Combined Cycles for High Performance, Low Cost, Low Environmental Impact Waste-to-Energy Systems

Author(s):  
Stefano Consonni

This paper assesses the integration between natural gas-fired combined cycles and grate combustors for municipal solid waste (MSW). Saturated steam generated in the grate combustor is exported to the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) of the combined cycle, where it is superheated and then fed to a steam turbine serving both the combined cycle and the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant. Using a single steam turbine reduces costs and increases efficiency; in addition, superheating steam with the clean combustion products discharged by the gas turbine avoids all penalties (and extra-costs) caused by the corrosive gases generated in the grate combustor, which follow a path and are discharged from a stack completely separated from those of the CC. The optimal CC/WTE plant match is achieved when evaporation is carried out almost exclusively in the grate combustor, with the HRSG bearing the load for superheat (and reheat) and part of feedwater heating. Performance estimates for a combined cycle centered around a medium-size, heavy-duty gas turbine show that WTE/CC integration increases the efficiency of energy recovery from waste by 50% and more, with MSW disposal costs lower by 30–40%. Higher energy conversion efficiencies imply lower environmental impact, notably greater reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

Author(s):  
Christian L. Vandervort ◽  
Mohammed R. Bary ◽  
Larry E. Stoddard ◽  
Steven T. Higgins

The Externally-Fired Combined Cycle (EFCC) is an attractive emerging technology for powering high efficiency combined gas and steam turbine cycles with coal or other ash bearing fuels. The key near-term market for the EFCC is likely to be repowering of existing coal fueled power generation units. Repowering with an EFCC system offers utilities the ability to improve efficiency of existing plants by 25 to 60 percent, while doubling generating capacity. Repowering can be accomplished at a capital cost half that of a new facility of similar capacity. Furthermore, the EFCC concept does not require complex chemical processes, and is therefore very compatible with existing utility operating experience. In the EFCC, the heat input to the gas turbine is supplied indirectly through a ceramic heat exchanger. The heat exchanger, coupled with an atmospheric coal combustor and auxiliary components, replaces the conventional gas turbine combustor. Addition of a steam bottoming plant and exhaust cleanup system completes the combined cycle. A conceptual design has been developed for EFCC repowering of an existing reference plant which operates with a 48 MW steam turbine at a net plant efficiency of 25 percent. The repowered plant design uses a General Electric LM6000 gas turbine package in the EFCC power island. Topping the existing steam plant with the coal fueled EFCC improves efficiency to nearly 40 percent. The capital cost of this upgrade is 1,090/kW. When combined with the high efficiency, the low cost of coal, and low operation and maintenance costs, the resulting cost of electricity is competitive for base load generation.


1983 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. 844-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. G. Rice

High-cycle pressure-ratio (38–42) gas turbines being developed for future aircraft and, in turn, industrial applications impose more critical disk and casing cooling and thermal-expansion problems. Additional attention, therefore, is being focused on cooling and the proper selection of materials. Associated blade-tip clearance control of the high-pressure compressor and high-temperature turbine is critical for high performance. This paper relates to the use of extracted steam from a steam turbine as a coolant in a combined cycle to enhance material selection and to control expansion in such a manner that the cooling process increases combined-cycle efficiency, gas turbine output, and steam turbine output.


1978 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Bernstein ◽  
J. Cashman

Combined-cycle plants are not new. The fuel crunch, however, is relatively new, forcing new economic considerations, evaluations, and designs. This paper presents a UTC modular industrial gas turbine/steam turbine combined cycle which is specifically designed around the new economics, with owning and operating costs the vital parameter, resulting in more efficient combined cycles in the 8000 Btu/kwhr range. Utilizing the modular concept results in a family of combined cycles to fit practically any load requirement.


1974 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Sieck ◽  
N. P. Baudat ◽  
J. I. Alyea

The desire to extract ethane and propane from the natural gas produced by off-shore wells in the Gulf of Mexico, led to the erection of the Cryogenic Gas Processing Plant near Erath, Louisiana. This paper describes the application of a combined cycle (gas/steam turbine) for gas compression and transmission. The installation is none of, if not, the largest and most efficient combined cycles in mechanical drive service, capable of handling over 1200 MMscf/d of gas. The installation incorporates a gas turbine rated 46,800 hp at ISO conditions and a steam turbine rated 29,700 hp. In addition, the cycle incorporates the use of gas turbine variable inlet guide vanes, a supplementary fired waste heat recovery boiler and forced draft fan for independent steam turbine operation.


Author(s):  
M. P. Polsky

This paper describes various methods of the power plant load control and gives technical comparison between those methods. It is shown that sliding pressure control is more attractive for combined cycles than for conventional boiler fired plants. A simple graphical method to determine combined cycle steam turbine output at various gas turbine loads is proposed. It also shows that the effectiveness of the sliding pressure operation increases with the decrease of gas turbine load.


Author(s):  
A.A. Filimonova ◽  
◽  
N.D. Chichirova ◽  
A.A. Chichirov ◽  
A.A. Batalova ◽  
...  

The article provides an overview of modern high-performance combined-cycle plants and gas turbine plants with waste heat boilers. The forecast for the introduction of gas turbine equipment at TPPs in the world and in Russia is presented. The classification of gas turbines according to the degree of energy efficiency and operational characteristics is given. Waste heat boilers are characterized in terms of design and associated performance and efficiency. To achieve high operating parameters of gas turbine and boiler equipment, it is necessary to use, among other things, modern water treatment equipment. The article discusses modern effective technologies, the leading place among which is occupied by membrane, and especially baromembrane methods of preparing feed water-waste heat boilers. At the same time, the ion exchange technology remains one of the most demanded at TPPs in the Russian Federation.


Author(s):  
Wancai Liu ◽  
Hui Zhang

Gas turbine is widely applied in power-generation field, especially combined gas-steam cycle. In this paper, the new scheme of steam turbine driving compressor is investigated aiming at the gas-steam combined cycle power plant. Under calculating the thermodynamic process, the new scheme is compared with the scheme of conventional gas-steam combined cycle, pointing its main merits and shortcomings. At the same time, two improved schemes of steam turbine driving compressor are discussed.


Author(s):  
Kari Anne Tveitaskog ◽  
Fredrik Haglind

This paper is aimed at designing and optimizing combined cycles for marine applications. For this purpose, an in-house numerical simulation tool called DNA (Dynamic Network Analysis) and a genetic algorithm-based optimization routine are used. The top cycle is modeled as the aero-derivative gas turbine LM2500, while four options for bottoming cycles are modeled. Firstly, a single pressure steam cycle, secondly a dual-pressure steam cycle, thirdly an ORC using toluene as the working fluid and an intermediate oil loop as the heat carrier, and lastly an ABC with inter-cooling are modeled. Furthermore, practical and operational aspects of using these three machinery systems for a high-speed ferry are discussed. Two scenarios are evaluated. The first scenario evaluates the combined cycles with a given power requirement, optimizing the combined cycle while operating the gas turbine at part load. The second scenario evaluates the combined cycle with the gas turbine operated at full load. For the first scenario, the results suggest that the thermal efficiencies of the combined gas and steam cycles are 46.3% and 48.2% for the single pressure and dual pressure steam cycles, respectively. The gas ORC and gas ABC combined cycles obtained thermal efficiencies of 45.6% and 41.9%, respectively. For the second scenario, the results suggest that the thermal efficiencies of the combined gas and steam cycles are 53.5% and 55.3% for the single pressure and dual pressure steam cycles, respectively. The gas ORC and gas ABC combined cycles obtained thermal efficiencies of 51.0% and 47.8%, respectively.


Author(s):  
R. Chacartegui ◽  
D. Sa´nchez ◽  
F. Jime´nez-Espadafor ◽  
A. Mun˜oz ◽  
T. Sa´nchez

The development of high efficiency solar power plants based on gas turbine technology presents two problems, both of them directly associated with the solar power plant receiver design and the power plant size: lower turbine intake temperature and higher pressure drops in heat exchangers than in a conventional gas turbine. To partially solve these problems, different configurations of combined cycles composed of a closed cycle carbon dioxide gas turbine as topping cycle have been analyzed. The main advantage of the Brayton carbon dioxide cycle is its high net shaft work to expansion work ratio, in the range of 0.7–0.85 at supercritical compressor intake pressures, which is very close to that of the Rankine cycle. This feature will reduce the negative effects of pressure drops and will be also very interesting for cycles with moderate turbine inlet temperature (800–1000 K). Intercooling and reheat options are also considered. Furthermore, different working fluids have been analyzed for the bottoming cycle, seeking the best performance of the combined cycle in the ranges of temperatures considered.


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