Title: Cooling process and system for dry cooling power plants

Abstract

A seasonal process that captures stores and uses water in an ambient temperature-dependent manner to improve the efficiency of a natural gas power plant, comprising: (a) providing a natural gas power plant, the natural gas power plant having a flue gas stream, a cooling tower, and a gas turbine; (b) providing a water collection system; (c) providing a water storage facility; wherein the flue gas stream comprises uncondensed water vapor; wherein the water collection system is operably connected to the flue gas stream and the flue gas stream is directed to flow, at least in part, into the water collection system; wherein the water collection system is operably connected to the water storage facility; wherein the water storage facility is operably connected to the cooling tower and the water storage facility is operably connected to the gas turbine; wherein the process comprises the following steps of condensing flue gas water or using water that has been condensed from the flue gas stream based on outdoor ambient dry bulb temperature: (I) Only condensing water from the flue gas stream to produce a condensed water stream if outdoor ambient dry bulb temperature is less than 85° F.; (II) Only using condensed watermore » to spray cool the cooling tower if outdoor ambient dry bulb temperature is at least 85° F.; (III) Only using condensed water to fog cool the gas turbine if outdoor ambient dry bulb temperature is at least 55° F.; wherein condensed water that is not immediately used to cool the cooling tower or to fog cool the gas turbine is stored in the water storage facility; and wherein the process uses a total amount of water on an annual basis to cool the cooling tower and to fog cool the gas turbine that does not exceed the annual amount of water condensed from the flue gas stream. Optionally, the process has a cooling tower that is a dry cooling tower and condensed water is used to spray cool the dry cooling tower, or the cooling tower is a wet cooling tower, or the cooling tower is a hybrid wet-dry cooling tower. The process may further comprise a water collection system having a three stage desiccant cycle and a calcium chloride desiccant that recovers at least about 60 wt % of the water from the flue gas, operates at or above ambient pressure or comprises plastic piping or plastic vessels. Or the process may further comprise using a water collection system having at least one direct contact condensing column that recovers at least about 60 wt % of the water from the flue gas, operates at or above ambient pressure or comprises plastic piping or plastic vessels. Or the process may further comprise using a water collection system having at least one direct contact condenser and a rotating wheel heat exchanger that recovers at least about 60 wt % of the water from the flue gas, operates at or above ambient pressure, or further comprises plastic piping or plastic vessels. The coefficient of performance for the cooling process is optionally at least 2.0. « less

Inventors:

Srinivas, Girish; Gebhard, Steven Charles; Copeland, Robert James; Eisenberg, David P.

Issue Date:

Tue Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:

TDA Research, Inc., Wheat Ridge, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1532063

Patent Number(s):

9927178

Application Number:

15/149,152

Assignee:

TDA Research, Inc. (Wheat Ridge, CO)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F01 - MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL F01K - STEAM ENGINE PLANTS

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F02 - COMBUSTION ENGINES F02C - GAS-TURBINE PLANTS

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F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F01 - MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL F01K - STEAM ENGINE PLANTS

F01K9/003 - {condenser cooling circuits}

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F02 - COMBUSTION ENGINES F02C - GAS-TURBINE PLANTS

F02C6/18 - using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F05 - INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04 F05D - INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

F05D2220/31 - in steam turbines
F05D2220/32 - in gas turbines
F05D2260/213 - by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28B - STEAM OR VAPOUR CONDENSERS

F28B1/06 - using air or other gas as the cooling medium

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28C - HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITHOUT CHEMICAL INTERACTION

F28C1/00 - Direct-contact trickle coolers, e.g. cooling towers
F28C1/04 - with cross-current only
F28C1/14 - comprising also a non-direct contact heat exchange
F28C2001/006 - {Systems comprising cooling towers, e.g. for recooling a cooling medium

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28D - HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT

F28D5/02 - in which the evaporating medium flows in a continuous film or trickles freely over the conduits

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02B - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

Y02B30/70 - Efficient control or regulation technologies

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DOE Contract Number:  

AR0000581

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 2016-05-08

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English