addition to the one or more fans 145 described above. If one or more of these fans fails and / or fails to provide exhaust gas 94 at a sufficient pressure, the bypass system 102 can be operated by the controller 76 to bypass the gas treatment system 16. The gas capture system 100 (e.g., 146 and / or 148) can also include one or more components specific to the type of gas capture, such as sorbent-based gas capture or solvent-based gas capture. For example, the sorbent-based gas capture system 146 can include gas capture components 150, 152, and 154. Similarly, the solvent-based gas capture system 148 can include multiple gas capture components, such as gas capture components 156, 158, and 160.

[0044] Using the gas capture components 150, 152, and 154, the adsorbent-based gas capture system 146 can have a variety of configurations and operating characteristics. In certain embodiments, the gas capture component 150 can include an adsorbent material 150 configured to adsorb undesirable gases (e.g., CO2) from the exhaust gas 94 during an adsorption mode, and desorb undesirable gases from the adsorbent material 150 during a desorption mode. The gas capture component 152 can include a mode controller 152, wherein the mode controller 152 is configured to control the operating characteristics to enable the exhaust gas 94 to flow through the adsorbent material 150 for adsorption, or disable the exhaust gas 94 from flowing through the adsorbent material 150 and apply heat to promote desorption of undesirable gases from the adsorbent material 150. For example, the adsorbent-based gas capture system 146 can supply a heat source, such as steam 108 and / or heated water, to the adsorbent material 150 during a desorption mode as controlled by the mode controller 152. In certain embodiments, the mode controller 152 may alternate the flow of the exhaust gas 94 or steam 108 through the adsorbent material 150 in the respective adsorption mode and desorption mode of the adsorbent-based gas capture system 146. The adsorbent-based gas capture system 146 may use a gas capture component 154 to help extract and / or capture the undesirable gas after desorption from the adsorbent material 150. For example, if the adsorbent-based gas capture system 146 uses steam 108 during the desorption mode, the gas capture component 154 may condense the steam into water and / or generally separate the undesirable gas from the steam 108 to produce the captured gas 114, which is then processed by the downstream equipment 116. For example, the gas capture component 154 may include a vacuum system, a separator, or a combination thereof, wherein the vacuum system is configured to generate a vacuum to draw the steam and the undesirable gas into the separator, and the separator is configured to separate the undesirable gas (e.g., CO2) from the steam 108. For example, the separator may include a water gas separator, a cooler, and / or a condenser, or a combination thereof.

[0045] The model controller 152 may include various controls to alternate between the respective adsorption and desorption modes (or areas of adsorbent material 150) of the adsorbent-based gas capture system 146. In some embodiments, the adsorbent-based gas capture system 146 may continuously move adsorbent material 150 (e.g., adsorbent material wheels, disks, or rotors) between different flow paths of the exhaust 94 and steam 108, thereby continuously and alternately exposing the adsorbent material 150 to the exhaust 94 for adsorption of undesirable gases, and then exposing the adsorbent material 150 to the steam 108 for desorption of undesirable gases. In some embodiments, the adsorbent-based gas capture system 146 may include a movable cartridge of adsorbent material 150 that can be selectively moved back and forth between the flow paths of the exhaust 94 and steam 108. In certain embodiments, the adsorbent-based gas capture system 146 may use a mode controller 152 to control valves and other flow control devices to alternate the flow of the exhaust 94 and steam 108 through one or more channels, each of which has an adsorbent material 150. Thus, the sorbent-based gas capture system 146 may have a variety of configurations to perform an adsorption mode and a desorption mode using the sorbent material 150 to capture undesirable gases from the exhaust gas 94 and produce the captured gas 114 .

[0046] Solvent-based gas capture 148 may also have a variety of configurations to use solvents (or other fluids) for undesirable gases not captured in the exhaust gas 94 to produce captured gas 114. In certain embodiments, the gas capture components 156, 158, and 160 may include a cooler, an absorber, and a stripper, respectively. Thus, the cooler 156 is configured to cool the exhaust gas 94 before it enters the absorber 158. The cooler 156 may be a direct cooler and / or an indirect cooler or heat exchanger. For example, in certain embodiments, the cooler 156 may be a direct contact cooler configured to inject a coolant, such as water, directly into the gas treatment flow path 130 of the exhaust gas 94, thereby directly cooling the exhaust gas 94. However, the cooler 156 may include an indirect cooler or a heat exchanger that uses water or another coolant to transfer heat from the exhaust gas 94 along the gas treatment flow path 130. The absorber 158 typically includes a container or shell that provides a countercurrent flow of the exhaust gas 94 and the solvent. For example, the absorber 158 can direct the exhaust gas 94 to flow upward through the solvent within the absorber 158 while directing the solvent to move downward through the absorber 158. The solvent in the absorber 158 is configured to capture or absorb the undesirable gas from the exhaust gas 94, so that the absorber 158 outputs a treated gas 112 and a gas-rich solvent (e.g., a CO2-rich solvent) having the undesirable gas (e.g., CO2). The gas-rich solvent then flows through a stripper 160, which is configured to strip the undesirable gas from the gas-rich solvent to produce the captured gas 114. For example, in certain embodiments, the stripper 160 can use steam 108 to help strip the undesirable gas from the gas-rich solvent. As will be appreciated, the solvent-based gas capture system 148 can have a variety of configurations and types of solvents for capturing undesirable gases from the exhaust gas 94.

[0047] Thus, the gas treatment system 16 may include one or more different or the same types of gas capture systems 100, such as an adsorbent-based gas capture system 146 and a solvent-based gas capture system 148, arranged in series and / or in parallel with each other. In some embodiments, the gas capture system 100 includes only types of gas capture systems 100, such as an adsorbent-based gas capture system 146 or a solvent-based gas capture system 148. The gas treatment system 16 generally outputs a treated gas 112, which may then be directed to an exhaust stack 128 for discharge through an exhaust outlet 134 or through a separate exhaust stack. The gas treatment system 16 also discharges the captured gas 114 for further processing by a downstream device 116.

[0048] In the illustrated embodiment, the downstream equipment 116 includes a dehydration system 162, a compression system 164, and a storage device and / or a piping system 166. The dehydration system 162 is configured to dehydrate or substantially remove moisture from the captured gas 114 via one or more dehydration components 168. For example, the dehydration component 168 may include a heat exchanger 170, a separator 172, and a water collector 174. The heat exchanger 170 may be configured to cool the captured gas 114, thereby causing any moisture in the captured gas 114 to condense. The separator 172 may include a water-gas separator configured to separate condensed water from the captured gas 114. In certain embodiments, the separator 172 may include a gravity separator, a centrifugal separator, or any other type of separation unit or any combination thereof. The water collector 174 may be configured to collect condensed and separated water and return the water to the water supply system 176 for subsequent use in the combined cycle power plant 10. In some embodiments, the water collector 174 may include a drainage system, a water tank, a water pump, a water filter, or any combination thereof. As will be appreciated, the dehydration system 162 may include any one or more types of dehydration components 168. After performing various dehydration processes, the dehydration system 162 outputs the captured gas 114 as dry captured gas 178 for subsequent compression in the compression system 164.

[0049] The compression system 164 may include a plurality of compressor components 180, such as a compressor 182, a compressor 184, and an intercooler or cooling heat exchanger 186. For example, the compressor 182 may be configured to compress the dry captured gas 178 in a first compression stage, the intercooler 186 may be configured to cool the dry captured gas 178 by the compressor 182 after the first compression stage, and the compressor 184 may be configured to compress the dry captured gas 178 in a second compression stage after cooling by the intercooler 186. In certain embodiments, the compression system 164 may be a single-stage compressor, or the compression component 180 may include 3, 4, 5 or more compressors and associated intercoolers. The compression system 164 then outputs the compressed captured gas 188 to a storage device and / or a piping system 166. Thus, the compressed captured gas 188 may be used for a variety of applications, either locally in the combined cycle power plant 10, or remotely via a storage device and / or piping system 166.

[0050] The water supply system 176 may receive fresh water, condensate, or other plant water from various sources throughout the combined cycle power plant 10. For example, the water supply system 176 may receive water from the dehydration system 162, as indicated by arrow 190 (e.g., a water conduit), water from the compression system 164, as indicated by arrow 192 (e.g., a water conduit), and water from the gas processing system 16, as indicated by arrow 194 (e.g., a water conduit). The water supply system 176 may also supply water to various devices throughout the combined cycle power plant 10. For example, the water supply system 176 may supply water to the HRSG 96 for steam generation of the steam 108 (e.g., via a water conduit), and to the gas processing system 16 for various cooling processes within the gas capture system 100. For example, the cooler 156 of the solvent-based gas capture system 148 may use water from the water supply system 176. Given the various sources and uses of water, the water supply system 176 may include a plurality of water components 196, such as a water storage device 198, a thermal control system 200, and a water treatment system 202. The water storage device 198 may include a water storage container, a water storage tower, a water supply conduit, a reservoir or pond, or any combination thereof. The thermal control system 200 may include a heat exchanger and / or a cooling system that may be configured to control the water temperature according to the desired use of the entire combined cycle power plant 10. For example, the thermal control system 200 may include a cooling tower, an indirect heat exchanger that uses another thermal fluid to provide cooling, one or more fans, a refrigeration system, a heating system that uses heat from various sources in the combined cycle power plant 10, or any combination thereof. The water treatment system 202 may include one or more of a filtration system, a chemical treatment system, an impurity removal system, or any combination thereof. Therefore, the water supply system 176 may supply thermal control and treated water to various locations throughout the combined cycle power plant 10, including but not limited to the HRSG 96 and the gas processing system 16.

[0051] In operation, the controller 76 is configured to control the bypass system 102 to facilitate continued operation of the combined cycle power plant 10 based on various conditions that affect the operation of the gas processing system 16. For example, if the controller 76 determines based on one or more inputs that the gas processing system 16 should not receive a flow of exhaust gas 94 for processing, the controller 76 may operate the bypass system 102 to block the exhaust gas 94 from flowing along the gas processing flow path 130 and bypass the exhaust gas 94 along the bypass flow path 132 to flow out through the exhaust outlet 134 of the exhaust stack 128. The one or more inputs may include, for example, one or more inputs indicative of a fault, a performance issue, a startup condition, a low load condition, or any combination thereof that affects the efficient operation of the gas processing system 16 with the gas capture system 100. Conversely, if the controller 76 determines that conditions are suitable for gas processing in the gas processing system 16 , the controller 76 may operate the bypass system 102 to enable the exhaust gas 94 to flow through the gas processing system 16 and the downstream equipment 116 along the gas processing flow path 130 while substantially preventing the exhaust gas 94 from flowing out through the exhaust outlet 134 of the exhaust stack 128 .

[0052] In certain embodiments, the controller 76 may operate the bypass system 102 based on various feedback from the sensors 86, user input, alarms and warnings associated with problems in the gas processing system 16, the dehydration system 162, or the compression system 164, the current state of the combined cycle power plant 10 (e.g., startup conditions, low load conditions, or other conditions), or any combination thereof. In this manner, the bypass system 102 enables the combined cycle power plant 10 to continue to operate even if the gas processing system 16 is inoperable for various reasons, and thus the bypass system 102 isolates the gas processing system 16 while allowing the exhaust gas 94 to exit through the exhaust stack 128. Various aspects of the bypass system 102 are discussed in further detail below.

[0053] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 and Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle power plant 10 of FIG. 1 , further illustrating a lower level bypass configuration 220 of a bypass system 102 coupled to an exhaust stack 128. In the illustrated embodiment, the bypass system 102 is coupled to a lower stack portion 222 of the exhaust stack 128, such as a ground level or base stack portion of the exhaust stack 128. The exhaust stack 128 also has an upper stack portion 224 extending vertically upward above the bypass system 102 in the lower stack portion 222. Thus, the bypass flow path 132 extends through the upper stack portion 224 of the exhaust stack 128 to an exhaust outlet 134. The bypass system 102 can be supported by a support 226 having a plurality of legs 228, wherein each of the legs 228 includes one or more lateral supports 230, one or more vertical brackets 232, and one or more feet 234. As shown, legs 228 extend from opposite sides of the bypass system 102, with lateral supports 230 extending outwardly from the bypass system 102, vertical supports 232 extending downwardly from the lateral supports 230 to respective feet 234, and the feet 234 may be disposed at ground level or fixed in place. The bypass system 102 may also include a frame or housing 236 coupled to the supports 226 such that the supports 226 and the frame 236 hold the bypass system 102 in a desired position in the lower chimney portion 222 of the exhaust chimney 128. Additional details of the bypass system 102 are discussed in further detail below.

[0054] like Figure 3As further shown, the HRSG 96 is coupled to the lower chimney portion 222 of the exhaust stack 128 via a transition duct 238, which may include an expansion joint 240 coupled to the HRSG 96, an expansion joint 242 coupled to the lower chimney portion 222 of the exhaust stack 128, and a downward transition portion 244 extending between and coupled to the expansion joints 240 and 242. The transition duct 238 is tilted downward toward the bypass system 102 disposed in the lower chimney portion 222. However, in certain embodiments, the transition duct 238 may be oriented in a horizontal direction or tilted upward. The exhaust stack 128 is also coupled to the gas treatment system 16 via a duct 246. The duct 246 may be oriented in a horizontal direction, tilted upward, or tilted downward between the exhaust stack 128 and the gas treatment system 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the duct 246 is generally oriented in a horizontal direction between an expansion joint 248 coupled to the lower chimney portion 222 of the exhaust chimney 128 and an expansion joint 250 coupled to the gas treatment system 16. The expansion joints 240, 242, 248, and 250 may include various seals, movable connections, and flexible joints to allow movement between components while maintaining a seal. For example, the expansion joints 240, 242, 248, and 250 may include hula seals, bellows, metal seals, axially movable joints, springs, or any combination thereof.

[0055] Figure 4 yes Figures 1 to 3 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle power plant 10, further illustrating an elevated level bypass configuration 260 of the bypass system 102 coupled to the exhaust stack 128. The bypass system 236 is similar to the bypass system 236 described above with reference to Figure 3 However, the bypass system 102 of the elevated level bypass configuration 260 is supported by a support 226 in the upper chimney portion 224 of the exhaust chimney 128. Thus, the lower chimney portion 222 of the exhaust chimney 128 extends vertically upward from the HRSG 96 to the bypass system 102 in the upper chimney portion 224, so that the exhaust gas 94 flows vertically upward before reaching the bypass system 102. The support 226 has a Figure 3 However, the legs 228 extend to the upper chimney portion 224 so that the vertical support members 232 are generally larger than those of the chimney members 224. Figure 3 In addition, the support members 226 have a similar configuration to the legs 228 , including lateral supports 230 , vertical supports 232 , and feet 234 to support a frame or housing 236 of the bypass system 102 .

[0056] The HRSG 96 is coupled to the lower stack portion 222 via an expansion joint 262, which may be similar to the expansion joints 240, 242, 248, and 250 as discussed above. The upper stack portion 224 of the exhaust stack 128 is coupled to a transition duct 264 that extends to the gas processing system 16. The transition duct 264 includes an expansion joint 266 coupled to the upper stack portion 224 of the exhaust stack 128 adjacent the bypass system 102, and an expansion joint 268 coupled to the gas processing system 16. Again, as discussed above, the expansion joints 266 and 268 may have a similar configuration to the expansion joints 240, 242, 248, and 250. In the illustrated embodiment, the transition duct 264 includes a downward transition portion 270 extending from the upper stack portion 224 to the gas processing system 16. Thus, the downward transition portion 270 can include a downward inclination from the bypass configuration 260 of the elevated level of the bypass system 236 to the gas treatment system 16. However, in certain embodiments, the downward transition portion 270 can include a vertical downward transition portion, a curved downward transition portion, a horizontal transition portion, or any combination thereof. In the bypass configuration 260 of the elevated level, the bypass system 102 is disposed in the upper chimney portion 224, which can be at least equal to or greater than 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90 percent of the total height of the exhaust chimney 128. The inclination of the downward transition portion 270 can include an angle of at least equal to or greater than 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 40 degrees, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, or more relative to the ground. Additional details of the bypass system 102 are discussed in further detail below.

[0057] Figure 5 yes Figures 1 to 4 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle power plant 10 of FIG. 1, further illustrating details of a bypass system 102 coupled to an exhaust stack 128 and a gas treatment system 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the bypass system 102 is at least partially or substantially coupled to a duct 280 of the exhaust stack 128 and a duct 282 extending to the gas treatment system 16 or a portion thereof. For example, the duct 280 may be a vertical duct of the exhaust stack 128, and the duct 282 may be a horizontal duct, a downwardly inclined duct, an upwardly inclined duct, or any combination thereof, located between the duct 280 and the gas treatment system 16. The diverter damper 140, the knife damper 142, and the seal gas system 144 may be coupled to one or both of the ducts 280 and 282 to provide flow control of the exhaust gas 94 entering one or both of the gas treatment flow path 130 and the bypass flow path 132.

[0058] In the illustrated embodiment, the diverter damper 140 has a door 284 coupled to a pivot joint 286 and an actuator 288, wherein the actuator 288 is configured to rotate the door 284 about the pivot joint 286 between a first position 290 and a second position 292. The first position 290 of the door 284 blocks the duct 280 and opens the duct 282, thereby directing the exhaust gas 94 along the gas treatment flow path 130 through the exhaust stack 128 and the duct 282 into and through the gas treatment system 16. In this first position 290, the door 282 blocks the exhaust gas 94 from continuing to flow upward along the bypass flow path 132 through the exhaust stack 128 and out through the exhaust outlet 134. In the second position 292, the door 284 opens the exhaust stack 128 along the duct 280 and discharges through the exhaust outlet 134 while blocking the duct 282. Thus, the second position 292 of the door 284 enables the exhaust gas 94 to flow upward through the exhaust stack 128, through the duct 280 along the bypass flow path 132, and out through the exhaust outlet 134. However, the second position 292 of the door 284 blocks the duct 282 such that the exhaust gas 94 cannot enter and flow through the duct 282 along the gas treatment flow path 130 into and through the gas treatment system 16.

[0059] The diverter damper 140 may include various configurations of a door 284, a pivot joint 286, and a driver 288. The door 284 may include a rotatable panel, plate, blade, plate, valve element, damper element, or a combination thereof. The door 284 may be constructed of metal, insulating material, or any combination thereof. The pivot joint 286 may include a hinge, a shaft, a pin, or any other suitable rotatable joint so that the door 284 can rotate between a first position 290 and a second position 292, as indicated by arrow 294. The driver 288 may include an electric driver, a fluid driver, a gear assembly, or a transmission, or any combination thereof. For example, the driver 288 (e.g., an electric driver) may include an electric motor, an electric actuator, an electronic controller, or any combination thereof. The driver 288 (e.g., a fluid driver) may include a gas or pneumatic driver, a liquid or hydraulic driver, a gear assembly, a transmission, a fluid controller, or any combination thereof. For example, the actuator 288 may include a fluid-driven piston-cylinder assembly that is driven by a fluid source to move a piston within a cylinder, thereby providing motion to drive the door 282. In certain embodiments, the actuator 288 may include a gear assembly or transmission that is configured to convert linear motion into rotational motion (e.g., a linear-to-rotary motion conversion assembly) to provide rotational movement of the door 284 between the first position 290 and the second position 292.

[0060] The knife-type damper 142 may include a gate 296 coupled to a driver 298, wherein the driver 298 is configured to move the gate 296 between an open position 302 disposed outside the pipeline 282 and a closed position 304 extending across the interior of the pipeline 282 along a linear movement path as indicated by arrow 300. In the open position 302, the gate 296 is retracted to the outside of the pipeline 282 so that the gate 296 does not obstruct the flow of exhaust gas 94 along the gas treatment flow path 130. In the closed position 304, the gate 296 extends inwardly within the pipeline 282 and across the pipeline, thereby preventing the exhaust gas 94 from flowing along the gas treatment flow path 130 and passing through the pipeline 282 to the gas treatment system 16. The driver 298 may include any and all of the features described above with reference to the driver 288. The driver 298 may include an electric driver, a fluid driver, a gear assembly or a transmission, or any combination thereof. For example, the driver 298 (e.g., an electric driver) may include an electric motor, an electric actuator, an electronic controller, or any combination thereof. The actuator 298 (e.g., a fluid actuator) may include a gas or pneumatic actuator, a liquid or hydraulic actuator, a gear assembly, a transmission, a fluid controller, or any combination thereof. For example, the actuator 298 may include a fluid-driven piston-cylinder assembly that is driven by a fluid source to move a piston within a cylinder, thereby providing movement to drive the gate 296. The actuator 298 is configured to provide a linear force to move the gate 296 along a linear travel path as indicated by arrow 300. When sealing the conduit 282 in a bypass configuration (e.g., bypass mode) of the bypass system 102, the knife-type damper 142 may be operated to supplement the diverter damper 140.

[0061] The sealing gas system 144 may be coupled to the bypass system 102 at the diverter damper 140 and the gate damper 142 to facilitate sealing at various locations of the diverter damper 140 and the gate damper 142. For example, the sealing gas supply 144 may include a plurality of sealing gas injectors 306, such as a sealing gas injector 308 coupled to the conduit 280 adjacent to the door 284 at the first location 290, a sealing gas injector 310 coupled to the conduit 282 adjacent to the door 284 at the second location 292, and a sealing gas injector 312 coupled to the conduit 282 adjacent to the gate 296 at the closed position 304 of the gate damper 142. The sealing gas injectors 306, including the sealing gas injectors 308, 310, and 312, may be coupled to the sealing gas system 144 via a gas supply loop 314. The gas supply circuit 314 may include gas supply conduits 316, 318, and 320 that are coupled to respective sealing gas injectors 308, 310, and 312. Each of the sealing gas injectors 306 is configured to inject sealing gas from the sealing gas system 144 into the sealing area to facilitate sealing and preventing leakage of exhaust gas 94 and / or undesirable gases (e.g., CO2) from the pipes 280 and 282. For example, the sealing gas supplied by the sealing gas injector 308 is configured to help seal and prevent leakage of the door 284 at the first position 290, the sealing gas injector 310 uses the sealing gas to help seal the door 284 at the second position 292, and the sealing gas injector 312 uses the sealing gas to help seal the gate 296 at the closed position 304 in the pipe 282.

[0062] The sealing gas system 144 may include a plurality of sealing components 322, such as a sealing gas source 324, one or more filters 326, one or more flow guides 328, a distribution manifold 330, and one or more valves 332. As discussed in further detail below, the sealing gas source 324 may include one or more tanks or containers of sealing gas, such as air, an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen) or another suitable gas compatible with the flow through the exhaust chimney 128 and the gas treatment system 16. The filter 326 may include a cartridge filter, one or more mesh filters, a particle separator, a water separator, a particle media separator or a filter or any combination thereof. The flow guide 328 may include one or more compressors, fans (e.g., motor-driven fans), blowers (e.g., motor-driven blowers) or any combination thereof. For example, one or more compressors may include a rotary compressor or a reciprocating compressor, wherein the compressor may include one or more compression stages, an intercooler or any combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the flow guide 328 may include any flow control configured to induce the flow of the sealing gas source 324. The distribution manifold 330 may include an inlet and a plurality of outlets configured to distribute the sealing gas through the gas supply circuit 314 .

[0063] The controller 76 is communicatively coupled to the gas treatment system 16 and the bypass system 102 to facilitate control of the position of the diverter damper 140, the position of the knife damper 142, and the seal provided by the seal gas system 144. For example, the controller 76 may determine when to bypass the exhaust gas flow along the bypass flow path 132 or to direct the exhaust gas 94 along the gas treatment flow path 130 based on one or more inputs. The one or more inputs may indicate a fault, a performance problem, a startup condition, a low load condition, or any combination thereof that affects the effective operation of the gas treatment system with the gas capture system. The one or more inputs may be received as sensor feedback from the sensor 86, user input via a computer or user interface, a condition of the combined cycle power plant 10 (e.g., a startup or low load condition), a fault or other problem in the gas treatment system 16, or any combination thereof. Depending on the input, the controller 76 may be configured to move the door 284 to the first position 290 and the gate 296 to the open position 302 by controlling the actuators 288 and 298, respectively, to operate in the gas treatment mode. In the gas treatment mode, the exhaust gas 94 can flow through the gas treatment flow path 130 for treatment in the gas treatment system 16, while the diverter damper 140 blocks flow along the bypass flow path 132. The controller 76 can also control the movement of the door 284 to the second position 292 and the movement of the gate 296 to the closed position 304, thereby blocking the duct 282 and opening the duct 280 to operate in the bypass mode. In the bypass mode, the exhaust gas 94 is blocked from passing through the gas treatment flow path 130 and generally bypasses the gas treatment system 16 by flowing upward along the bypass flow path 130 through the duct 280 and out through the exhaust outlet 134. In certain embodiments, the gate damper 142 can be included or excluded depending on the need to seal the duct 282. Knife damper 142 is configured to provide redundant sealing and closure of conduit 282 in the bypass mode, thereby helping to isolate gas processing system 16 from exhaust stack 128 when combined cycle power plant 10 is operated in the bypass mode using bypass flow path 132 .

[0064] Figure 6 yes Figures 1 to 5 Schematic diagram of an embodiment of the sealing gas system 144 of the combined cycle power plant 10, which further shows the details of the sealing component 322, the sealing gas injector 306 and the sealing system 350 using the sealing gas. In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing system 350 is disposed between the wall 352 and the door 284 of the diverter damper 140, which can correspond to the first position 290 or the second position 292 of the door 284, as described above with reference to Figure 5296 of the gate throttle valve 142. In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing system 350 includes a staggered seal assembly 354 coupled to the door 284 and a staggered seal assembly 356 coupled to the wall 352. The staggered seal assembly 354 may include seal plates 358 and 360, wherein the seal plates 358 and 360 are spaced apart from each other by a distance 362, and the seal plates 358 and 360 are staggered relative to each other by a distance 364. The seal plate 358 also includes a seal 366, and the seal plate 360 ​​includes a seal 368. The seals 366 and 368 are similarly offset and staggered by distances 362 and 364.

[0065] Separate from the door 284 having the staggered seal assembly 354, the wall 352 has a staggered seal assembly 356. As shown, the staggered seal assembly 356 includes seal plates 370 and 372, which are generally offset by a distance 362 and staggered by a distance 364 in a manner similar to the staggered seal assembly 354. In certain embodiments, the distances 362 and 364 can be substantially the same (e.g., within 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% of each other) for the staggered seal assemblies 354 and 356. However, in certain embodiments, the distances 362 and / or 366 can vary between the staggered seal assemblies 354 and 356. As discussed above, the door 284 is configured to rotate about the pivot joint 286 between the first position 290 and the second position 292 along a rotational travel path as indicated by arrow 294. When the door 284 is normally closed in a particular position, the staggered seal assemblies 354 and 356 of the sealing system 350 engage one another to seal the door 284 relative to the wall 252. For example, the seal plates 358 and 360 with the corresponding seals 366 and 368 of the staggered seal assembly 354 are normally opened and closed against the seal plates 370 and 372 of the staggered seal assembly 356. When the staggered seal assemblies 354 and 356 are closed relative to one another, a sealed chamber 374 is formed between the staggered seal assemblies 354 and 356. For example, the sealed chamber 374 can be surrounded by the seal plates 358, 360, 370 and 372 and the seals 366 and 368. The engagement of the sealed chamber and the staggered seal assemblies 354 and 356 can extend around one or more sides of the door 284, such as 1, 2, 3, or 4 sides of the door 284.

[0066] The sealing gas system 144 is configured to provide sealing gas into the sealing chamber 374, thereby providing a positive pressure within the sealing chamber 374 to help reduce leakage between the opposite sides 376 and 378 of the door 284. The sealing chamber 374 is configured to receive sealing gas from the sealing gas system 144 via an injection nozzle 380 coupled to the sealing gas injection 306. The injection nozzle 380 may include one or more openings, channels, or conduits through the wall 352 into the sealing chamber 374. The sealing gas injector 306 may include a buffer chamber 382 disposed within the housing 384, so that the buffer chamber 382 can help regulate and distribute the sealing gas flowing into the sealing chamber 374 through the sealing gas injector 306. The sealing gas injector 306 is coupled to the sealing gas system 144 via a gas supply circuit 314.

[0067] As discussed above, the seal gas system 144 includes a plurality of seal components 322, such as a seal gas source 324, a filter 326, a flow guide 328 (e.g., a fan, a blower, a compressor, etc.), a distribution manifold 330, and valves 332. For example, the valves 332 may include valves 386, 388, and 390 that are coupled to respective seal gas injectors 306 at various locations in the combined cycle power plant 10. For example, the valves 386, 388, and 390 may be coupled to respective conduits 316, 318, and 320 leading to the seal gas injectors 308, 310, and 312, as described above with reference to FIG. Figure 5 Other aspects of the seal gas system 144 are discussed above.

[0068] The controller 76 is configured to control the sealing component 322 of the sealing gas system 144 based on feedback from one or more sensors 86. For example, one of the sensors 86 can be disposed within the sealing chamber 374 to provide feedback regarding conditions (e.g., pressure, temperature, gas composition, etc.) within the sealing chamber 374. The controller 76 can also be configured to receive feedback from sensors 86 disposed on opposite sides 376 and 378 of the door 284 to provide sensor feedback of conditions (e.g., pressure, temperature, gas composition, etc.) on opposite sides 376 and 378 of the door 284. Thus, the controller 76 can receive sensor feedback of conditions in the sealing chamber 374, the side 376, and the side 378, and compare the sensor feedback to control the injection of sealing gas into the sealing chamber 374. For example, if the pressure of the sealing gas within the sealing chamber 374 is less than the pressure of the gas on one or both of the sides 376 and 378, the controller 76 may control the sealing gas system 144 to apply a greater flow and / or pressure of sealing gas into the sealing chamber 374 through the sealing gas injector 306 until the sealing gas pressure within the sealing chamber 374 exceeds the corresponding pressure on the side 376 and / or the side 378. The controller 76 may also control other aspects of the sealing gas system 144, such as which sealing gas injector 306 requires a sealing gas pressure depending on the position of the door 284 and the gate 296. The sealing gas system 144 may help seal the diverter damper 140 so that the bypass system 102 may be able to operate without any additional dampers, valves, or flow controls (e.g., knife damper 142) for the exhaust 94.

[0069] Technical effects of the disclosed embodiments include systems and methods for bypassing a gas processing system 16, including one or more gas capture systems 100, depending on various conditions in the combined cycle power plant 10. For example, the disclosed embodiments may operate the bypass system 102 to open or close the diverter damper 140 and the knife damper 142 to route the exhaust gas 94 through the gas processing system 16 along the gas processing flow path 130 or through the bypass flow path 132 that generally bypasses the gas processing system 16. The bypass system 102 may also be coupled to or include a seal gas system 144 configured to supply a seal gas to help seal and stop leakage flow in the diverter damper 140 and the knife damper 142. The disclosed embodiments may also be configured to operate the bypass system 102 based on sensor feedback from the sensor 86, startup conditions or low load conditions of the combined cycle power plant 10, a faulty or problematic part within the gas processing system 16, user input, or any combination thereof. Thus, if gas processing system 16 is unavailable for some reason, bypass system 102 operates to bypass gas processing system 16 to direct exhaust gas 94 through exhaust outlet 134 of exhaust stack 128 to enable continued use and operation of combined cycle power plant 10 .

[0070] As set forth below, the subject matter described above in detail may be defined by one or more clauses.

[0071] In certain embodiments, a system includes a bypass system having a first valve, a first actuator coupled to the first valve, and a controller coupled to the first actuator. The controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve between a first position and a second position. The first position of the first valve opens a gas processing flow path and closes a bypass flow path for an exhaust flow from a gas turbine engine. The second position of the first valve closes the gas processing flow path and opens the bypass flow path for the exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine. The gas processing flow path is configured to extend through a gas processing system having a gas capture system. The bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas processing system having the gas capture system.

[0072] The system of the preceding clause, wherein the bypass system includes a diverter damper having the first valve coupled to the first actuator, and the first valve includes a diverter blade configured to rotate about a pivot joint.

[0073] A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the bypass system includes a second driver connected to a second valve, wherein the controller is configured to operate the second driver to move the second valve between an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position of the second valve opens the gas processing flow path, and wherein the closed position of the second valve closes the gas processing flow path.

[0074] A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the bypass system includes a knife-type throttle valve, the knife-type throttle valve having the second valve connected to the second actuator, and the second valve includes a knife-type blade, and the knife-type blade is configured to move along an axial path between the open position and the closed position.

[0075] A system as described in any of the preceding clauses, wherein the controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve from the first position to the second position in response to one or more inputs indicating a fault, a performance issue, a startup condition, a low load condition, or any combination thereof, thereby affecting the efficient operation of the gas processing system having the gas capture system.

[0076] A system as in any preceding clause, comprising a seal gas system coupled to the bypass system, wherein the seal gas system is configured to supply a seal gas to help prevent leakage at the first valve.

[0077] A system according to any preceding clause, wherein the sealing gas system comprises a sealing gas injector and one or more sensors to monitor the pressure at the first valve.

[0078] A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the gas capture system is configured to remove and capture at least one undesirable gas from the exhaust flow, wherein the at least one undesirable gas comprises one or more of carbon oxides (COX), nitrogen oxides (NOX) or sulfur oxides (SOX).

[0079] A system according to any preceding clause, wherein the gas capture system is configured to remove and capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the exhaust gas stream.

[0080] The system of any preceding clause, wherein the gas capture system comprises at least one of a sorbent-based gas capture system, a solvent-based gas capture system, or a combination thereof.

[0081] A system as claimed in any preceding clause, comprising an exhaust stack, wherein the bypass system is coupled to the exhaust stack.

[0082] A system according to any preceding clause, wherein the bypass system is coupled to a lower stack portion of the exhaust stack.

[0083] A system according to any preceding clause, wherein the bypass system is coupled to an upper chimney portion of the exhaust chimney.

[0084] A system as described in any preceding clause, comprising a gas processing system having the gas capture system coupled to the exhaust stack along a gas processing flow path.

[0085] A system according to any of the preceding clauses, the system comprising a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), the HRSG being configured to provide the exhaust flow into the exhaust stack, the gas turbine engine being configured to provide the exhaust flow into the HRSG, or a combination thereof.

[0086] In certain embodiments, a system includes a controller coupled to a bypass system having a first actuator coupled to a first valve, wherein the controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve between a first position and a second position. The first position of the first valve opens a gas processing flow path and closes a bypass flow path for an exhaust flow from a gas turbine engine. The second position of the first valve closes the gas processing flow path and opens the bypass flow path for the exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine. The gas processing flow path is configured to extend through a gas processing system having a gas capture system. The bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas processing system having the gas capture system.

[0087] A system as described in the preceding clause, wherein the controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve from the first position to the second position in response to one or more inputs indicating a fault, a performance issue, a startup condition, a low load condition, or any combination thereof, thereby affecting the efficient operation of the gas processing system having the gas capture system.

[0088] A system according to any preceding clause, wherein the gas capture system is configured to remove and capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the exhaust gas stream.

[0089] In certain embodiments, a method includes controlling a first actuator to move a first valve of a bypass system to a first position to open a gas treatment flow path and close a bypass flow path of an exhaust flow from a gas turbine engine, wherein the gas treatment flow path is configured to extend through a gas treatment system having a gas capture system. The method also includes controlling the first actuator to move the first valve of the bypass system to a second position to close the gas treatment flow path and open the bypass flow path of the exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine, wherein the bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas treatment system having the gas capture system.

[0090] A method according to any of the preceding clauses, the method comprising controlling the first actuator to move the first valve from the first position to the second position in response to one or more inputs indicating a fault, a performance issue, a startup condition, a low load condition, or any combination thereof, thereby affecting the effective operation of the gas treatment system having the gas capture system, wherein the gas capture system is configured to remove and capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the exhaust gas flow.

[0091] This written description uses examples to describe the present embodiments, including the best mode, and also enables any person skilled in the art to practice the presently disclosed embodiments, including making and using any device or system and performing any combined methods. The patentable scope of the presently disclosed embodiments is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that are not substantially different from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A system, comprising: A bypass system, the bypass system comprising: First valve; a first actuator coupled to the first valve; and a controller coupled to the first actuator, wherein the controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position of the first valve opens a gas handling flow path and closes a bypass flow path for an exhaust flow from a gas turbine engine, wherein the second position of the first valve closes the gas handling flow path and opens the bypass flow path for the exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine, wherein the gas handling flow path is configured to extend through a gas handling system having a gas capture system, wherein the bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas handling system having the gas capture system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bypass system includes a diverter damper having the first valve coupled to the first actuator, and the first valve includes a diverter blade configured to rotate about a pivot joint.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bypass system comprises a second actuator coupled to a second valve, wherein the controller is configured to operate the second actuator to move the second valve between an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position of the second valve opens the gas handling flow path, and wherein the closed position of the second valve closes the gas handling flow path.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the bypass system includes a knife-type damper having the second valve coupled to the second actuator, and the second valve includes a knife-type blade configured to move along an axial path between the open position and the closed position.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve from the first position to the second position in response to one or more inputs indicating a fault, a performance issue, a startup condition, a low load condition, or any combination thereof, thereby affecting efficient operation of the gas processing system having the gas capture system.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising a seal gas system coupled to the bypass system, wherein the seal gas system is configured to supply a seal gas to help prevent leakage at the first valve.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sealing gas system comprises a sealing gas injector and one or more sensors to monitor the pressure at the first valve.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas capture system is configured to remove and capture at least one undesirable gas from the exhaust gas stream, wherein the at least one undesirable gas comprises carbon oxides (CO X ), nitrogen oxides (NO X ) or sulfur oxides (SO X ) 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas capture system is configured to remove and capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the exhaust gas stream.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas capture system comprises at least one of a sorbent-based gas capture system, a solvent-based gas capture system, or a combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 1 , comprising an exhaust stack, wherein the bypass system is coupled to the exhaust stack.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the bypass system is coupled to a lower stack portion of the exhaust stack.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the bypass system is coupled to an upper stack portion of the exhaust stack.

14. The system of claim 11, comprising the gas processing system having the gas capture system coupled to the exhaust stack along the gas processing flow path.

15. The system of claim 11, comprising a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), the HRSG configured to provide the exhaust flow into the exhaust stack, the gas turbine engine configured to provide the exhaust flow into the HRSG, or a combination thereof.

16. A system, comprising: A controller coupled to a bypass system having a first actuator coupled to a first valve, wherein the controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position of the first valve opens a gas handling flow path and closes a bypass flow path for an exhaust flow from a gas turbine engine, wherein the second position of the first valve closes the gas handling flow path and opens the bypass flow path for the exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine, wherein the gas handling flow path is configured to extend through a gas handling system having a gas capture system, wherein the bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas handling system having the gas capture system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to operate the first actuator to move the first valve from the first position to the second position in response to one or more inputs indicating a fault, a performance issue, a startup condition, a low load condition, or any combination thereof, thereby affecting efficient operation of the gas processing system having the gas capture system.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the gas capture system is configured to remove and capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the exhaust gas stream.

19. A method comprising: controlling a first actuator to move a first valve of a bypass system to a first position to open a gas processing flow path and close a bypass flow path of an exhaust gas flow from a gas turbine engine, wherein the gas processing flow path is configured to extend through a gas processing system having a gas capture system; as well as The first actuator is controlled to move the first valve of the bypass system to a second position to close the gas processing flow path and open the bypass flow path of the exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine, wherein the bypass flow path is configured to bypass the gas processing system having the gas capture system.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising controlling the first actuator to move the first valve from the first position to the second position in response to one or more inputs indicating a fault, a performance issue, a startup condition, a low load condition, or any combination thereof, thereby affecting efficient operation of the gas processing system having the gas capture system, wherein the gas capture system is configured to remove and capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the exhaust gas flow.

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