Solar-Heated Compressor Inlet Spray for Combined Cycle Power
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Combined cycle power plants experience a decrease in thermal efficiency and power output at high ambient temperatures due to reduced air intake and low-temperature exhaust gas usage in gas turbine power plants.
Innovation Solution
A solar assisted combined cycle power plant that incorporates a solar collector to generate thermal energy, a heat accumulator to store pressurized hot water, and a spray device to inject this water into the compressor intake, promoting flash boiling and increasing air density and mass flow rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If water is sprayed upstream of the compressor to cool intake air, then power output increases, but thermal efficiency decreases due to low-temperature exhaust gas from heating combustion air
Solution Approach 1:
The patent preheats spray water using solar thermal energy before injecting it upstream of the compressor. This preliminary heating action allows the spray water to cool the intake air more effectively through evaporation while the solar thermal energy compensates for the energy that would otherwise be lost, thereby increasing power output without sacrificing thermal efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces solar thermal energy as an intermediary energy source to heat the spray water. This mediator allows the system to achieve the dual benefit of cooling intake air (increasing power output) and maintaining thermal efficiency, as the solar energy replaces the need to use low-temperature exhaust gas for heating the spray water.
2Power
If exhaust gas is used to heat combustion air in a gas turbine power plant, then power output increases, but overall thermal efficiency of the combined cycle power plant decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the function of heating spray water from the exhaust gas heating system. By using solar thermal energy to heat the spray water separately, the exhaust gas can be directed to the steam generator without being depleted of thermal energy, thus maintaining both power output and overall thermal efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses solar thermal energy as an intermediary to heat the spray water, separating this function from the exhaust gas heating system. This allows the exhaust gas to retain its thermal energy for generating steam in the steam generator, thereby maintaining overall thermal efficiency while still achieving increased power output through effective intake air cooling.
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 configuration maintains steady power output and thermal efficiency regardless of meteorological conditions, enhancing power generation efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.
Implementation Method 1
a solar collector which converts solar energy to thermal energy to thereby obtain high-temperature water
Implementation Method 2
a heat accumulator which stores the high-temperature water
Implementation Method 3
sprays the high-temperature water, which has been stored in the heat accumulator, onto the air to be taken into the compressor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed is a solar assisted combined cycle power plant having a compressor 1 that pressurizes combustion air, a combustor 2 that mixes and burns the combustion air 60 and gas turbine fuel 61 to generate a high-temperature combustion gas, a gas turbine 3 that drives the compressor 1 by using the combustion gas, an exhaust heat recovery steam generator 4 that obtains steam from thermal energy of a gas exhausted from the gas turbine 3, and a steam turbine 5 that is driven by using the steam obtained by the exhaust heat recovery steam generator 4. The solar assisted combined cycle power plant includes a solar collector 10 that uses thermal energy of sunlight to turn supplied water to warm water; a heat accumulator 9 that stores pressurized hot water derived from the solar collector 10 and the exhaust heat recovery steam generator 4; and a spray device 4 that handles the pressurized hot water, which is stored in the heat accumulator 9, as spray water and sprays the spray water onto the air to be taken into the compressor 1.