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

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 of the expander is extracted from the expander and is injected into the combustion turbine assembly upstream of the combustors, and

wherein the airflow extracted and injected is an airflow from a first stage of the expander, with injection flow parameters being consistent with flow parameters of the main compressor at an injection point, with a remaining portion of the it airflow of the expander being expanded through at least one second stage of the expander to atmospheric pressure.

2. 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.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one auxiliary compressor for charging the compressed air storage.

4. The system of claim 1 , further including an electric generator associated with the expander for generating the additional electric power.

5. 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 of the means for expanding is extracted from the means for expanding and is injected into the combustion turbine assembly upstream of the combustors, and

wherein the airflow extracted and injected is an airflow from a first stage of the means for expanding, with injection flow parameters being consistent with flow parameters of the main compressor at an injection point, with a remaining portion of the airflow of the means for expanding being expanded through at least one second stage of the means for expanding to atmospheric pressure.

6. The system of claim 5 , 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.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the means for storing is an underground air storage.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising at least one auxiliary compressor for charging the air storage.

9. The system of claim 5 , further including an electric generator associated with the means for expanding for generating the additional electric power.

10. 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 of the expander and injecting the extracted airflow into the combustion turbine assembly upstream of the combustors,

wherein the extracted and injected airflow is an airflow from a first stage of the expander, with injection flow parameters being consistent with flow parameters of the main compressor at an injection point, with a remaining portion of the it airflow of the expander being expanded through at least one second stage of the expander to atmospheric pressure.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the heating step includes using exhaust heat from the main expansion turbine.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method includes producing the additional electric power by providing an electric generator coupled with the expander.

13. The system of claim 5 , wherein the means for expanding is an air expander.