IP Library Granted Patent US 6,981,360
Granted Patent B2
US 6,981,360 · App. 10/474,324 · Granted Jan 3, 2006

Gas turbine power generator having humidifying and cooling means

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,981,360
App. No.
10/474,324
Granted
Jan 3, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a gas turbine power generator capable of increasing the power generation efficiency in partial load operation and decreasing a variation in the number of rotations caused by a variation in power generation load. The gas turbine power generator comprises a compressor ( 2 ) for compressing air, a combustor ( 5 ) for burning the compressed air and fuel, a turbine ( 6 ) driven by combustion gas produced in the combustor and driving the compressor ( 2 ) and a generator ( 7 ), a regenerative heat exchanger ( 4 ) for exchanging heat between exhaust gas from the turbine and the compressed air led into the combustor, an intake air sprayer ( 1 ), and a humidifier ( 3 ). Intake air flown into the regenerative heat exchanger ( 4 ) is humidified and cooled by the intake air sprayer ( 1 ) and the humidifier ( 3 ).

Claims (20)

1. A gas turbine power generator comprising:

a compressor for compressing air;

a combustor for burning the compressed air and fuel;

a turbine driven by combustion gas produced in said combustor and driving said compressor and a generator;

a regenerative heat exchanger for exchanging heat between exhaust gas from said turbine and the compressed air led into said combustor;

humidifying and cooling means for humidifying and cooling intake air flown into said regenerative heat exchanger, and

control means for controlling a flow rate of humidifying water supplied by said humidifying and cooling means to a value required for making an intake air temperature at an inlet of said regenerative heat exchanger coincident with a saturation water vapor temperature.

2. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 1 , wherein said humidifying and cooling means is an intake air sprayer for spraying water to the intake air at an inlet of said compressor, thereby humidifying and cooling the intake air led into said compressor.

3. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 1 , wherein said humidifying and cooling means is a humidifier for spraying water to air compressed by said compressor.

4. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 1 ,

wherein said control means controls the number of rotations of said turbine and a flow rate of fuel supplied to said combustor.

5. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 4 , wherein said control means controls the flow rate of the humidifying water to be coincident with an optimum flow rate of the humidifying water as far as possible, thereby reducing the number of times at which the number of rotations is adjusted.

6. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 5 , wherein said control means decides the optimum flow rate (MOPW) of the humidifying water by comparing a temperature gradient, which is resulted from dividing a temperature difference between an inlet and an outlet of said regenerative heat exchanger by a flow passage length inside said regenerative heat exchanger, with a target temperature gradient in said regenerative heat exchanger.

7. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 4 , wherein said control means makes control, after setting the flow rate of the humidifying water on the delivery side of said compressor to a maximum setting flow rate, to gradually reduce the flow rate of the humidifying water to an optimum flow rate of the humidifying water while confirming that an outlet temperature of said regenerative heat exchanger and an inlet or outlet temperature of said turbine are lower than respective setting temperatures.

8. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 7 , wherein said control means decides the optimum flow rate (MOPW) of the humidifying water by measuring a pressure and temperature at an inlet of said regenerative heat exchanger, and employing a saturation temperature formula.

9. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 7 , wherein said control means decides the optimum flow rate (MOPW) of the humidifying water by comparing the specific heat of the intake air at an inlet of said regenerative heat exchanger with the specific heat of the intake air in a saturation state.

10. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 7 , wherein said control means decides the optimum flow rate (MOPW) of the humidifying water by measuring an inlet temperature said regenerative heat exchanger and an air temperature inside said regenerative heat exchanger.

11. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 4 , wherein when an inlet temperature or an outlet temperature of said turbine rises excessively, said control means increases the flow rate of the humidifying water to lower the inlet temperature or the outlet temperature of said turbine for return to a safe operation state.

12. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 4 , wherein when decreasing the flow rate Mw of the humidifying water on the delivery side of said compressor, said control means sets a decrease amount of the humidifying water to the least possible value within the flow rate adjustable range.

13. A gas turbine power generator according to claim 4 , wherein said control means issues an alarm when temperatures of said combustor and said turbine exceeds alarm setting temperatures, and sets the alarm setting temperatures to higher values depending on a rise of the open air temperature.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY ASSIGNMENT Recorded Oct 8, 2014
From: HITACHI, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 033917/0209 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 22, 2014
From: HITACHI, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 033003/0648 →