Fischer-Tropsch Tail Gas Fueling for Rapid Power Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical power generating utilities face challenges in managing rapid variability in demand and intermittent power sources like wind and solar, leading to issues such as brown-outs, black-outs, and high costs during peak hours, as traditional peaking power plants require clean fuels and struggle to respond quickly to changing demands.
Innovation Solution
The method integrates a Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon production facility with an electrical power generating facility, using a constant synthesis gas supply from a gasifier to operate FT reactors, with adjustable FT tail gases and naphtha fueling gas turbines to meet peak demands, allowing for variable power generation while maintaining continuous gas flow and utilizing various carbon-containing feedstocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If gas turbines are used for peaking power plants to provide rapid response capability, then response speed is improved, but fuel cleanliness requirements worsen the operational flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the fuel by using FT tail gases which have a specific composition profile (high hydrogen content, low contaminants) that enables both rapid turbine response and operational flexibility. This parameter change in fuel composition resolves the contradiction between response speed and fuel flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The FT tail gas serves multiple functions: it provides clean fuel for rapid turbine response, acts as a byproduct utilization stream from the FT process, and enables peaking power generation without requiring separate fuel storage or handling systems. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the system adaptable to both rapid response and flexible operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If FT reactor synthesis gas flow rate is varied to accommodate varying power demand, then power demand matching is improved, but FT reactor operational stability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power generation function from the FT reactor operation by introducing a separate gas turbine system that consumes FT tail gases. This allows the FT reactor to maintain stable operation while the turbine system handles power demand variations, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The FT tail gas acts as an intermediary that decouples the FT reactor from the power demand fluctuations. The reactor produces tail gases at steady state, and the turbine system uses these tail gases to match power demand, thereby resolving the contradiction through this intermediary medium.
3Power
If liquid hydrocarbons from FT system are stored and used in gas turbine-generator sets for peak-load demand, then peak-load power provision is improved, but system complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes the FT tail gas stream directly for power generation, eliminating the need to store and handle liquid hydrocarbon products separately. This extraction approach provides peak-load power while reducing system complexity by removing storage and transfer infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The FT system serves itself by using its own tail gases as fuel for power generation. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external fuel storage and handling systems, providing peak-load power capability while reducing overall system complexity.
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 enables rapid response to peak demands, smooths out power production variability from alternative energy sources, and increases power generation capacity by using tail gases and naphtha from low-temperature FT operations, while maintaining constant gasifier conditions and reducing diesel production costs.
Implementation Method 1
Gases from the gasifier and tail gases from the FT system are used in a power plant to produce base-load power
Implementation Method 2
A gasifier provides a constant supply of synthesis gas to one or more FT reactors. Tail gases and optionally naphtha from the FT units provide fuel for one or more gas turbine-generator sets
Implementation Method 3
Tail gases and optionally naphtha from the FT units provide fuel for one or more gas turbine-generator sets
Implementation Method 4
The amount of tail gases can be adjusted by varying the operating temperature of the FT reactors
Data Source
AI summary
A method for meeting both base-load and peak-load demand in a power production facility. By integrating a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) hydrocarbon production facility with an electrical power generating facility, peak-load power demand can be met by reducing the temperature of the FT reactor thereby increasing the quantity of tail gases and using FT tail gases to fuel a gas turbine generator set. The method enables rapid power response and allows the synthesis gas generating units and the FT units to operate with constant flow rates.