Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Prime mover or fluid pump making
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-10
2001-07-24
Rosenbaum, I Cuda (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Prime mover or fluid pump making
C029S889200, C029S401100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263568
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to power generation systems. More specifically, this invention relates to power generations systems that use steam to generate power.
Coal-fired steam boilers are currently used in conjunction with steam turbine systems for generating power, such as electricity. Referring to prior art
FIG. 1
, a prior art power generation system
10
has a coal-fired steam boiler
12
, a steam turbine system
14
, a condenser
16
, and a fume cleaning system
23
. A coal flow
18
and an air stream
20
is directed into the coal-fired steam boiler
12
. The coal flow
18
is combusted in the boiler
12
to generate thermal energy and a boiler emission stream
22
. The boiler emission stream
22
passes through the fume cleaning system
23
to produce a cleaner emission stream
25
. A water flow
24
is directed through an enclosed manifold
26
in the boiler
12
and retains a portion of the thermal energy generated, thereby producing a steam flow
28
. The steam flow
28
is directed through, and expanded in, the steam turbine system
14
that has a high pressure turbine
30
, an intermediate pressure turbine
32
, and a low pressure turbine
34
, serially arranged on a shaft
36
that is connected to a generator
38
. The expanding steam flow
28
causes the turbines and shaft to rotate, that in turn generates electricity via the generator
38
. A fully expanded steam flow
40
exits the low pressure turbine
34
and is condensed in condenser
16
to form the water flow
24
. A make-up water feed
42
augments the water flow
24
as needed. This is only a general flow chart of a power generation system and other systems may have other arrangements.
The prior art power generation system
10
that uses coal-fired boilers
12
have pollution and efficiency problems. The coal-fired boilers produce regulated emissions such as NO
x
, SO
x
, particulates, topic species, and greenhouse gas emissions. A number of attempts have been made to reduce the amount of regulated emissions from coal-fired steam boilers. Low NO
x
burners have been used in the boilers to reduce the NO
x
levels in the emissions. The fume cleaning system
23
may include scrubbers to remove the SO
x
and a stack glass fabric filter (baghouse) to remove the particulates. The regulated emission removal requirements are expensive to install and generally lower the overall plant efficiency. In addition, the species, green-house gases and other emissions components cannot be readily reduced with current technology. Further, the efficiency of the prior art generation systems
10
that uses coal-fired boilers
12
is limited by the energy of the steam generated. The highest typical superheat stream temperature from a boiler is about 1000° F., with advanced boiler designs producing 1200° F. steam. If the efficiencies were increased, then less coal would need to be burned, thus reducing the pollution emissions.
However, numerous prior art power generation systems that use coal-fired boilers exist, representing an enormous capital investment. Therefore, a need exists to generate power with higher efficiency and less pollution while retaining the capital investment of the existing power generation systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a power generation system having a coal-fired steam boiler, a steam turbine system, and a condenser, an embodiment of the claimed invention provides a method of retrofitting having the step of replacing the coal-fired steam boiler with a hydrogen-fired combustion system such that a steam flow generated by the hydrogen-fired combustion system is directed to the steam turbine system. Another embodiment of the claimed invention provides a method of retrofitting a power generation system having the steps of installing a hydrogen-fired combustion system to receive the steam flow, a hydrogen stream, and an oxygen stream, and to produce a super-heated steam flow therefrom; and installing a new steam turbine system capable of receiving and expanding said super-heated steam flow and directing said expanded superheated steam flow to at least a portion of said original steam turbine system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5660037 (1997-08-01), Termuehlen
patent: 5666800 (1997-09-01), Sorenson et al.
patent: 5715671 (1998-02-01), Griffiths
Bannister Ronald Leo
Newby Richard Allen
Cuda Rosenbaum I
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott , LLC
Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
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