Method and system integrating solar heat into a regenerative rankine steam cycle

Abstract

A method to integrate collected solar thermal energy into the feedwater system of a Rankine cycle power plant is disclosed. This novelty uses a closed loop, single phase fluid system to collect both the solar heat and to provide the heat input into the feedwater stream of a regenerative Rankine cycle. One embodiment of this method of integrating solar energy into a regenerative Rankine power plant cycle, such as a coal power plant, allows for automatic balancing of the steam extraction flows and does not change the temperature of the feedwater to the boiler. The concept, depending on the application, allows for the spare turbine capacity normally available in a coal plant to be used to produce incremental capacity and energy that is powered by solar thermal energy. By “piggybacking” on the available components and infrastructure of the host Rankine cycle power plant, considerable cost savings are achieved resulting in lower solar produced electricity costs.

1 . A method for generating power, the method comprising the steps of:
 generating a heated circulating fluid through the use of solar thermal sensible heat in a closed loop, single phase system;   transferring energy from the solar heated fluid to the feedwater, using a feedwater heater in series with other feedwater heaters, of a host regenerative Rankine cycle power plant, wherein the transferred heat is used to augment or replace steam turbine extraction steam heating in one or more of the high pressure feedwater heaters (downstream of the boiler feed pump) of the host power plant.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solar heated fluid's temperature is controlled to optimize the feedwater temperature during varying capacity loads of the host plant's Rankine cycle to maximize the overall efficiency of the Rankine cycle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solar heated fluid's flow is controlled to optimize the feedwater temperature during varying capacity loads of the host plant's Rankine cycle to maximize the overall efficiency of the Rankine cycle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solar fluid heating of the feedwater that replaces or augments the host plant's steam turbine extraction steam heating of the feedwater utilizes the idle capacity in the host Rankine power plant's steam turbine and generator that exists to handle increased steam flow through the steam turbine when one or more feedwaters are valved out of the steam cycle while maintaining essentially the same fuel input into the Rankine cycle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solar fluid heating of the feedwater that replaces or augments the host plant's steam turbine extraction steam heating of the feedwater allows the boiler operator to reduce the fuel flow to the boiler realizing a lower fuel consumption at the same capacity output by replacing fossil fuel with solar heat. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the placement of the transferred solar heat into the host plant's feedwater stream is such that the subsequent steam turbine extraction flows to the downstream feedwater heaters in the host plant's Rankine regenerative cycle are automatically regulated through the modulation of the solar heated fluid resulting in essentially the same feedwater temperature discharge temperature to the boiler with or without solar heat input into the previous feedwater heaters. 
     
     
         7 . The method of claim of  1 , wherein the maximum amount of solar collected heat and full use of the concentrated solar collectors can be inputted into the host plant's feedwater through the use of automatic regulation of the host plant's extraction steam resulting from varying the solar heat input as delineated in  claims 2  and  3 . 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transferring of energy from the solar heated fluid to the feedwater of a host regenerative Rankine cycle power plant comprises the steps of
 transferring the energy from the solar heated, closed loop system to a second closed loop system circulating a second fluid;   transferring the energy from the second fluid in the second circulating closed loop system to the host plant's feedwater thereby eliminating any direct leakage of the solar heated fluid in the first circulating closed loop system into the host plant's feedwater stream.   
     
     
         9 . The method of using a lower pressure solar heated transfer fluid in a single closed loop system to preclude, leakage into the higher pressure feedwater stream of the host plant's regenerative Rankine cycle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the use of solar heat storage is utilized to more effectively implement the processes described in  claims 2  and  3 . 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the transfer pipe carrying the solar heated fluid between the solar field and the regenerative Rankine cycle power plant is used as the primary storage mechanism to more effectively implement the processes described in  claims 2  and  3 . 
     
     
         12 . The method to input variable solar heat input without the use of storage into a regenerative Rankine power plant cycle while maintaining constant heat input to the boiler and without altering the boiler fuel input.