Solar Assisted Gas Turbine Using Atomized Hot Water Intake Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar thermal power-generating systems require a large number of heat collectors, leading to high costs and significant site area requirements, which contradicts the goal of achieving high efficiency and output.
Innovation Solution
A solar assisted gas turbine system that uses high-pressure hot water generated with solar heat, atomized and sprayed into the intake air of a gas turbine, reducing the need for heat collectors by utilizing sensible heat instead of latent heat for energy collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a large number of heat collectors are used to achieve high efficiency and high output in solar thermal power-generating systems, then the energy collection capability is improved, but the site area requirement and system cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the thermal parameter from using latent heat of vaporization (steam generation) to using sensible heat (hot water heating). This parameter change allows the system to achieve the same power generation output with significantly fewer heat collectors, reducing the installation area while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function of heat collection from the complex steam generation process and simplifies it to direct hot water heating. By taking out the steam generation step and using hot water directly for power generation, the system reduces the number of heat collectors needed while maintaining output efficiency
2Productivity
If a large number of heat collectors are installed to achieve high efficiency, then the energy collection efficiency is improved, but the system cost increases as heat collectors account for 80% of total cost
Solution Approach 1:
By changing from latent heat utilization (steam) to sensible heat utilization (hot water), the system reduces the thermal energy requirement per unit of power generated. This parameter change directly reduces the number of expensive heat collectors needed, lowering the 80% cost component while maintaining high generation efficiency
3Reliability
If conventional steam turbine systems are used with solar heat, then renewable energy utilization is achieved, but the system requires large site area and high investment in heat collectors
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the solar heat collection function and directly couples it with a simplified power generation cycle using hot water instead of steam. This extraction and simplification maintains reliable renewable energy utilization while dramatically reducing the physical footprint of heat collector installation
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
Significantly reduces the number and site area requirements for heat collectors, enhances gas turbine output and thermal efficiency, and decreases CO2 emissions without relying on new fossil fuels.
Implementation Method 1
a heat collector for collecting solar heat, heating pressure-boosted water with the solar heat to a temperature that is higher than a boiling point under an atmospheric pressure and is lower than a boiling point under the boosted pressure
Implementation Method 2
heating pressure-boosted water with the solar heat
Implementation Method 3
the atomizer that atomizes the collector-created high-pressure hot water and sprays the atomized hot water into a flow of air taken into the compressor
Implementation Method 4
utilizing solar thermal energy to form the fine liquid droplets in the atomizer
Implementation Method 5
a compressor for compressing air
Implementation Method 6
a combustor for burning the compressor-compressed air and a fuel
Implementation Method 7
a gas turbine including a turbine driven by combustion gases generated in the combustor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
This invention is intended to provide a solar assisted gas turbine system significantly reduced in the number of heat collectors and downsized in heat collector installation site area requirement. The system according to the invention includes a compressor 1 for compressing air, a combustor 3 for burning the compressor-compressed air and a fuel, a gas turbine apparatus 100 including a turbine 2 driven by combustion gases generated in the combustor, and a heat collector 200 for collecting solar heat and creating high-pressure hot water using the solar heat; the system further including an atomizer 300 that atomizes the high-pressure hot water created by the collector 200 and sprays the atomized hot water into a stream of the air taken into the compressor 1.