Multi-stage carbon capture system and method
A multi-stage gas treatment system for power plants uses adsorbent- and solvent-based methods with steam-assisted capture to reduce harmful emissions, achieving carbon neutrality or negativity by capturing gases from intake and exhaust streams.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025507057
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-08-16
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-09
AI Technical Summary
Industrial plants, such as power plants, emit harmful gases like carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides, which contribute to atmospheric pollution and global warming, necessitating effective capture and reduction methods.
A multi-stage gas treatment system for combined cycle power plants, utilizing adsorbent- and solvent-based systems, coupled with a steam supply circuit, captures harmful gases by leveraging steam from a heat recovery steam generator and steam turbine system, employing multiple gas collection systems in series to achieve carbon neutrality or negativity.
The system effectively reduces the carbon footprint of power plants by capturing and removing harmful gases, achieving net-neutral or net-negative emissions through sequential gas processing stages.
Smart Images

Figure 2025529701000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates generally to systems and methods for treating gases, such as exhaust gases.
[0002] Industrial plants, such as power plants, may produce various gases, including exhaust gases from combustion systems. Combustion systems include gas turbine engines, reciprocating piston-cylinder engines, furnaces, boilers, or other industrial equipment. These exhaust gases may contain one or more harmful gases, such as acid gases and / or greenhouse gases. For example, harmful gases may include carbon oxides, such as carbon dioxide (CO) and carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO), and / or sulfur oxides, such as sulfur dioxide (SO). CO is both an acid gas and a greenhouse gas. Unfortunately, the atmospheric content of CO has generally been increasing for millennia and currently exceeds approximately 420 ppmv by volume or 643 ppmw by weight in the atmosphere. In light of various regulations and environmental concerns regarding global warming, it is desirable to reduce the emission of harmful gases (e.g., CO) into the atmosphere, especially from hydrocarbon-fuel-consuming equipment, such as combustion systems. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0314815 Summary of the Invention
[0004] The following summarizes certain embodiments within the scope of the claimed invention as originally filed. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather to provide a brief summary of possible forms of the invention. Indeed, the present invention encompasses a variety of embodiments that are similar to, and different from, the embodiments described below.
[0005] In one embodiment, a system includes a gas treatment system having first and second gas collection systems and a steam supply circuit. The first gas collection system is configured to collect a first portion of harmful gases from a combined cycle power plant. The second gas collection system is configured to collect a second portion of harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant, the first and second gas collection systems being disposed in series with respect to a fluid flow path through the combined cycle power plant. The steam supply circuit includes a first steam supply line coupled to the first gas collection system and a second steam supply line coupled to the second gas collection system. The steam supply circuit is configured to couple to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and / or a steam turbine system of the combined cycle power plant to receive steam.
[0006] In one embodiment, a system includes a controller configured to control a first gas collection system of a gas processing system to capture a first portion of harmful gases from a combined cycle power plant. The controller is configured to control a second gas collection system of the gas processing system to capture a second portion of harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant, the first and second gas collection systems being disposed in series with respect to a fluid flow path through the combined cycle power plant. The controller is configured to control a supply of steam to the first and second gas collection systems via a steam supply circuit having a first steam supply line coupled to the first gas collection system and a second steam supply line coupled to the second gas collection system. The steam supply circuit is configured to couple to and receive steam from a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and / or a steam turbine system of the combined cycle power plant.
[0007] In one embodiment, a method includes controlling a first gas collection system of a gas processing system to capture a first portion of harmful gases from a combined cycle power plant. The method also includes controlling a second gas collection system of the gas processing system to capture a second portion of harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant, the first and second gas collection systems being disposed in series with respect to a fluid flow path through the combined cycle power plant. The method also includes controlling a supply of steam to the first and second gas collection systems via a steam supply circuit having a first steam supply line coupled to the first gas collection system and a second steam supply line coupled to the second gas collection system. The steam supply circuit is configured to couple to and receive steam from a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and / or a steam turbine system of the combined cycle power plant. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0008] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presently disclosed technology will become better understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are numbered like throughout. [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle power plant including a gas turbine system, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), a steam turbine system, and a multi-stage gas treatment system including multiple gas capture systems configured to capture harmful gases (e.g., CO2). [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a gas collection system for the multi-stage gas treatment system of FIG. 1, showing an adsorbent-based gas collection system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the multi-stage gas processing system of FIG. 1, showing a solvent-based gas capture system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The following describes one or more specific embodiments of the system of the disclosed technology. For purposes of brevity, not all features of an actual implementation may be described herein. It will be apparent that development toward an implementation, as with any engineering or design project, will require many implementation-specific decisions to be made to achieve the developer's particular goals (e.g., complying with system- and business-related constraints), which may vary from implementation to implementation. Moreover, while such a development effort may be complex and time-consuming, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that it would be no more than routine design, fabrication, and manufacture.
[0010] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the disclosed technology, the singular articles "a," "an," and "they" mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "including," "comprising," and "having" are inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods for reducing the carbon footprint of combustion systems, such as gas processing systems and combined cycle power plants, so that the carbon footprint is at least carbon neutral or carbon negative. Carbon neutrality is a condition in which CO2 emissions are zero, where the amount of CO2 in the exhaust gas equals the amount of CO2 in the intake air to the process. Carbon negative is a condition in which the amount of CO2 in the exhaust gas is less than the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by the process, resulting in a net negative CO2 emission. Although embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described in the context of CO2 removal for combustion systems, embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to remove any harmful gases, including, but not limited to, carbon oxides (e.g., CO2, CO), nitrogen oxides (e.g., NO2), sulfur oxides (e.g., SO2), and various acid gases and / or greenhouse gases. As described below, the combustion system may be associated with a combined cycle power plant, a simple cycle gas turbine engine, a reciprocating piston-cylinder engine, a furnace, a boiler, or other industrial equipment. A combined cycle power plant may include a gas turbine engine that drives a generator, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) that uses heat from the exhaust gases of the gas turbine engine to generate steam, and a steam turbine that is driven by the steam to drive the generator.
[0012] Embodiments according to the present disclosure include multiple gas processing stages configured to remove harmful gases (e.g., CO) from the intake air and / or exhaust gas of a combustion system to help achieve net-neutral or net-negative emissions. The multiple gas processing stages may include one or more gas processing systems located upstream of a compressor and / or combustor, one or more gas processing systems located downstream of a gas turbine and / or HRSG, or a combination thereof. The gas processing systems may include an adsorbent-based gas processing system, a solvent-based gas processing system, or a combination thereof. For example, an adsorbent-based gas processing system is configured to adsorb harmful gases onto an adsorbent material and subsequently desorb the harmful gases from the adsorbent material using a heat source (e.g., steam from an HRSG). The adsorption process is exothermic, and the desorption process is endothermic. As a further example, a solvent-based gas processing system may include an absorber configured to absorb harmful gases into a solvent and a regenerator configured to remove the harmful gases from the solvent using steam (e.g., steam from an HRSG). Thus, in either type of gas processing system, steam from the HRSG can be used to facilitate the removal and capture of harmful gases (such as CO). Additionally or alternatively, one or both types of gas processing systems may use one or more types of waste heat recovery as a heat source for the removal and capture of harmful gases (e.g., CO). For example, the gas processing system may use waste heat recovered by cooling one or more generators, by cooling (or intercooling) compressed gas from one or more compressors, by cooling other equipment in a combined cycle power plant, or a combination thereof. Various aspects and embodiments of the gas processing system are described in further detail below.
[0013] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle power plant 10 including a gas turbine system 12, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) 14, a steam turbine system 16, and a multi-stage gas treatment system (GTS) 18. As described in more detail below, the multi-stage gas treatment system 18 is configured to treat one or more inlet gases and / or exhaust gases within the combined cycle power plant 10. Various features and stages of the gas treatment system 18 are discussed in more detail below, and the various features and stages may be used in any suitable combination with each other. However, before turning to the gas treatment system 18, the combined cycle power plant 10 will be described as one possible embodiment for use of the gas treatment system 18.
[0014] The gas turbine system 12 cycle is often referred to as the "topping cycle," and the steam turbine system 16 cycle is often referred to as the "bottoming cycle." By combining these two cycles as shown in FIG. 1 , the combined cycle power plant 10 can provide greater efficiency in both cycles. In particular, waste heat from the topping cycle may be recovered and used to generate steam in the HRSG 14 for use in the bottoming cycle. However, the HRSG 14 may also be configured to generate and provide steam for other uses within the combined cycle power plant 10, including a gas processing system 18. For example, the gas processing system 18 may be configured to use the steam generated in the HRSG 14 to facilitate the separation and capture of harmful gases, such as carbon capture (e.g., CO capture) in an adsorbent-based gas processing system and / or a solvent-based gas processing system.
[0015] As shown, the gas turbine system 12 includes an intake section 20, a compressor section 22, a combustor section 24, a turbine section 26, and a load section 28, such as a generator. The intake section 20 may include one or more air filters, an anti-icing system, a fluid injection system (e.g., temperature control fluid), a silencer baffle, or any combination thereof. The compressor section 22 includes multiple compressor stages 30, each having multiple compressor rotor blades 32 coupled to a compressor shaft 38 and multiple compressor stator vanes 34 coupled to a compressor casing 36. The combustor section 24 includes one or more combustors 40. A shaft 42 extends between the compressor section 22 and the turbine section 26. Each combustor 40 includes one or more fuel nozzles 44 coupled to one or more fuel supplies 46, which may supply fuel via primary and secondary fuel circuits. The fuel supply 46 may supply natural gas, synthetic gas, biofuel, fuel oil, or any combination of liquid and gas fuels. The turbine section 26 includes a plurality of turbine stages 56, each having a plurality of turbine blades 48 coupled to a turbine shaft 54 and a plurality of turbine vanes 50 coupled to a turbine casing 52. The turbine shaft 54 is also connected to the load 28 via a shaft 58.
[0016] During operation, the gas turbine system 12 routes an intake air flow 60 from the intake section 20 into the compressor section 22. The compressor section 22 progressively compresses the intake air flow 60 in stages 30 and delivers a compressed air flow 62 to one or more combustors 40. The one or more combustors 40 receive fuel from a fuel supply 46, channel the fuel through fuel nozzles 44, and combust the fuel with the compressed air 62 to generate hot combustion gases in a combustion chamber 64 within the combustor 40. The one or more combustors 40 then channel a hot combustion gas flow 66 into the turbine section 26. The turbine section 26 progressively expands the hot combustion gas flow 66, driving the rotation of turbine rotor blades 48 in stages 56 before discharging an exhaust gas flow 68. The hot combustion gas flow 66 drives the rotation of the turbine rotor blades 48, which in turn drive the rotation of the turbine shaft 54, shafts 42 and 58, and compressor shaft 38. The turbine section 26 thereby drives the rotation of the compressor section 22 and the load section 28. The exhaust gas stream 68 may be directed partially or completely through the HRSG 14 to enable heat recovery and steam generation. In certain embodiments, one or more additional gas turbine engines 12 may be included as part of the combined cycle power plant 10, and the additional gas turbine engines 12 may discharge an exhaust gas stream 68 to the HRSG 14. Thus, the collective exhaust gas stream 68 (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, or more) from the gas turbine engines 14 may pass through the HRSG 14 to generate steam for the steam turbine system 16, after which the exhaust gas stream 68 is processed by the gas processing system 18.
[0017] The HRSG 14 may include multiple heat exchangers and / or heat exchange components 70 arranged in different sections, such as a high-pressure (HP) section 72, an intermediate-pressure (IP) section 74, and a low-pressure (LP) section 76. The components 70 may include economizers, evaporators, superheaters, or any combination thereof, in each of the HP, IP, and LP sections 72, 74, and 76. The components 70 may be coupled together via various conduits and headers, and the HRSG 14 may route one or more streams of steam (e.g., low-pressure steam, intermediate-pressure steam, and high-pressure steam) to the steam turbine system 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the components 70 of the HRSG 14 include a finishing high-pressure superheater 78, a secondary reheater 80, a primary reheater 82, a primary high-pressure superheater 84, an interstage thermostat 86, an interstage thermostat 88, a high-pressure evaporator 90 (HPEVAP), a high-pressure economizer 92 (HPECON), an intermediate-pressure evaporator 94 (IPEVAP), an intermediate-pressure economizer 96 (IPECON), a low-pressure evaporator 98 (LPEVAP), and a low-pressure economizer 100 (LPECON). The HRSG 14 also includes an enclosure or duct 102 that houses the various components 70. The functions of the components 70 are described in more detail below.
[0018] The steam turbine system 16 includes a steam turbine 104 having a high-pressure steam turbine (HPST) 106, an intermediate-pressure steam turbine (IPST) 108, and a low-pressure steam turbine (LPST) 110, which are coupled via shafts 112, 114. The steam turbine 104 may also be coupled to a load 116 via a shaft 118. Similar to the load 28, the load 116 may include an electrical generator. The HRSG 14 may be configured to generate high-pressure steam for the high-pressure steam turbine 106, intermediate-pressure steam for the intermediate-pressure steam turbine 108, and low-pressure steam for the low-pressure steam turbine 110. In certain embodiments, exhaust from the high-pressure steam turbine 106 may be channeled through the primary reheater 82, interstage attemperator 88, and secondary reheater 80 within the HRSG 14 to the intermediate-pressure steam turbine 108, and exhaust from the intermediate-pressure steam turbine 108 may be directed to the low-pressure steam turbine 110. The steam turbine 104 may discharge condensate 120 (or may condense it in a condenser 122 downstream of the steam turbine 104), so that the condensate 120 can be pumped back to the HRSG 14 via one or more pumps 124.
[0019] During operation, the exhaust gas stream 68 passes through the HRSG 14, transferring heat to the components 70 to generate steam for driving the steam turbine 104. Exhaust steam from the low-pressure steam turbine 110 may be directed to a condenser 122 to form condensate 120. The condensate 120 from the condenser 122 may then be delivered by a pump 124 to the low-pressure section 76 of the HRSG 14. The condensate 120 may then flow through a low-pressure economizer 100 configured to heat feedwater 126 (including the condensate 120) along with the exhaust gas stream 68. From the low-pressure economizer 100, the feedwater 126 may enter the low-pressure evaporator 98. The feedwater 126 from the low-pressure economizer 100 may be delivered by a pump 125 to the intermediate-pressure economizer 96 and the high-pressure economizer 92. Steam from the low-pressure evaporator 98 may be delivered to the low-pressure steam turbine 110. Similarly, from the intermediate-pressure economizer 96, the feedwater 126 may be directed to the intermediate-pressure evaporator 94 and / or the high-pressure economizer 92. Additionally, steam from the intermediate-pressure economizer 96 may be directed to a fuel gas heater 95, where the steam may be used to heat fuel gas for use in the combustion chamber 64 of the gas turbine system 12. Steam from the intermediate-pressure evaporator 94 may be directed to an intermediate steam turbine 108.
[0020] Feedwater 126 from the high-pressure economizer 92 may be sent to the high-pressure evaporator 90. Steam from the high-pressure evaporator 90 may be sent to the primary high-pressure superheater 84 and the finishing high-pressure superheater 78, where the steam is superheated and ultimately sent to the high-pressure steam turbine 106. An interstage attemperator 86 may be disposed between the primary high-pressure superheater 84 and the finishing high-pressure superheater 78. The interstage attemperator 86 may enable more robust control of the exhaust temperature of the steam from the finishing high-pressure superheater 78. Specifically, the interstage attemperator 86 may be configured to control the temperature of the steam exiting the finishing high-pressure superheater 78 by injecting a cooling water spray into the superheated steam upstream of the finishing high-pressure superheater 78 whenever the exhaust temperature of the steam exiting the finishing high-pressure superheater 78 exceeds a predetermined value.
[0021] Additionally, exhaust from the high-pressure steam turbine 106 may be directed to a primary reheater 82 and a secondary reheater 80 where it may be reheated before being directed to the intermediate-pressure steam turbine 108. The primary reheater 82 and the secondary reheater 80 may also be associated with an interstage thermostat 88 configured to control the temperature of the exhaust steam from the reheaters. Specifically, the interstage thermostat 88 may be configured to control the temperature of the steam exiting the secondary reheater 80 by injecting a cooling water spray into the superheated steam upstream of the secondary reheater 80 whenever the exhaust temperature of the steam exiting the secondary reheater 80 exceeds a predetermined value. The arrangement of the components 70 of the HRSG 14 is merely one possible example for use with the combined cycle power plant 10 and gas processing system 18, and the components 70 may be arranged in different manners within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0022] The combined cycle power plant 10 further includes a fluid connection system 130 between a stage of the HRSG 14 and a stage of the steam turbine system 16. For example, the fluid connection system 130 includes a high-pressure steam supply conduit or line 132 coupled to an inlet to the finishing high-pressure superheater 78 and the high-pressure steam turbine 106, and a discharge or return line 134 coupled to an outlet of the high-pressure steam turbine 106 and the primary reheater 82. The fluid connection system 130 also includes an intermediate-pressure steam supply conduit or line 136 and a discharge or return line 138. The intermediate-pressure steam supply line 136 is fluidly coupled to an outlet of the intermediate-pressure evaporator 94 and the secondary reheater 80 and to an inlet to the intermediate-pressure steam turbine 108. The discharge or return line 138 is fluidly coupled to an outlet of the intermediate-pressure steam turbine 108 and an inlet to the low-pressure steam turbine 110. The fluid connection system 130 also includes a low-pressure steam supply conduit or line 140 and a discharge or return line 142. A low-pressure steam supply line 140 is fluidly coupled to an outlet of the low-pressure evaporator 98 and to a discharge or return line 138 from the intermediate-pressure steam turbine 108 and an inlet to the low-pressure steam turbine 110. A discharge or return line 142 is fluidly coupled to an outlet of the low-pressure steam turbine 110 and an inlet to the low-pressure economizer 100. As mentioned above, the return line 142 includes the condenser 122 and the pump 124.
[0023] The combined cycle power plant 10 may include a control system 144 communicatively coupled to a monitoring system 146, with the control system 144 and monitoring system 146 communicatively coupled to various components of the gas turbine system 12, the HRSG 14, the steam turbine system 16, and the gas processing system 18. The monitoring system 146 is configured to monitor a plurality of sensors 148, labeled "S," distributed throughout the combined cycle power plant 10. The control system 144 includes a controller 150, which includes one or more processors 152, memory 154, and instructions 156 stored in memory 154 and executable by the processor 152 to perform various control functions for operating the gas turbine system 12, the HRSG 14, the steam turbine system 16, and the gas processing system 18. In certain embodiments, the control system 144 may communicate information (e.g., sensor feedback, alerts, alarms, etc.) to a user interface, cloud storage, a remote computer system, or any combination thereof.
[0024] The sensors 148 may be communicatively coupled to the control system 144 via communication wires or wireless communication circuitry. The sensors 148 may be located at one or more locations in the intake section 20, the compressor section 22, the combustor section 24, the turbine section 26, the HRSG 14, the steam turbine system 16, and the gas processing system 18. For example, the sensors 148 may be located at one or more locations in each of the high-pressure steam turbine 106, the intermediate-pressure steam turbine 108, and the low-pressure steam turbine 110, thereby enabling monitoring of steam properties (e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.) at various locations. The sensors 148 may also be located along each of the lines 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, and 142 of the fluid connection system 130, thereby facilitating monitoring of various fluid parameters between the HRSG 14, the steam turbines 106, 108, and 110, and the gas processing system 18. Additionally, sensors 148 may be coupled to and / or distributed throughout gas processing system 18 to enable monitoring and control of gas processing (e.g., gas collection) from various intake and / or exhaust streams. In certain embodiments, sensors 148 may include flow sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, fluid composition sensors, flame sensors, vibration sensors, clearance sensors, trip sensors, or any combination thereof. Fluid composition sensors may monitor composition levels of various harmful gases, such as carbon oxides (e.g., CO, CO), nitrogen oxides (e.g., NO), sulfur oxides (e.g., SO), and various other acid gases and / or greenhouse gases, as well as composition levels of oxygen, hydrogen, and unreacted fuel gas content. Thus, sensor feedback from sensors 148 may be used to adjust various aspects of gas processing system 18 to reduce the carbon footprint of combined cycle power plant 10, such as by substantially removing harmful gases (e.g., CO) so that the carbon footprint is at least carbon neutral or carbon negative. Further details of the monitoring and control of gas processing system 18 are discussed further below.
[0025] As described in further detail below, the gas treatment system 18 is configured to remove and / or capture one or more harmful gases (e.g., exhaust gases, acid gases, greenhouse gases, etc.) from the inlet air flow 60 to the gas turbine engine 12 (e.g., upstream of the compressor section 22 and / or combustor section 24) and / or the exhaust gas flow 68 (e.g., exhaust gases, acid gases, greenhouse gases, etc.) downstream of the turbine section 26 and / or HRSG 14). Harmful gases are intended to cover any gases that may be undesirable in the air inlet flow 60 and / or the exhaust gas flow 68. For example, harmful gases may include acid gases and / or greenhouse gases. By way of further example, harmful gases may include any gases that are typically subject to regulation, including, but not limited to, carbon oxides (COx) such as carbon dioxide (CO) and carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfur oxides (SOx) such as methane (CH4), or any combination thereof. Embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly suitable for gas adsorption or absorption of CO2 from the air intake flow 60 and / or exhaust gas flow 68, although the following description is intended to cover each of these examples when referring to harmful gases.
[0026] The gas processing system 18 may include multiple gas capture systems 160 (e.g., gas capture systems 162, 164, 166) disposed throughout the combined cycle power plant 10 to process gas streams (e.g., intake air streams, fuel flows, exhaust streams, etc.). Each of the gas capture systems 160 (e.g., 162, 164, and 166) may be configured to use one or more heat sources to facilitate gas capture. The gas capture systems 160 may include an adsorbent-based gas capture system, a solvent-based gas capture system, or a combination thereof. As described below, the heat sources may include a heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) extracted from the HRSG 14 and / or the steam turbine system 16 and supplied to the gas capture system 160 via a steam supply system 170 (e.g., a steam supply circuit), waste heat recovered by a waste heat recovery (WHR) system 172 of the combined cycle power plant 10, or a combination thereof. Steam supply system 170 may include steam supply conduits or lines 174 and 176 coupled at one or more locations to HRSG 14 and / or steam turbine system 16. In the illustrated embodiment, steam supply lines 174 and 176 may be coupled to HRSG 14 and / or steam turbine system 16 between the low-pressure and intermediate-pressure sections, such as between low-pressure steam turbine 110 and intermediate-pressure steam turbine 108 and / or between LP section 76 and IP section 74 of HRSG 14. However, in some embodiments, steam supply system 170 may extract heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) from any one, more, or all components of HRSG 14 (e.g., one or more components or locations in each of HP, IP, and LP sections 72, 74, and 76) and / or any one, more, or all stages of steam turbine system 16 (e.g., one, a stage, HP, IP, and LP steam turbines 106, 108, and 110) at one or more pressures, temperatures, or conditions for use in gas collection system 160. For example, control system 144 may be configured to control various valves coupled to steam lines to control the flow of steam from various components of HRSG 14 and stages of steam turbine system 16.Additionally, in certain embodiments, heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) may be derived from other sources, such as a waste heat steam generator for generating steam using waste heat from a waste heat recovery system 172. Gas processing system 18, via control by control system 144, is configured to combine steam 18 from various steam sources (e.g., HRSG 14, steam turbine system 16, waste heat recovery system 172, waste heat steam generator, etc.) to provide a mixed steam having desired steam characteristics, such as steam temperature and accompanying pressure between upper and lower temperature thresholds. Additionally, the quality of the steam (saturated or superheated) can be monitored to meet the specific heating requirements of gas processing system 18.
[0027] Control system 144 and monitoring system 146 are communicatively coupled to gas processing system 18, including various gas capture systems 160, to provide control of the gas processing and capture process, including control of the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) used by gas capture system 160. This steam can be applied to gas processing system 18 as indirect heating via a heat exchanger process or as direct heating of a CO2-loaded sorbent or solvent. If monitoring system 146 (e.g., sensors 148) indicates that the temperature of the extracted heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) exceeds an upper temperature threshold, control system 144 may be configured to control gas processing system 18 to heat or cool the heating fluid 168 (e.g., via a thermostat, using a cooler, or heat exchanger) to reduce the steam temperature to within the upper and lower temperature thresholds. If the monitoring system 146 (e.g., sensor 148) indicates that the temperature of the extracted heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) is below a lower temperature threshold, the control system 144 may be configured to control the gas processing system 18 to heat the heating fluid 168 (e.g., via a heater or heat exchanger) to raise the steam temperature to within the upper and lower temperature thresholds. In some embodiments, the upper and lower temperature thresholds for a gas capture system 160 using a sorbent material (e.g., a sorbent-based gas capture system) may be approximately 80-120°C. For temperature regulation, the steam supply lines 174 and 176 may include respective heat exchangers 178 and 180 configured to condition the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) supplied to the gas capture system 160. The heat exchangers 178 and 180 may use another fluid to heat or cool the steam. For example, waste heat recovery system 172 may be configured to exchange heat with heat exchangers 178 and 180 (e.g., via heat exchange fluid) to heat or cool heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) within upper and lower temperature thresholds.The control system 144 may be coupled to various valves, pressure regulators, and sensors 148 to help control the flow through the heat exchangers 178 and 180, thereby controlling the heat exchange and resulting temperature of the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water). Additionally or alternatively, as described above, the waste heat recovery system 172 may be configured to transfer heat between the waste heat and the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) in order to regulate the temperature of the heating fluid 168 in the waste heat steam generator. The waste heat recovery system 172 may also be used to improve the efficiency of the combined cycle power plant 10 in other ways, such as by providing heat to other equipment throughout the combined cycle power plant 10.
[0028] The waste heat recovery system 172 may include multiple distributed waste heat recovery systems 182, 184, 186. The waste heat recovery system 182 is coupled to the load 28 (e.g., a generator) of the gas turbine engine 12, the waste heat recovery system 184 is coupled to the load 116 (e.g., a generator) of the steam turbine system 16, and the waste heat recovery system 186 is coupled to the compression system 188 of the gas processing system 18. The waste heat recovery systems 182, 184, and 186 may each include another heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between a respective heat-generating component (e.g., 28, 116, and 188) and one or more fluids. For example, each waste heat recovery system 182, 184, and 186 may transfer heat between a first fluid (e.g., a coolant and / or lubricant in the heat-generating components 28, 116, and 188) and a second fluid via the first heat exchanger. The second fluid may be water used directly to generate steam in a waste heat steam generator or a working fluid used indirectly to transfer heat to water (e.g., via a second heat exchanger) to generate steam. In some embodiments, the waste heat recovery system 172 may include one or more distributed waste heat recovery systems coupled to other machines and devices in the combined cycle power plant, including, but not limited to, electric motors, pumps, compressors, chemical reactors, air separation units (ASUs), or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the waste heat recovery system 172 may be configured to deliver a heating fluid (e.g., water, coolant, lubricant, etc.) to supply heat to the gas capture system 160, which may be used as a heat source for the gas capture system 160, either alone or in combination with the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water).
[0029] In some embodiments, the gas collection systems 160 (e.g., 162, 164, and 166) may be arranged in series (e.g., multiple stages), in parallel, or a combination thereof, relative to the direction of flow through the combined cycle power plant 10. However, the illustrated embodiment includes at least two of the gas collection systems 160 arranged in series, such that the multiple stages of gas collection serve to sequentially reduce the harmful gas content to a net-neutral or net-negative collection state. For example, gas processing system 18 may include only multiple gas collection systems 162, only multiple gas collection systems 164, only multiple gas collection systems 166, a combination of gas collection systems 162 and 164, a combination of gas collection systems 162 and 166, a combination of gas collection systems 164 and 166, all of gas collection systems 162, 164, and 166, or any suitable multi-stage arrangement of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more gas collection systems 160. Furthermore, multi-stage gas processing system 18 may include the same or different gas collection systems 160 in various locations, such as with different sizes or flow rates, different internal surface areas along the flow paths, different flow rates along the flow paths, different numbers of flow paths, different shapes or serpentine configurations of the flow paths, etc. Different residence times along the flow path, different gas capture technologies (e.g., adsorbent-based gas capture and / or solvent-based gas capture), specifications for handling high or low concentrations of hazardous gases, or any combination thereof. For example, gas capture systems 162 and 166 may be designed to handle low concentrations of hazardous gases, while gas capture system 164 may be designed to handle high concentrations of hazardous gases. In some embodiments, the concentration of hazardous gases in gas capture systems 162 and 166 may be 100 times or more lower than in gas capture system 164.
[0030] Gas capture systems 162, 164, and 166 may differ in design and gas handling capabilities due, at least in part, to their location within combined cycle power plant 10. In the illustrated embodiment, gas capture system 162 is coupled to combined cycle power plant 10 along air intake stream 60 (e.g., at air inlet section 20), while gas capture systems 164 and 166 are coupled to combined cycle power plant 10 along exhaust gas stream 68 (e.g., downstream of turbine section 26). Gas capture system 162 is configured to capture harmful gases (e.g., CO) from air stream 190 prior to entry into gas turbine engine 12 and / or combustion, and gas capture system 162 uses heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) as a heat source. As described in further detail below, gas capture system 162 may include an adsorbent-based gas capture system, a solvent-based gas capture system, or a combination thereof. 2 and 3 , an example is provided. A steam supply line 174 is coupled to the gas collection system 162 and supplies a heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) as a steam flow and / or a water flow, as indicated by arrow 192. As described above, the steam supply system 170 may include one or more steam supply lines (e.g., line 174) coupled to the HRSG 14 and / or the steam turbine system 16 at one or more locations, such that the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) can be supplied to the gas collection system 162 at various conditions (e.g., pressure, temperature, steam content, moisture content, etc.). Although illustrated in the intake section 20, the gas collection system 162 may be configured to treat the airflow 190 anywhere in the combined cycle power plant 10, including the airflow upstream of the compressor section 22, between the compressor stages 30 of the compressor section 22, the airflow downstream of the compressor section 22 and upstream of the combustor section 24, other locations containing the airflow, or combinations thereof.In certain embodiments, the gas collection system 162 may be configured to process recirculated exhaust gas (EGR), such as the exhaust gas 68 that is recirculated to the compressor section 22, and thus the gas collection system 162 may be sized to handle a greater concentration of harmful gases that are recirculated as part of the EGR process. The gas collection system 162 generally treats the airflow 190 (or EGR flow) directed to the gas turbine engine 12 so that it has a reduced concentration of harmful gases, while simultaneously directing the captured gas 194 to the compression system 188 via an exhaust conduit or line 196. The exhaust line 196 may also include an aftertreatment device, such as a dryer 198, configured to remove moisture content from the captured gas 194.
[0031] 1 , gas collection systems 164 and 166 are coupled to the combined cycle power plant 10 along the exhaust gas flow 68 downstream of the gas turbine section 26 and the HRSG 14. In the illustrated locations, the gas collection systems 164 and 166 are configured to remove harmful gases from the exhaust gas flow 68 discharged from the gas turbine engine 12 and the HRSG 14. In certain embodiments, the gas collection systems 164 and 166 may be configured to treat the exhaust gas flow at any location throughout the combined cycle power plant 10, including the exhaust gas flow upstream of the HRSG 14, between sections of the HRSG 14 (e.g., HP, IP, and LP sections 72, 74, and 76), downstream of the HRSG 14, a separate exhaust gas flow relative to the exhaust gas flow 68, or any combination thereof. For example, the separate exhaust gas stream may originate from another combustion system, such as a furnace, a boiler, a reciprocating piston-cylinder engine, or any combination thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, gas collection system 164 is positioned upstream of gas collection system 166 , and gas collection systems 164 and 166 may represent first and second gas collection stages along exhaust gas flow 68 .
[0032] Along the exhaust gas flow 68, the gas processing system 18 may include one or more dryers 200, one or more fans 202, and one or more valves 204 along an exhaust flow path (e.g., an exhaust duct) 206 upstream of the gas collection systems 164 and 166. The one or more dryers 200 are configured to remove moisture (e.g., water content or vapor) and dry the exhaust gas flow 68. The one or more fans 202 (e.g., electric motor-driven fans) are configured to boost the pressure and / or flow rate of the exhaust gas flow 68. The one or more valves 204 are configured to adjust the pressure, flow rate, and / or distribution of the exhaust gas flow 68 to the gas collection systems 164 and 166. In some embodiments, the illustrated dryers 200, fans 202, and valves 204 are shared, in part or in whole, by the gas collection systems 164 and 166. However, in some embodiments, one or more dryers 200, fans 202, and valves 204 may be independently positioned upstream of each of the gas collection systems 164 and 166. The exhaust gas stream 68 flows serially through each of the gas collection systems 164 and 166 to progressively remove harmful gases and achieve the desired capture rate.
[0033] Gas capture system 164 removes a portion of the harmful gases from exhaust gas stream 68 and discharges a treated exhaust gas stream (e.g., upstream or first stage treated exhaust gas) to gas capture system 166 and a trapped gas portion of trapped gas 194 as shown by discharge conduit or line 208. As described in more detail below, gas capture system 164 may include an adsorbent-based gas capture system, a solvent-based gas capture system, or a combination thereof. Examples are shown below with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Steam supply line 176 is coupled to gas capture system 164 and supplies heated fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) to gas capture system 164 as a steam stream and / or a heated water stream. As mentioned above, the steam supply system 170 may include one or more steam supply lines (e.g., line 176) coupled to the HRSG 14 and / or steam turbine system 16 at one or more locations, such that the heated fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) can be supplied to the gas capture system 164 at various conditions (e.g., pressure, temperature, steam content, moisture content, etc.). The discharge line 208 may include various aftertreatment devices, such as a dryer 210 configured to remove moisture (e.g., moisture content or steam) and dry the trapped gas 194 into a generated dry trapped gas, as indicated by discharge conduit or line 212. The trapped gas 194 then flows to the compression system 188, as described below.
[0034] Similarly, gas capture system 166 removes a portion of the harmful gases from exhaust gas stream 68 and discharges the treated exhaust gas stream (e.g., downstream or second stage treated exhaust gas) to a subsequent gas capture system or stack 214 and discharges the trapped gas portion of trapped gas 194 as indicated by discharge conduit or line 216. As described in more detail below, gas capture system 166 may include an adsorbent-based gas capture system, a solvent-based gas capture system, or a combination thereof. Examples are shown below in Figures 2 and 3. Steam supply line 176 is coupled to gas capture system 166 and supplies heated fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) to gas capture system 166 as a steam stream and / or a heated water stream. As mentioned above, the steam supply system 170 may include one or more steam supply lines (e.g., line 176) coupled to the HRSG 14 and / or steam turbine system 16 at one or more locations such that the heated fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) may be supplied to the gas capture system 166 at various conditions (e.g., pressure, temperature, steam content, moisture content, etc.). The discharge line 216 may include various aftertreatment devices, such as a dryer 218 configured to remove moisture (e.g., moisture content or steam) and dry the captured gas 194 into a dry captured gas produced as indicated by the discharge conduit or line 220. The captured gas 194 then flows to the compression system 188 as described below.
[0035] Compression system 188 may include a single-stage or multi-stage compression system. In the illustrated embodiment, compression system 188 includes one or more first (i.e., upstream) compressors 222 configured to compress trapped gas 194 in one or more upstream stages, one or more second (i.e., downstream) compressors 224 configured to compress trapped gas 194 after compression by compressor 222, and one or more intercoolers 226 configured to cool trapped gas 194 between compressors 222 and 224. Intercooler 226 may include heat exchangers, gas dryers, and / or other devices to facilitate gas compression. Compression system 188 outputs compressed trapped gas 194 to a storage unit and / or pipeline 228 at a specified pressure and gas purity, as indicated by discharge conduit or line 230. As mentioned above, the waste heat recovery system 186 may be coupled to the compression system 188 to extract waste heat that may be used as a heat source for the gas processing system 18 (e.g., the gas capture system 160), improve plant efficiency, or for other uses. The waste heat recovery system 186 may be coupled to one or more of the compressor 222, the compressor 224, and / or the intercooler 226.
[0036] As described above, gas capture systems 162, 164, and 166 may vary in their placement within combined cycle power plant 10. For example, gas capture system 162 may be designed to process low concentrations of harmful gases, such as CO at or near typical atmospheric concentration levels, thereby ensuring that gas capture system 162 is configured to reduce the concentration of CO to a level below typical atmospheric concentration levels (e.g., less than about 420 ppmv CO). For example, gas capture system 162 may be configured to reduce the concentration of CO by at least 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90% of typical atmospheric concentration levels. In some embodiments, to achieve such concentration levels, gas capture system 162 may be sized significantly larger than gas capture systems 164 and 166 to allow sufficient residence time for the gases (e.g., air is processed within gas capture system 162). In some embodiments, gas capture system 162 may be excluded from gas processing system 18.
[0037] In contrast, gas capture system 164 may be designed to handle high concentrations of harmful gas relative to gas capture systems 162 and / or 166, while gas capture system 166 may be designed to handle low or moderate concentrations of harmful gas relative to gas capture systems 162 and / or 164. For example, gas capture system 164 may be designed to handle at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, or more times the concentration of CO2 than gas capture system 162, while gas capture system 166 may be designed to handle at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more times the concentration of CO2 than gas capture system 162. By way of further example, gas capture system 164 may be designed to handle at least 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, or more times the concentration of CO2 than gas capture system 166. By way of further example, gas capture system 166 may be designed to handle at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more times the concentration of CO2 handled by gas capture system 162. In one embodiment, gas capture systems 164 and 166 may capture approximately 95% and 4.5%, respectively, of the total concentration of CO2 in exhaust gas flow 68, leaving the remaining 0.5% for emission to exhaust stack 214. In another embodiment, gas capture systems 164 and 166 capture approximately 90% and 9.5%, respectively, of the total concentration of CO 2 in exhaust gas flow 68 , leaving the remaining 0.5% for emission to exhaust stack 214 .
[0038] In some embodiments, gas capture system 164 may be designed to handle an inlet CO concentration of about 60,000 ppmw (parts per million by weight) (e.g., capturing at least 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, or more percent of the CO), while gas capture system 162 may be designed to handle an inlet CO concentration of about 643 ppmw (e.g., capturing at least 50, 60, 70, 80, or more percent of the CO), and gas capture system 166 may be designed to handle an inlet CO concentration of about 3,000 ppmw (e.g., capturing at least 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or more percent of the CO). In some embodiments, gas capture system 164 may be designed to capture about 25,000 to 100,000 ppmw of CO, while gas capture system 162 may be designed to capture at least 100,000 ppmw of CO. The gas capture system 164 may be designed to capture approximately 100-300 ppmv of CO, while the gas capture system 166 may be designed to capture approximately 1,000-10,000 ppmw of CO. In some embodiments, the gas capture system 164 may be designed to capture at least 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, or more percent of the total CO concentration in the exhaust gas flow 68, while the gas capture systems 162 and / or 166 may be designed to capture substantially all or a portion of the remaining CO that would otherwise be present in the exhaust gas flow 68 (e.g., at least 70, 80, 85, 90, or 95% of the remaining CO). Carbon capture by the gas capture system 162 removes harmful gases (e.g., CO) from the air intake flow 60, indirectly reducing the presence of harmful gases in the exhaust gas flow 68.
[0039] In one embodiment, gas capture system 164 may be designed to capture approximately 95% of the total CO concentration in exhaust gas flow 68 (e.g., 95% of 60,000 ppmw, resulting in gas capture of 57,000 ppmw of CO), while gas capture systems 162 and / or 166 may be designed to capture substantially all or part of the remaining 5% of the total CO concentration in exhaust gas flow 68 (e.g., 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, or 5% of 60,000 ppmw, resulting in partial or complete capture of an additional 3,000 ppmw of CO). For example, gas capture systems 162 and / or 166 may capture 90% (e.g., 90% of 3,000 ppmw of CO) of the remaining 5% (or substantially 4.5%) of the total CO concentration, resulting in only 300 ppmw of CO in the treated exhaust gas flow 68 provided to exhaust stack 214. This particular embodiment would result in a net-negative carbon footprint for combined cycle power plant 10. However, various configurations of gas capture systems 160 (e.g., 162, 164, and 166) are contemplated by the present disclosure to achieve a net-neutral or net-negative carbon footprint for combined cycle power plant 10.
[0040] In some embodiments, gas capture systems 162, 164, and 166 may each include multiple modular gas capture units, each having a common capacity, with the number of modular gas capture units selected based on the concentration level (e.g., CO2 level) in the gas being processed in the particular gas capture system 162, 164, or 166. The modular gas capture units may also include modular adsorbent-based gas capture units, modular solvent-based gas capture units, or a combination thereof. In this manner, gas capture systems 162, 164, and 166 may be assembled and scaled to meet the needs of a particular location and application using the same or different types of gas capture technology.
[0041] As described above, control system 144 and monitoring system 146 are communicatively coupled to gas collection systems 160 and various sensors 148 to provide monitoring and control of gas collection of harmful gases (e.g., CO). For example, sensors 148 may include gas composition sensors configured to provide concentration levels of harmful gases (e.g., CO) and other gases (e.g., oxygen, hydrogen) upstream, within, and / or downstream of each gas collection system 160. Sensors 148 may also include temperature, pressure, and flow sensors configured to provide relevant feedback regarding the flow of gases (e.g., air, exhaust gases) processed by gas collection systems 160 and the flow of steam or other fluids used to support gas collection systems 160. The control system 144 can use sensor feedback to adjust the operation of the gas collection system 160 by adjusting the characteristics of the steam or other fluids (e.g., temperature, pressure, flow rate, and / or flow path) within the gas collection system 160, adjusting residence time within the gas collection system 160, activating or deactivating one or more of the gas collection systems 160, adjusting the dryers (e.g., 200, 210, and 218), adjusting the fan 202, adjusting the valve 204, adjusting the HRSG 14 and / or extraction of the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or water content and condition, extraction point, etc.), adjusting the gas turbine engine 12 (e.g., fuel / air ratio, combustion characteristics, fuel type, fuel additive adjustment, etc.), or any combination thereof, in response to the concentration level of harmful gases. By coordinating various aspects of the gas processing system 18 (e.g., multiple stages of the gas capture system 160) in conjunction with the gas turbine engine 12 and the HRSG 14, the combined cycle power plant 10 can be configured to provide a net-neutral or net-negative carbon footprint.
[0042] The gas capture systems 160 (e.g., 162, 164, and 166) can be configured in a variety of ways depending on the specific needs and CO2 concentration levels of the combined cycle power plant 10. Table 1 illustrates various scenarios for the gas capture systems 162, 164, and 166 in the combined cycle power plant 10. The following scenarios illustrate each of the gas capture systems 162, 164, and 166 as either n / a (e.g., absent or inactive), adsorbent-based as described below with reference to FIG. 2, or solvent-based as described below with reference to FIG. 3. The adsorbent-based and solvent-based gas capture systems may each use a heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) from the HRSG 14 and / or waste heat from the waste heat recovery system 172 (e.g., 182, 184, and / or 186) as a heat source for the gas capture process. Furthermore, for each of the following scenarios, the adsorbent-based systems may be the same or different in type, configuration, capacity, residence time, and / or other characteristics. Similarly, for each of the following scenarios, the solvent-based systems may be the same or different in type, configuration, volume, residence time, and / or other characteristics. Finally, for each of the following scenarios, each of gas collection systems 162, 164, and 166 may include one or more stages and / or parallel streams of gas collection.
[0043] [Table 1]
[0044] As noted above, embodiments according to the present disclosure include at least 20 scenarios for gas capture systems 162, 164, and 166. Additional scenarios are contemplated using other gas capture technologies and / or variations of sorbent-based and solvent-based gas capture systems. With the above in mind, Figures 2 and 3 present embodiments of sorbent-based and solvent-based gas capture systems.
[0045] 2 is a schematic diagram of an example gas collection system 160 of the multi-stage gas processing system 18 of FIG. 1 , illustrating an adsorbent-based gas collection system 250. In the illustrated embodiment, the adsorbent-based gas collection system 250 includes an adsorbent-based gas collection assembly or unit 252 (e.g., an adsorber or adsorption unit) having a plurality of adsorbent-containing conduits 254, such as adsorbent-containing conduits 256 and 258. The adsorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258) may be lined with adsorbent along their interior surfaces, packed with adsorbent within their interior volumes, or generally filled with at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or more adsorbent materials. However, the adsorbent-based gas collection unit 252 may include any number of adsorbent-containing conduits 254, e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more, configured in parallel and / or series. Each of the adsorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258) includes an outer conduit wall 260 circumferentially disposed about a flow path 262 along a central axis 264 from an inlet 266 to an outlet 268, and an adsorbent material 270 is disposed along and / or within a central bore or inner surface 272 of the outer conduit wall 260.
[0046] The sorbent material 270 (e.g., solid sorbent) can cover, coat, or generally line at least 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 95, or 100% of the inner surface 272 of the outer conduit wall 260. Additionally or alternatively, the sorbent material 270 can at least partially fill or fill the interior volume of the central bore or inner surface 272 (e.g., 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50% void fraction or less) so that voids remain to facilitate fluid flow. For example, the sorbent material 270 may include a plurality of particles, beads, strips, strands, mesh, or other distributed structure that leaves voids for fluid flow. In some embodiments, the sorbent material 270 may be bonded to one or more internal structures within the sorbent-containing conduit 254, such as, for example, one or more of a wire grid or mesh, radial protrusions, baffles, fins, honeycomb structure, or any combination thereof. Additionally, in some embodiments, the central axis 264 extending from the inlet 266 to the outlet 268 may define the flow path 262 as a linear flow path, a curved flow path, a winding or serpentine flow path, a helical or spiral flow path, a meandering flow path, an expanding and contracting flow path, a flow path having divisions and / or unions, or any combination thereof. For example, the flow path 262 may be defined as a winding flow path and include any number or configuration of the aforementioned flow paths. The sorbent material 270 may include one or more sorbent materials configured to adsorb harmful gases, for example, sorbent materials designed or suitable for adsorption of carbon dioxide (CO) and carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfur oxides (SOx), such as methane (CH4), or any other harmful gases as described herein or that are subject to regulation and / or considered greenhouse gases. For example, the adsorbent material 270 may include porous solid phase materials including mesoporous silica, zeolites (e.g., aluminosilicates), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and covalent organic frameworks (COFs). The aforementioned adsorbent materials 270 may be particularly suitable for CO adsorption in the adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252. However, any suitable adsorbent material 270 may be used depending on the desired target for gas capture of harmful gases.In some embodiments, multiple adsorbent-based gas capture systems 250 can be used in series, each using the same or different adsorbent material 270 to remove and capture the same or different harmful gases in stages.
[0047] The sorbent-based gas collection system 250 can alternately configure the various sorbent-based gas collection units 252 between an adsorption mode (e.g., adsorbing harmful gases onto the sorbent material 270) and a desorption mode (e.g., desorbing harmful gases from the sorbent material 270) using the controller 150 of the control system 144 and the sensors 148 of the monitoring system 146. For example, using the controller 150, the sorbent-based gas collection system 250 can operate the sorbent-based gas collection unit 256 in an adsorption mode and the sorbent-based gas collection unit 258 in a desorption mode, or vice versa. The adsorbent-based gas capture system 250 can be configured to operate multiple units (e.g., 2, 3, 4, or more) of the adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252 in adsorption mode, while the adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252 can be configured to operate multiple units (e.g., 2, 3, 4, or more) in adsorption mode, where the multiple units may be arranged in series, parallel, or a combination thereof. The controller 150 configures the adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252 to alternate between adsorption and desorption modes via multiple upstream and downstream systems, such as an upstream flow distribution system 274 and a downstream flow distribution system 276. The upstream flow distribution system 274 includes a heating fluid supply system 278 (e.g., a steam and / or hot water supply system) and a gas supply system 280, while the downstream flow distribution system 276 includes a post-desorption treatment system 282 (e.g., a gas, steam, and / or hot water treatment system) and a treated gas treatment system 284.
[0048] In the desorption mode, the adsorbent-based gas collection unit 252 can be configured to direct the adsorbent-based gas collection unit 252 through the adsorbent-containing conduit 254 (e.g., direct heat transfer), through the adsorbent-containing conduit 254, through or around the adsorbent-containing conduit 254, without contacting the adsorbent material 270 (e.g., indirect heat transfer), or a combination thereof. Thus, in certain embodiments of the desorption mode, as discussed below, the sorbent-based gas capture unit 252 can pass the heated fluid 168 directly through the sorbent material 270 in the sorbent-containing conduit 254 to desorb the harmful gas (e.g., CO) into the heated fluid 168 and generate a gas / heated fluid stream for further processing. Alternatively, the sorbent-based gas capture unit 252 can use the heated fluid 168 for indirect heat transfer to the sorbent material 270 for desorption of the harmful gas, while using a separate flow directing system (e.g., a vacuum system) to direct the harmful gas downstream for further processing. For example, the vacuum system can include one or more fans, blowers, or pumps to draw flow and / or create a vacuum to direct the flow to processing equipment downstream of the sorbent-containing conduit 254. Additionally, in some embodiments, the heating fluid 168 may use steam to heat water to produce heated water, which may then be directly contacted with the sorbent material 270 via the sorbent-based gas capture unit 252 to desorb harmful gases from the sorbent material 270. Thus, embodiments according to the present disclosure may use a variety of heating fluids 168 as a heat source (e.g., steam, heated water, steam-heated fluid, or combinations thereof) that can directly or indirectly apply heat to the sorbent material 270 to facilitate the desorption process.
[0049] In some embodiments, a wheel of sorbent material 270 can perform a continuous process of rotation through adsorption, desorption, and cooling to provide a continuous flow of captured harmful gas. For example, a wheel of sorbent material 270 can extend through each of a plurality of conduits 254 and rotate continuously through the conduits 254. During wheel rotation, one or more of the conduits 254 can carry a gas 286 to be treated to remove harmful gases, while one or more of the conduits 254 can simultaneously carry a heated fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) to remove and capture harmful gases (e.g., CO2), producing a captured gas 194. For desorption, the heated fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) can be routed or generally configured to provide direct and / or indirect heat transfer to the sorbent material 270, thereby assisting in separating and capturing the harmful gases.
[0050] In the illustrated embodiment, the upstream distribution system 274 distributes the flow and alternating flow (e.g., when changing between adsorption and desorption modes) of the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) and gas 286 (e.g., inlet air stream 60 and / or exhaust gas stream 68) to the adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252 in the plurality of adsorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258). The heating fluid supply system 278 includes one or more steam supplies, heated water supplies, and / or waste heat supplies, such as the HRSG 14 and the waste heat recovery systems 172 (e.g., 182, 184, and / or 186), and is configured to generate the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water). The heating fluid supply system 278 also includes a heating fluid control 288 (e.g., steam and / or heating fluid control) having one or more heating fluid control components 290, 292, and 294, which may be configured to treat, adjust, and / or control the properties of the heating fluid 168 upstream of the sorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258) of the sorbent-based gas capture unit 252. For example, the heating fluid control component 290 may include a thermal control component (e.g., a steam / hot water temperature control component), such as a heat exchanger, heater, cooler, or any combination thereof, configured to adjust (e.g., increase or decrease) the temperature of the heating fluid 168. The heat exchanger may exchange heat with water, a lubricant, a coolant, a refrigerant, or other thermal fluid. In some embodiments, the waste heat recovery system 172 may be used for heat transfer within the heater exchanger. Heating fluid control components 292 may include pressure control components such as a pressure regulator, an expander or expansion chamber, a constrictor or constriction chamber, a fan or pump for adding energy, a turbine for extracting energy, or another suitable pressure controller. Heating fluid control components 294 may include pretreatment devices such as a particulate filter, a chilled water drain, and / or other pretreatment devices configured to modify the properties of or remove contaminants from heating fluid 168.The heating fluid supply system 278 may also include one or more valves 296 configured to control the distribution of the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) to the plurality of sorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258) of the sorbent-based gas capture unit 252, as indicated by distribution conduits or lines 298 and 300. For example, the valves 296 may include one or more two-way valves, three-way valves, or distribution manifolds for distributing the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) in response to control signals from the controller 150.
[0051] For distribution of the gas 286, the gas supply system 280 of the upstream distribution system 274 includes a gas pretreatment 302 having one or more gas pretreatment devices 304, 306, 308, which may be configured to treat, condition, and / or control the treatment, conditioning, and / or control characteristics of the gas 286 (e.g., the inlet air flow 60 or the exhaust gas flow 68) upstream of the adsorbent-containing conduit 254 (256 and 258) of the adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252. For example, the gas pretreatment device 304 may include thermal control components (e.g., gas temperature control components), such as a heat exchanger, heater, cooler, or any combination thereof, configured to adjust (e.g., increase or decrease) the temperature of the gas 286. The heat exchanger may exchange heat with water, exhaust gas, compressor bleed flow, waste heat, or other thermal fluid. In some embodiments, the waste heat recovery system 172 may be used for heat transfer within the heater exchanger. Gas pretreatment device 306 may include pressure control components such as a pressure regulator, an expander or expansion chamber, a constrictor or constriction chamber, a fan or pump for adding energy, a turbine for extracting energy, or another suitable pressure controller. Gas pretreatment device 308 may also include one or more contaminant removal units, such as a particulate filter, a moisture removal unit or dryer, a chemical removal unit, and / or other removal units configured to clean gas 286. Gas supply system 280 may also include one or more valves 310 configured to control the distribution of gas 286 to the multiple sorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258) of sorbent-based gas capture unit 252, as indicated by distribution conduit or line 314. For example, valve 310 may include one or more two-way valves, three-way valves, or distribution manifolds, perforated plates, and / or flow distribution packings to distribute gas 286 in response to control signals from controller 150.
[0052] The downstream distribution system 276 is configured to distribute the streams from the plurality of adsorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258) of the adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252 and alternative streams (e.g., when changing between adsorption and desorption modes) to the post-desorption treatment system 282 and the treated gas treatment system 284. The post-desorption treatment system 282 may include one or more valves 316 configured to control the distribution of the captured gas / heating fluid stream (e.g., gas, steam, and / or heated water) from the plurality of adsorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258) of the adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252, as indicated by distribution conduits or lines 318 and 320. For example, the valves 316 may include one or more two-way valves, three-way valves, or manifolds for collecting the captured gas / heating fluid stream in response to control signals from the controller 150. In some embodiments, the capture gas / heating fluid flow is the result of a desorption mode, in which the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) passes through the sorbent-containing conduits 254 to desorb harmful gases (e.g., CO) from the sorbent material 270 within each sorbent-containing conduit 254. Accordingly, the post-desorption treatment system 282 may include a post-desorption treatment device 322 having one or more post-desorption treatment devices 324, 326, 328 (e.g., gas, steam, and / or heated water treatment devices), which may be configured to treat, condition, and / or control the treatment, conditioning, and / or control characteristics of the capture gas / heating fluid flow (e.g., gas, steam, and / or heated water flow) from the sorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258) of the sorbent-based gas capture unit 252. For example, the post-desorption treatment device 324 may include a trap gas / heating fluid separator configured to separate the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) from the trap gas, thereby outputting water 330 (e.g., condensate) and the trap gas 194. Examples of the trap gas / heating fluid separator include a thermal control component, a pressure control component, a chemical separation component, or a combination thereof. For example, the trap gas / heating fluid separator may be configured to condense or cool the heating fluid 168 using a condenser. The post-desorption treatment device 326 may include one or more removal units configured to remove contaminants from the water 330 and / or the trap gas 194.In the case of water 330, the removal unit may include a particulate filter and / or a water treatment unit. For trapped gas 194, the removal unit may include a particulate filter, a water removal unit, or a dryer or further gas treatment unit. Post-desorption treatment device 328 may include one or more pressure and / or flow control components, such as one or more pumps for water 330 and one or more compressors for trapped gas 194. Post-desorption treatment device 328 may also include one or more vacuum pumps configured to draw the trapped gas / heated fluid stream from adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252.
[0053] For distribution of gas 286, the treated gas treatment system 284 of the downstream flow distribution system 276 may include one or more valves 332 configured to control distribution of the treated gas flow from the multiple sorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258) of the sorbent-based gas collection unit 252, as indicated by distribution conduits or lines 334 and 336. For example, the valves 332 may include one or more two-way valves, three-way valves, or manifolds for collecting the treated gas flow in response to control signals from the controller 150 and thereby outputting treated gas 338. The treated gas is the result of an adsorption mode in which gas 286 (e.g., inlet gas stream 60 or exhaust gas stream 68) passes through the sorbent-containing conduits 254, causing the sorbent material 270 in each sorbent-containing conduit 254 to adsorb harmful gases (e.g., CO), thereby reducing the content or concentration level of harmful gases in the remaining treated gas stream.
[0054] The control system 144 (e.g., controller 150) is configured to receive feedback from the sensors 148 and facilitates adjustment of various operating parameters of the sorbent-based gas capture unit 252. For example, the control system 144 can be configured to alternate flows (e.g., thermal fluid 168 and gas 286) through multiple sorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258), such that the sorbent-containing conduits 254 can alternate between sorption and desorption modes. In sorption mode, the sorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 or 258) receive a flow of gas 286, adsorb harmful gases (e.g., CO) from the gas 286 onto the sorbent material 270, and output the gas 286 with reduced harmful gas content or concentration levels as treated gas 338. The sorption mode is an exothermic process that generates heat, which is carried along with the treated gas 338. In the desorption mode, the sorbent-containing conduit 254 (e.g., 256 or 258) receives a flow of a heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water), desorbs harmful gases (e.g., CO) from the sorbent material 270 into the heating fluid 168, and outputs the heating fluid 168 along with the desorbed harmful gases (e.g., enriched in harmful gases such as CO) as a capture gas / heating fluid stream. The desorption mode is an endothermic process, in which the heating fluid 168 provides sufficient heat (e.g., directly or indirectly) to drive the desorption of the harmful gases (e.g., CO) from the sorbent material 270. Control system 144 is configured to monitor sensors 148, e.g., sensors 148 upstream from inlet 266 and sensors 148 downstream from outlet 268, to assess the rates of adsorption and desorption, concentration levels of harmful gases, and other characteristics affecting the adsorption and desorption modes in each of adsorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258). If sensors 148 indicate the need for alternating modes (e.g., adsorption and desorption modes) of adsorbent-containing conduits 254 (e.g., 256 and 258), control system 144 may be configured to control valves 296, 310, 316, and 332 to change from flow of heating fluid 168 to gas 286 in one of the adsorbent-containing conduits 254 and from flow of gas 286 to heating fluid 168 in another of the adsorbent-containing conduits 254.For the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) used in one of the adsorbent-containing conduits 254, the control system 144 may control the HRSG 14, the waste heat recovery system 172, the heating fluid control 288, or any combination thereof, to control the properties (e.g., temperature, pressure, flow rate, steam content, moisture content, etc.) of the heating fluid 168. For the gas 286 used in one of the adsorbent-containing conduits 254, the control system 144 may be configured to control the gas pre-treatment 302 to control the properties (e.g., temperature, pressure, flow rate, etc.) of the gas 286. Similarly, the control system 144 is configured to control the post-desorption treatment unit 322 to control the treatment of the collected gas / heating fluid discharged from one or more of the adsorbent-containing conduits 254. In the case of a multi-stage gas processing system 18, the control system 144 also coordinates control among the multiple gas capture systems 160, thereby achieving the desired reduction in concentration levels of harmful gases (e.g., CO) to achieve a net-neutral or net-negative carbon footprint. Additionally, after desorption is complete and prior to adsorption, a flow of cold water or other coolant can be applied through the adsorbent-based gas capture unit 252 to cool the adsorbent-containing conduit 254 to a desired temperature prior to the next adsorption step.
[0055] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the gas capture system 160 of the multi-stage gas treatment system 18 of FIG. 1 , illustrating a solvent-based gas capture system 350. The solvent-based gas capture system 350 includes an absorber 352, a solvent supply system 354, and a solvent exhaust system 356. The solvent-based gas capture system 350 may use one or more solvents to capture hazardous gases. Example solvents include monoethanolamine (MEA), diglycolamine (DGA), advanced amine solvents, amino acid salts, carbonate solvents, aqueous ammonia, immiscible liquids, and ionic liquids. As described below, the solvent-based gas capture system 350 uses a heated fluid 168 (e.g., from the HRSG 14) and / or waste heat (e.g., from the waste heat recovery system 172) to facilitate gas capture of hazardous gases.
[0056] As described in further detail below, solvent supply system 354 is configured to supply gas-lean solvent 358 to absorber 352 via conduit 360 coupled to solvent distributor 362 having a plurality of nozzles 364. Nozzles 364 are configured to output a solvent dispersion 366 into an interior volume 368 of absorber 352. Solvent dispersion 366 helps to more evenly distribute gas-lean solvent 358 throughout interior volume 368, such that the solvent has a more uniform temperature distribution as it flows downward through absorber 352 toward solvent exhaust system 356. Conduit 360 is coupled to a solvent inlet 370 of absorber 352, while solvent exhaust system 356 is coupled to a solvent outlet 372 of absorber 352.
[0057] The solvent discharge system 356 is configured to receive the gas-rich solvent 374 from the solvent outlet 372 and deliver the gas-rich solvent 374 to a solvent regeneration system 376. The solvent discharge system 356 also includes a gas compressor 378 downstream of the solvent regeneration system 376, a gas dryer 380 downstream of the gas compressor 378, and an outlet for the captured gas 194 downstream from the gas dryer 380. The solvent discharge system 356 also provides a return conduit 382 from the solvent regeneration system 376 back to the solvent supply system 354, so that the regenerated solvent can be returned to the solvent supply system 354 as gas-lean solvent 358.
[0058] The absorber 352 also includes a gas inlet 384 configured to accept the gas 286 (e.g., the inlet airflow 60 or the exhaust gas flow 68) into the absorber 352, and a gas outlet 386 configured to exhaust the treated gas 338 from the absorber 352. In the illustrated embodiment, the absorber 352 includes a vessel or enclosure 388 having a top 390, a bottom 392, and a middle section 394 axially disposed between the top and bottom sections relative to a central axis 396 of the enclosure 388. In the following discussion, reference may be made to an axial direction or axis 398 disposed along the central axis 396, a radial direction or axis 400 transverse to or perpendicular to the central axis 396, and a circumferential direction or axis 402 extending circumferentially about the central axis 396. The top section 390 includes a top plate or cover 404 whose gas outlet 386 is coaxial with the central axis 396. However, the gas outlet 386 may be offset from the central axis 396 or located at other locations along the top 390 .
[0059] The middle portion 394 includes a sidewall 406 that extends circumferentially 402 about a central axis 396. For example, the sidewall 406 may be an annular sidewall, a square-shaped sidewall, a rectangular sidewall, or any other suitable shape that extends around the central axis 396. In some embodiments, the gas outlet 386 may be located in the sidewall 406 along the top portion 390. Additionally, the solvent inlet 370 may be located along the top plate or cover 404 or the sidewall 406 of the top portion 390.
[0060] The bottom 392 may include a base plate 408 below the gas inlet 384 and solvent outlet 372. In the illustrated embodiment, the gas inlet 384 and solvent outlet 372 are located on the sidewall 406 along the bottom 392. However, in some embodiments, the gas inlet 384 and / or solvent outlet 372 may be located on the bottom 392 of the base plate 408. In some embodiments, the gas inlet 384 may include multiple gas inlets and / or the solvent outlet 372 may include multiple solvent outlets.
[0061] Within the interior volume 368 of the absorber 352, the absorber 352 may further include one or more sets of packing 410, a support tray or screen 412, and a solvent distributor 414 having a plurality of nozzles 416. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the absorber 352 includes four sets of components (e.g., packing 410, support tray or screen 412, and solvent distributor 414) disposed between the solvent distributor 362 and a bottom 392 having a gas inlet 384 and a solvent outlet 372. The packing 410 may include a plurality of beads, balls, or mixing-inducing structures configured to facilitate mixing between the gas 286 and the gas-lean solvent 358 supplied to the interior volume 368 of the absorber 352. The support tray or screen 412 may include a wire mesh, a plate with a plurality of openings, or another suitable structure that holds the packing 410 in place while allowing the fluid flow of gas and solvent through the support tray or screen 412 to flow in opposite directions through the absorber 352. Solvent distributor 414 may be similar to solvent distributor 362, such that nozzles 416 may evenly distribute solvent dispersion 418 throughout interior volume 368 to better distribute the solvent passing through packing 410 and support tray or screen 412. The set of packing 410, support tray or screen 412, and solvent distributor 414 are spaced apart from one another along central axis 396. However, the spacing may be increased, decreased, or eliminated in certain embodiments of absorber 352.
[0062] During operation, absorber 352 is configured to create a cross-flow or counter-flow between gas-lean solvent 358 and gas 286 within interior volume 368, thereby facilitating gas absorption of certain harmful gases (e.g., CO) from gas 286 into gas-lean solvent 358. As shown, at bottom 392, gas 286 enters absorber 352 through gas inlet 384, and gas 286 flows upwardly through interior volume 368 of absorber 352, as indicated by arrow 420. Gas 286 entering absorber 352, as indicated by arrow 420, may form bubbles of gas 286 that rise upwardly through gas-lean solvent 358 within interior volume 368. Gas 286 then passes through each subsequent stage or set of packing 410, support trays or screens 412, and solvent distributor 414.
[0063] In the upper portion 390, the solvent supply system 354 supplies the gas-lean solvent 358 to the interior volume 368 through a solvent inlet 370, a conduit 360, a solvent distributor 362, and a plurality of nozzles 364. Again, the nozzles 364 may be distributed at various locations across the interior volume 368 to help distribute the gas-lean solvent 358 more evenly throughout the interior volume 368, as indicated by the solvent dispersion 366. The gas-lean solvent 358 then flows downward through the interior volume 368 through each subsequent set or stage of a solvent distributor 412 having packing 410, support tray or screen 412, and nozzles 416. As the gas-lean solvent 358 passes through each packing 410, the various beads, balls, or mixing structures within the packing 410 are configured to help mix the gas-lean solvent 358 with the gas 286, thereby helping to absorb various harmful gases from the gas 286 into the gas-lean solvent 358. For example, the gas-lean solvent 358 may be configured to absorb carbon dioxide (CO) or other harmful gases, as discussed in detail above. As the absorption process occurs, heat is generated within the absorber 352, causing the temperature of the solvent within the absorber 352 to increase. In some embodiments, a thermal control system (e.g., a heat exchanger, a chiller, etc.) can be coupled to the absorber 352 to control the temperature and improve the efficiency of the absorption process. The absorption process continues within each set or stage of packing 410, support trays or screens 412, and solvent distributor 414. Between each stage or set, the solvent distributor 414 helps to better distribute the solvent, as indicated by the solvent dispersion 418. The solvent dispersion 418 may help to uniformly mix the solvent with the gas 286 and demonstrate more uniformity in the temperature distribution. The absorption process is then repeated with the next set or stage of packing 410, support trays or screens 412, and solvent distributor 414.
[0064] Finally, absorber 352 discharges gas-rich solvent 374 at bottom 392 through solvent outlet 372, and absorber 352 discharges treated gas 338 at top 390 through gas outlet 386. Treated gas 338 may be substantially free or may have been stripped of one or more harmful gases (e.g., CO). In contrast, gas-rich solvent 374 may have absorbed one or more harmful gases (e.g., CO). Thus, gas-rich solvent 374 may be described as a CO2-rich solvent (or other gas-rich solvent, depending on the harmful gas), while gas-lean solvent 358 may be described as a CO2-lean solvent (or other gas-lean solvent, depending on the harmful gas) and the particular gas absorption occurring in absorber 352. Similarly, gas 352 may be described as a CO2-containing or enriched gas (or other containing or enriched gas depending on the hazardous gas), while treated gas 338 may be described as a CO2-reduced, lean, or free gas (or other reduced, lean, or free gas depending on the hazardous gas) and the particular gas absorption occurring in absorber 352. Gas absorption as discussed herein is intended to cover any one or more of the hazardous gases described herein or any other regulated gas or greenhouse gas.
[0065] The gas-rich solvent 374 output from the absorber 352 flows to a solvent regeneration system 376, which may be configured to capture harmful gases (e.g., CO) in the gas-rich solvent 374 and regenerate the solvent (e.g., remove the harmful gases (e.g., CO) and reuse the solvent as gas-lean solvent 358). In the illustrated embodiment, the solvent-based gas capture system 350 includes a steam supply system 422 coupled to the solvent regeneration system 376 to facilitate solvent regeneration and capture of the captured gas 194. In particular, the steam supply system 422 includes one or more sources of heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water), such as the HRSG 14 and / or the waste heat recovery system 172 (e.g., 182, 184, and 186). The steam supply system 422 may inject the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) directly into the solvent regeneration system 376 for solvent regeneration and capture of the captured gas 194. In some embodiments, the steam supply system 422 may further treat and / or control the properties of the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) prior to injection into the solvent regeneration system 376, such as, for example, temperature control and / or pressure control. In some embodiments, the steam supply system 422 may use the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) and / or waste heat from the waste heat recovery system 172 for use as an indirect heat source for the absorber 352 and / or to generate steam in a boiler. In each of these embodiments, the heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) and waste heat from the waste heat recovery system 172 may be obtained and / or treated as discussed in detail above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0066] Thus, the hazardous gas (e.g., CO) may be output from the solvent regeneration system 376 to a gas compressor 378, as indicated by arrow 424. As a result, the gas compressor 378 is configured to compress the hazardous gas before it is dried by the gas dryer 380. The gas dryer 380 then removes any water content in the compressed hazardous gas from the gas compressor 378, which then outputs the compressed, dried hazardous gas as the captured gas 194. Additionally, the solvent regeneration system 376 outputs the regenerated solvent as gas-lean solvent 358, which is returned to the solvent supply system 354 via a return conduit 382. The regenerated solvent is essentially the gas-rich solvent 374 having the hazardous gas removed in the solvent regeneration system 376.
[0067] In the solvent supply system 354, gas-lean solvent 358, whether the original supply of gas-lean solvent 358 or regenerated solvent from a solvent regeneration system 376, is supplied to the absorber 352 along with one or more components 426, 428, 430, and 432. The components 426, 428, 430, and 432 may include one or more solvent pumps, solvent filters or treatment systems, one or more heat exchangers configured to cool the gas-lean solvent 358, one or more solvent tanks, one or more solvent pressure regulators, one or more solvent flow meters, or any combination thereof.
[0068] Technical effects of the disclosed embodiments include a multi-stage gas processing system having multiple gas capture systems 160 (e.g., 162, 164, and 166), which may include an adsorbent-based gas capture system (e.g., 250) and / or a solvent-based gas capture system (e.g., 350, FIG. 3), using a heating fluid 168 (e.g., steam and / or heated water) and / or waste heat from a waste heat recovery system 172 (e.g., 182, 184, and 186), including 162, 164, and 166, as a heat source for the gas capture process. The disclosed embodiments substantially reduce concentration levels of harmful gases (e.g., CO) to levels below input levels, thereby helping to achieve a net-neutral or net-negative carbon footprint for the combined cycle power plant 10.
[0069] The subject matter detailed above may be defined by one or more of the following clauses: [Embodiment 1] The system includes a gas treatment system including first and second gas collection systems and a steam supply circuit. The first gas collection system is configured to recover a first portion of harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant. The second gas collection system is configured to recover a second portion of harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant, the first and second gas collection systems being disposed in series with respect to a fluid flow path through the combined cycle power plant. The steam supply circuit includes a first steam supply line coupled to the first gas collection system and a second steam supply line coupled to the second gas collection system. The steam supply circuit is configured to couple to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and / or a steam turbine system of the combined cycle power plant to receive steam. [Embodiment 2] The system of embodiment 1 includes a controller coupled to the gas processing system and one or more sensors configured to obtain feedback indicating the concentration level of the harmful gas, and the controller is configured to control the first and second gas collection systems to control the concentration level of the harmful gas based on one or more threshold concentration levels. [Embodiment 3] The system of embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the first and second gas collection systems to control the concentration levels of harmful gases to be net neutral or net negative for the combined cycle power plant. [Embodiment 4] The system of any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the harmful gas comprises carbon dioxide (CO2). [Embodiment 5] The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the combined cycle power plant has a gas turbine system, the HRSG is configured to receive exhaust gas from the gas turbine system, and the steam turbine system is configured to receive steam from the HRSG. [Embodiment 6] The system of any one of paragraphs 1 through 5, wherein at least one of the first gas collection system or the second gas collection system comprises an adsorbent-based gas collection system. [Embodiment 7] The system of any one of paragraphs 1 through 6, wherein at least one of the first gas collection system or the second gas collection system comprises a solvent-based gas collection system. [Embodiment 8] The system of any one of paragraphs 1 through 7, wherein the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system each comprise an adsorbent-based gas collection system. [Embodiment 9] The system of any one of embodiments 1 through 8, wherein at least one of the first gas collection system or the second gas collection system is configured to be positioned along an air flow path upstream of a combustor of a gas turbine system of a combined cycle power plant. [Embodiment 10] The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 9, wherein at least one of the first gas collection system or the second gas collection system is configured to be positioned along an exhaust flow path of exhaust gas from a gas turbine system of a combined cycle power plant. [Embodiment 11] The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein each of the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system is configured to be positioned along an exhaust flow path of exhaust gas from a gas turbine system of a combined cycle power plant. [Embodiment 12] The system of any one of paragraphs 1 through 11, wherein the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system each comprise an adsorbent-based gas collection system. [Embodiment 13] A system described in any one of embodiments 1 to 12, wherein each of the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system is configured to be positioned along the exhaust flow path downstream of the HRSG. [Embodiment 14] The system of any one of embodiments 1 through 13, wherein the adsorbent-based gas collection system includes a wheel having an adsorbent material, the wheel configured to rotate the adsorbent material between a first flow path for adsorption of harmful gases and a second flow path for desorption of harmful gases. [Embodiment 15] The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 14, wherein the adsorbent-based gas capture system includes a first conduit having a first adsorbent material and a second conduit having a second adsorbent material, and the gas processing system is configured to alternately flow the vapor and the gas to be processed between the first conduit and the second conduit, alternating between a desorption mode and an absorption mode, respectively. [Embodiment 16] The system includes a controller configured to control a first gas collection system of the gas processing system to capture a first portion of harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant. The controller is configured to control a second gas collection system of the gas processing system to capture a second portion of harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant, the first and second gas collection systems being disposed in series with respect to a fluid flow path through the combined cycle power plant. The controller is configured to control the supply of steam to the first and second gas collection systems via a steam supply circuit having a first steam supply line coupled to the first gas collection system and a second steam supply line coupled to the second gas collection system. The steam supply circuit is configured to couple to and receive steam from a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and / or a steam turbine system of the combined cycle power plant. [Embodiment 17] The system of embodiment 16, wherein the controller is configured to obtain feedback indicating the concentration level of the harmful gas via one or more sensors, and the controller is configured to control the first and second gas collection systems to control the concentration level of the harmful gas based on one or more threshold concentration levels. [Embodiment 18] The system of embodiment 16 or embodiment 17, wherein the controller is configured to control the first and second gas collection systems to control the concentration levels of harmful gases to be net neutral or net negative for the combined cycle power plant, and each of the first and second gas collection systems is configured to be disposed along an exhaust flow path of exhaust gases from a gas turbine system of the combined cycle power plant, and each of the first and second gas collection systems includes an adsorbent-based gas collection system, and the harmful gases include carbon dioxide (CO2). [Embodiment 19] The system of any one of embodiments 16 to 18, further comprising at least one of a first gas collection system, a second gas collection system, a HRSG, a steam turbine system, a gas turbine system, or any combination thereof. [Embodiment 20] The system of any one of embodiments 16 through 19, wherein the adsorbent-based gas capture unit is configured to direct a heated fluid through or around the adsorbent-containing conduit without contacting the adsorbent material to indirectly transfer heat. [Embodiment 21] The method includes controlling a first gas collection system of a gas processing system to capture a first portion of harmful gases from a combined cycle power plant. The method also includes controlling a second gas collection system of the gas processing system to capture a second portion of harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant, the first and second gas collection systems being disposed in series with respect to a fluid flow path through the combined cycle power plant. The method also includes controlling a supply of steam to the first and second gas collection systems via a steam supply circuit having a first steam supply line coupled to the first gas collection system and a second steam supply line coupled to the second gas collection system. The steam supply circuit is configured to couple to and receive steam from a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and / or a steam turbine system of the combined cycle power plant.
[0070] This specification has described certain embodiments of the disclosed technology, including the best mode, and has used examples to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosed technology, including making and using the devices or systems and practicing the methods. The patentable scope of the disclosed technology is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that would be obvious to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are within the scope of the claims if they have elements that are not literal in any way different from the claims, or equivalent elements that differ only insubstantially from the literal language of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0071] 10. Combined cycle power plant 12 Gas Turbine System 14 Waste heat recovery boiler 16 Steam Turbine System 18 Gas Treatment System 144 Control Systems 150 Controller 160 Gas Collection System 162 Gas Collection System 164 Gas Collection System 166 Gas Collection System 170 Steam supply circuit 174 Steam supply line 176 Steam supply line 250 Adsorbent-based gas collection system 350 Solvent Gas Collection System
Claims
1. 1. A system comprising a gas processing system, the gas processing system comprising: a first gas collection system configured to collect a first portion of harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant; a second gas collection system configured to collect a second portion of the harmful gas from the combined cycle power plant, the first and second gas collection systems being disposed in series with respect to a fluid flow path through the combined cycle power plant; and a steam supply circuit including a first steam supply line coupled to the first gas collection system and a second steam supply line coupled to the second gas collection system, the steam supply circuit configured to couple to and receive steam from a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and / or a steam turbine system of the combined cycle power plant; A system comprising:
2. 10. The system of claim 1, comprising a controller coupled to the gas treatment system and one or more sensors configured to obtain feedback indicative of a concentration level of the hazardous gas, the controller configured to control the first and second gas collection systems to control the concentration level of the hazardous gas based on one or more threshold concentration levels.
3. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the first and second gas collection systems to control a net neutral or net negative concentration level of harmful gases for the combined cycle power plant.
4. Harmful gas is carbon dioxide (CO 2 4. The system of claim 3, comprising:
5. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the combined cycle power plant includes a gas turbine system, an HRSG configured to receive exhaust gases from the gas turbine system, and a steam turbine system configured to receive steam from the HRSG.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first gas collection system or the second gas collection system comprises an adsorbent-based gas collection system.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first gas collection system or the second gas collection system comprises a solvent-based gas collection system.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system each comprise an adsorbent-based gas collection system.
9. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first gas collection system or the second gas collection system is configured to be positioned along an airflow path upstream of a combustor of a gas turbine system of a combined cycle power plant.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first gas collection system or the second gas collection system is configured to be disposed along an exhaust flow path of exhaust gases from a gas turbine system of a combined cycle power plant.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system is configured to be disposed along an exhaust flow path of exhaust gases from a gas turbine system of a combined cycle power plant.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system each comprise an adsorbent-based gas collection system.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system is configured to be located along the exhaust flowpath downstream from the HRSG.
14. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sorbent-based gas collection system comprises a wheel having a sorbent material, the wheel configured to rotate the sorbent material between a first flow path for adsorbing hazardous gases and a second flow path for desorbing hazardous gases.
15. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the adsorbent-based gas capture system comprises a first conduit having a first adsorbent material and a second conduit having a second adsorbent material, and the gas processing system is configured to alternately flow the vapor and the gas to be processed between the first conduit and the second conduit, alternating between a desorption mode and an absorption mode, respectively.
16. A system including a controller, the controller comprising: controlling a first gas collection system of the gas processing system to collect a first portion of the harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant; controlling a second gas collection system of the gas processing system to capture a second portion of the harmful gas from the combined cycle power plant, the first and second gas collection systems being disposed in series with respect to a fluid flow path through the combined cycle power plant; controlling a supply of steam to the first and second gas collection systems via a steam supply circuit including a first steam supply line coupled to the first gas collection system and a second steam supply line coupled to the second gas collection system, the steam supply circuit configured to couple to and receive steam from a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and / or a steam turbine system of a combined cycle power plant; The system is configured to run
17. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to obtain feedback indicative of a concentration level of the hazardous gas via one or more sensors, and the controller is configured to control the first and second gas collection systems to control the concentration level of the hazardous gas based on one or more threshold concentration levels.
18. A controller is configured to control the first and second gas collection systems to control a concentration level of the harmful gas to be net neutral or net negative for the combined cycle power plant, and each of the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system is configured to be disposed along an exhaust flow path of exhaust gas from a gas turbine system of the combined cycle power plant, and each of the first gas collection system and the second gas collection system includes an adsorbent-based gas collection system, and the harmful gas is carbon dioxide (CO 2 17. The system of claim 16, comprising:
19. The system of claim 16 , comprising at least one of a first gas collection system, a second gas collection system, a HRSG, a steam turbine system, a gas turbine system, or combinations thereof.
20. controlling a first gas collection system of the gas processing system to collect a first portion of the harmful gases from the combined cycle power plant; controlling a second gas collection system of the gas processing system to capture a second portion of the harmful gas from the combined cycle power plant, the first and second gas collection systems being disposed in series with respect to a fluid flow path through the combined cycle power plant; controlling a supply of steam to the first and second gas collection systems via a steam supply circuit including a first steam supply line coupled to the first gas collection system and a second steam supply line coupled to the second gas collection system, the steam supply circuit configured to couple to and receive steam from a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and / or a steam turbine system of a combined cycle power plant; A method comprising:
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Apparatus for recovering carbon dioxide in coal boiler exhaust gas in thermal power plant and method for recovering carbon dioxide
JP2010069371A
Gas turbine plant and discharged carbon dioxide recovery method for the same
JP2020139480A
Co2 capture processes using rotary wheel configurations
US20140175336A1
Power plant with co2 capture
US20110314815A1