Assembly having a gas turbine engine and a preheating arrangement

Abstract

An assembly includes a gas turbine and a heat exchanger for heating up a gas turbine process fluid by thermal energy. The gas turbine has a compressor, a combustor and a turbine downstream of the combustor, wherein the thermal energy is from the solar receiver. To improve efficiency and reduce power generation fluctuations, the assembly includes a first line to conduct the gas turbine process fluid downstream a compression by the compressor to the heat exchanger, and a second line to conduct the gas turbine process fluid from the heat exchanger to the combustor to generate hot combustion gas from the warmed up gas turbine process fluid burning fuel in the combustor.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising: a gas turbine and a heat exchanger for heating up a gas turbine process fluid by thermal energy, said gas turbine comprising a compressor, a combustor and a turbine downstream said combustor, wherein said assembly comprises a first line to conduct said gas turbine process fluid from said compressor to said heat exchanger, and wherein said assembly comprises a second line to conduct said gas turbine process fluid from said heat exchanger to said combustor to generate hot combustion gas from warmed up gas turbine process fluid burning fuel in said combustor, wherein said combustor is defined by a first shell element containing a main combustion zone, wherein said combustor is at least partly surrounded by a second shell element to provide an annular channel between said first shell element and said second shell element as a part of said first line.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first line and said second line exchange heat.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said first line and said second line are arranged coaxially to each other along at least a portion of their respective length.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein flow directions of said gas turbine process fluid in said first line and said second line are contrary.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said combustor comprises a burner upstream said main combustion zone, wherein said burner comprises main fuel nozzles to supply said fuel by the main fuel nozzles and at least one pilot injector to ignite and/or maintain combustion by said at least one pilot injector.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein said combustor comprises a central axis extending along a main flow direction of said gas turbine process fluid through said combustor, wherein said at least one pilot injector injects said fuel along a first inclination angle 1 to said central axis, wherein: 0<1<45.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein said main fuel nozzles inject said fuel along a second inclination angle 2 to said central axis, wherein: 2 >1.

8. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein: 0<1<10 and 45<2<120.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein said burner comprises fuel injection devices respectively comprising at least one pilot injector and/or at least one main fuel nozzle and respectively connected to a fuel supply line, wherein said fuel injection devices are arranged in an axial plane perpendicular to said central axis.

10. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein the fuel injection devices occupy a part area of a cross sectional area perpendicular to said central axis of said combustor, thereby restricting a free cross sectional area available for a flow of said gas turbine process fluid, and wherein a front face's part area of each fuel injection device facing oppositely the flow of said gas turbine process fluid is covered by a respective flow contour extending axially such that a constriction of said free cross sectional area by the fuel injection devices is made continuously along at least a part of an axial extension of said fuel injection devices.

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein an enlargement of said free cross sectional area by the fuel injection devices and downstream of respective at least one main fuel nozzles is made more abrupt than the constriction by said flow contours.

12. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein: 0<1<10 and 2=90.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Below embodiments are described partly in closer detail with reference to accompanying drawings to give a better understanding of the invention and optional features, wherein

(2) FIG. 1 a simplified drawing showing a cross sectional view of the assembly according to the invention comprising the gas turbine, lines 1 and 2, said solar receiver and said heat exchanger,

(3) FIG. 2 showing a detail of FIG. 1 depicting a burner of a combustor of said gas turbine,

(4) FIG. 3 showing a perspective indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by III,

(5) FIG. 4, 5 showing details of FIG. 2 indicated in FIG. 2 by IV, V.

(6) FIG. 6 a simplified drawing showing a cross sectional view of the assembly according to the invention comprising the gas turbine, lines 1 and 2, said combustor and a valve system enabling power shifting between solar receiver and combustor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows an assembly AS according to the invention comprising a gas turbine GT and a solar receive SR receiving radiation RAD as solar energy from the sun S.

(8) Said gas turbine GT comprisesin the flow direction of a gas turbine process fluid GTPF, wherein said gas turbine process fluid GTPF is an oxygen containing gashere ambient air, a compressor CO comprising compressor blades BLCO, a first line L1 conducting said compressed gas turbine process fluid GTPF while cooling a combustor CB vertically up a tower TW of said solar receiver SR into a heat exchanger HE of said solar receiver SR receiving thermal energy from said radiation RAD. Downstream said heat exchanger HE said heated up gas turbine process fluid GTPF is conducted by a second line L2 vertically down to said combustor CB of said gas turbine GT. The combustor CB converts said gas turbine process fluids GTPF into hot combustion gas HCG by burning fuel F with the oxygen of said gas turbine process fluids GTPF. Said hot combustion gas HCG is expanded in a turbine TB comprising turbine blades BLTB of said gas turbine and finally released into an exhaust EX of said gas turbine GT.

(9) After the compression said gas turbine process fluid GTPF exchanges heat as it enters said first line L1, which is adjacent to said second line L2, wherein said first line L1 coaxially surrounds said combustor CB, which is the continuation of said second line L2. Said first line L1 is build coaxially surrounding said second line L2, wherein an axis X of coaxiality is defined by the major flow direction of said gas turbine process fluid's GTPFrespectively said hot combustion gas' HCG generatedmain flow direction through said second line L2 respectively said combustor CB. Said combustor CB is built as the continuation of said second line L2 as being defined by a first shell element SE1, which is cooled by said gas turbine process fluid GTPF being conducted by a second shell element SE2, which is at least partly surrounding said first shell element SE1.

(10) In particularas depictedthe continuation of said second line L2 joining into said combustor is without change of the cross section area CSA of said second line to avoid turbulence respectively to keep the flow as laminar as possible avoiding pressure loss increase.

(11) As also shown schematically in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 said combustor CB comprises a burner B at an inlet, which is located at an upstream end of said combustor CB. As shown in the embodiment said combustor is a cylindrical continuation of said second line L2 with constant cross sectional area CSA. As shown, this cylinder can have a round cross sectional area CSA.

(12) Said burner B is fixedly mounted at the upstream end of said combustor CB, comprising several fuel injection devices FID basically arranged in one axial plane XP extending perpendicular to said central axis X, defined by the main flow direction of said gas turbine process fluid GTFP respectively said hot combustion gas HCG through said combustor CB. The fuel injection devices FID comprise pilot injectors PI and/or main fuel nozzles MFN. Here each fuel injection device FID is shown with both, main fuel nozzles MFN and pilot injectors PI.

(13) Each fuel injection device FID receives in particular its gaseous fuel F through a fuel line FL, which is advantageously adjusted to provide the same fuel pressure to each fuel injection device FID. This can be done by a sufficiently big main fuel line FL cross sectional area and sufficiently big subsequent fuel lines to avoid excessive pressure loss in said fuel line(s) FL. Further said pilot injectors PI and said main fuel nozzles MFN may have separate fuel supply lines, as shown in FIG. 2 said pilot injectors PI are fed with fuel by pilot fuel lines PFL and said main fuel nozzles MFN are provided with fuel by main fuel lines MFL.

(14) Each fuel injection device FID occupies a part area PA of said cross sectional area CSA of said second line L2. This part area PA forces said gas turbine process fluid GTPF to be accelerated through the remaining free cross sectional area FCSA between said fuel injection devices FID. To reduce turbulence during this acceleration and to avoid an unnecessary high pressure loss each fuel injection device FID is equipped with an upstream flow contour, which reduces the respectively remaining cross sectional area CSA with axial progression not abruptly but continuously over at least a part of the axial extension of said flow contour FC.

(15) Said main fuel nozzles are arranged downstream of at least the major part of the axial extension of said flow contour FC of said fuel injection devices FID to inject said major portion of fuel F into the accelerated flow of said gas turbine process fluid GTPF. Downstream said main fuel nozzles MFN a less continuous enlargement of said free cross sectional area FCSA of said second line L2 is achieved by a less continuous size reduction of said fuel injection devices with axial progression. Basically the fuel injection device axially ends abruptly at the axial location of said main fuel nozzles MFN.

(16) Said pilot injectors PI are arranged downstream said main fuel nozzles MFN. This enables ignition and maintenance of a flame front in a main combustion zone MCZ of said combustor CB downstream said burner B. In particular and as depicted said pilot injector PI is located and injects a pilot fuel PF into the recirculation zone established by the location of the fuel injection device FID in the flow of said gas turbine process fluid GTPF.

(17) Said pilot injector PI injects fuel F along an angle 1 between 0 and 45 (here 1 equal) 0 particularly between 0 and 10 with regard to said central axis X. Said main fuel nozzles MFN inject fuel F or a mixture of fuel F and said gas turbine process fluids GTPF along an injection angle 2, which is larger than the injection angle 1 of the pilot injector PI and particularly 90 respectively perpendicular to said central axis X (2 equal 90 is shown in this embodiment).

(18) FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the invention comprising similar components in a similar depiction to FIG. 1. Said solar receiver SR with said heat exchanger HE is not shown but to be assumed as depicted in FIG. 1. The embodiment according to FIG. 6 differs from FIG. 1 by having different burners B as part of the combustor CB. Further a valve system comprising a first valve VLV1 and second valves VLV2 enable to control the gas turbine process fluid GTPF flow depending on different operation modes. If sufficiently sun radiation provides enough solar power to operate the solar receiver SR said gas turbine process fluid GTPF enters downstream said compressor CO said first line L1 up to said solar receiver similar to the depiction in FIG. 1. If said solar receiver SR covers the total thermal energy consumption of said gas turbine GT said second valve VAV2 is closed and the total amount of said gas turbine process fluid GTPF enters through said first line L1 said solar receiver SR. If said solar receiver SR doesn't cover the total thermal energy needed to operate said turbine TB said first valve VAV1 closes and said second valve VAV2 opens and said gas turbine process fluid GTPF enters a first line bypass L1 to be led into said burner B for generating hot combustion gas HCG by burning fossil fuel F in said burner B. Said burner B comprises a pilot combustion zone PCZ to generate a rich hot combustion gas HCG (rich means that unburned fuel is mixed to the gas) to be ejected into a main combustion zone MCZ to react with the heated up remaining gas turbine process fluid GTPF. In the main combustion zone MCZ of said combustor CB said gas turbine process fluid GTPF mixes with the hot combustion gas HCG and remaining unburned fuel F is burned with the oxygen contained in said heated up gas turbine process fluid GTPF. The gas turbine shown in FIG. 6especially the burner and the turbine in particular are designed as a low temperature devices operating at a temperature up to 1000 C. This turbine therefore doesn't need any supplementary firing by fossil fuel downstream said heat exchanger HE.

(19) If said solar receiver SR does not produce enough thermal energy to be efficiently operated (for example at night) said first valve VAV1 blocks said second line L2 upstream of said combustor CB totally and instead to exclusively conduct said gas turbine process fluid GTPF downstream said compressor along said first line bypass L1 in particular through said fully opened second valve VAV2 to generate hot combustion gas HCG by said burner B. Said burner B is then operated in a mode allowing to cover the full thermal energy to be generated exclusively in said main combustion zone MCZ, which ejects readily composed maybe fully reacted hot combustion gas HGC into the main combustion zone MCZ downstream said first valve VAV1.