Power augmentation of combustion turbines with compressed air energy storage and additional expander

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 to exhausted atmospheric pressure for producing additional electric power via an electric generator associated with the expander and to permit only a portion of airflow expanded by the air expander to be injected, under certain conditions, into the combustion turbine assembly.

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,   an air expander associated with the heat exchanger and constructed and arranged to expand the heated compressed air to exhausted atmospheric pressure for producing additional power, and to permit only a portion of airflow expanded by the air expander to be injected, under certain conditions, into the combustion turbine assembly, and   an electric generator, associated with the expander, for producing additional electrical power.   
   
   
       2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       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 . (canceled) 
   
   
       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,   means, associated with the means for heating, for expanding the heated compressed air to exhausted atmospheric pressure for producing additional power, the means for expanding being constructed and arranged to permit only a portion of airflow expanded by the means for expanding to be injected, under certain conditions, into the combustion turbine assembly, and   means, associated with the means for expanding, for generating additional electric power.   
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the means for expanding is an air expander. 
   
   
       9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       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 air storage. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one auxiliary compressor for charging the air storage. 
   
   
       14 . (canceled) 
   
   
       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 to exhausted atmospheric pressure for producing additional power, the air expander being constructed and arranged to permit only a portion of airflow expanded by the air expander to be injected, under certain conditions, into the combustion turbine assembly, and   generating, via an electric generator, additional electric power using the air expanded by the air expander.   
   
   
       16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the heating step includes using exhaust heat from the main expansion turbine. 
   
   
       19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the air expander is constructed and arranged to permit the airflow injected to be injected upstream of the combustors. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the means for expanding is constructed and arranged to permit the airflow injected to be injected upstream of the combustors. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 injecting the airflow injected upstream of the combustors.