Power augmentation of combustion turbines with compressed air energy storage and additional expander with airflow extraction and injection thereof upstream of combustors

Abstract

A combustion turbine power generation system ( 10 ) includes a combustion turbine assembly ( 11 ) including a main compressor ( 12 ) constructed and arranged to receive ambient inlet air, a main expansion turbine ( 14 ) operatively associated with the main compressor, combustors ( 16 ) constructed and arranged to receive compressed air from the main compressor and to feed the main expansion turbine, and an electric generator ( 15 ) associated with the main expansion turbine for generating electric power. A compressed air storage ( 18 ) stores compressed air. A heat exchanger ( 24 ) is constructed and arranged to receive a source of heat and to receive compressed air from the storage so as to heat compressed air received from the storage. An air expander ( 28 ) is associated with the heat exchanger and is constructed and arranged to expand the heated compressed air for producing additional electric power. Airflow, extracted from the expander, is injected into the combustion turbine assembly upstream of the combustors for combustion turbine assembly power augmentation.

1 . A combustion turbine power generation system comprising:
 a combustion turbine assembly including a main compressor constructed and arranged to receive ambient inlet air, a main expansion turbine operatively associated with the main compressor, combustors constructed and arranged to receive compressed air from the main compressor and to feed the main expansion turbine, and an electric generator associated with the main expansion turbine for generating electric power,   a compressed air storage storing compressed air;   a heat exchanger constructed and arranged to receive a source of heat and to receive compressed air from the storage so as to heat compressed air received from the storage, and   an air expander associated with the heat exchanger and constructed and arranged to expand the heated compressed air for producing additional electric power,   wherein airflow, extracted from the expander, is injected into the combustion turbine assembly upstream of the combustors.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the airflow extracted and injected is exhaust airflow of the expander, with injection flow parameters of the injected airflow being consistent with flow parameters of the main compressor at an injection point. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the airflow extracted and injected is an airflow portion from a first stage of the expander, with injection flow parameters of the injected airflow being consistent with flow parameters of the main compressor at an injection point, a remaining portion of airflow being expanded through at least one second stage of the expander to atmospheric pressure. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is constructed and arranged to receive exhaust from the main expansion turbine thereby defining the source of heat. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one auxiliary compressor for charging the compressed air storage. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , further including an electric generator associated with the expander for generating the additional electric power. 
   
   
       7 . A combustion turbine power generation system comprising:
 a combustion turbine assembly including a main compressor constructed and arranged to receive ambient inlet air, a main expansion turbine operatively associated with the main compressor, combustors constructed and arranged to receive compressed air from the main compressor and to feed the main expansion turbine, and an electric generator associated with the main expansion turbine for generating electric power,   means for storing compressed air;   means, receiving a source of heat and receiving compressed air from the means for storing, for heating compressed air received from the means for storing, and   means, associated with the means for heating, for expanding the heated compressed air for producing additional electric power,   wherein airflow, extracted from the means for expanding, is injected into the combustion turbine assembly upstream of the combustors.   
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the means for expanding is an air expander. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the airflow extracted from the expander and injected into combustion turbine assembly is the exhaust airflow of the expander with injection flow parameters of the injected airflow being consistent with flow parameters of the main compressor at an injection point. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the airflow extracted from the expander and injected into combustion turbine assembly is an airflow portion from a first stage of the expander, with injection flow parameters of the injected airflow being consistent with flow parameters of the main compressor at an injection point, a remaining portion of airflow being expanded through at least one second stage of the expander to atmospheric pressure. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the means for heating is a heat exchanger constructed and arranged to receive exhaust from the main expansion turbine thereby defining the source of heat. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the means for storing is an underground air storage. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one auxiliary compressor for charging the air storage. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 7 , further including an electric generator associated with the expander for generating the additional electric power. 
   
   
       15 . A method augmenting power of a combustion turbine assembly, the combustion turbine assembly including a main compressor constructed and arranged to receive ambient inlet air, a main expansion turbine operatively associated with the main compressor, combustors constructed and arranged to receive compressed air from the main compressor and to feed the main expansion turbine, and an electric generator associated with the main expansion turbine for generating electric power, the method including:
 providing stored compressed air from a compressed air storage,   heating compressed air originating from the storage,   expanding the heated, compressed air in an air expander for producing additional electric power, and   extracting airflow from the expander and injecting the extracted airflow into the combustion turbine assembly upstream of the combustors.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the extracted and injected airflow is the exhaust airflow of the expander with injection flow parameters of the injected airflow being consistent with flow parameters of the main compressor at an injection point. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the extracted and injected airflow is an airflow portion from a first stage of the expander, with injection flow parameters of the injected airflow being consistent with flow parameters of the main compressor at an injection point, a remaining portion of airflow being expanded though at least one second stage of the expander to atmospheric pressure. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the heating step includes using exhaust heat from the main expansion turbine. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the method includes producing the additional electric power by providing an electric generator coupled with the expander.