Cooling Equipment for Combined Cycle Plant Thermal Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In combined cycle plants, increasing intake air cooling to improve gas turbine output leads to increased fuel consumption, making it challenging to enhance steam turbine output without increasing fuel usage, thus limiting thermal efficiency improvements.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of cooling equipment that uses liquefied gas for heat exchange with a condenser refrigerant to cool steam, thereby improving the condenser's vacuum and increasing steam turbine work without increasing gas turbine fuel consumption, utilizing a refrigerant supply line and cooling part for efficient heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If combustion air is cooled to increase intake air amount, then gas turbine output is improved, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the cold energy that would otherwise be wasted in the liquefied gas storage tank into a useful resource. By using the cold liquefied gas to cool the condenser refrigerant, the system turns a potential energy loss into a benefit that improves steam turbine output and overall thermal efficiency without requiring additional fuel consumption in the gas turbine.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary cooling system that uses the cold liquefied gas as a heat transfer medium. The cooling part acts as an intermediary device that transfers cold energy from the liquefied gas to the condenser refrigerant, enabling indirect cooling that improves steam turbine performance without directly affecting gas turbine fuel consumption.
2Productivity
If steam turbine output is increased without increasing fuel consumption, then thermal efficiency is improved, but this requires innovative cooling methods
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling part is designed to perform multiple functions: it cools the condenser refrigerant using cold liquefied gas, and can potentially serve other cooling needs in the plant. This multi-functionality allows the system to improve steam turbine output through enhanced condenser performance without requiring separate dedicated cooling systems, thereby managing complexity while achieving the desired productivity improvement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances steam turbine output and overall thermal efficiency of the combined cycle plant by effectively utilizing cold energy from liquefied gas without increasing fuel consumption in the gas turbine, thereby improving power generation efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling part (80) which is provided on the refrigerant supply line (81) and performs heat exchange between liquefied gas (G) which is used as fuel for a gas turbine and the condenser refrigerant, thereby heating and vaporizing the liquefied gas and cooling the condenser refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a refrigerant supply line (81) for supplying a condenser refrigerant which cools steam (Sb) that has driven a steam turbine (5), thereby returning the steam to water (W), to a condenser (6)
Data Source
AI summary
This cooling equipment comprises: a refrigerant supply line (81) supplying, to a condenser (6), a condenser refrigerant which cools steam (Sb) that has driven a steam turbine (5), to return the steam (Sb) to water (W); and a cooling part (80) which is disposed on the refrigerant supply line (81), and performs heat exchange between liquefied gas used as fuel for a gas turbine (2) and the condenser refrigerant to heat and vaporize the liquefied gas and to cool the condenser refrigerant at the same time.