SOLAR FIRED COMBINED CYCLE WITH SUPERCRITICAL TURBINE

摘要

Mechanical work for electric power generation is obtained from thermal energy in a plant arranged for introduction of solar energy, available intermittently, by reflecting and concentrating solar radiation to directly heat a flow medium such as the exhaust gas from a combustion turbine directed into a steam generating boiler/evaporator. Steam generators and staged turbines recover and extract energy optimally at particular temperature, pressure and flow parameters in a closed thermodynamic cycle. Solar energy that is available intermittently is injected into the cycle to elevate the energy of the flow medium, in particular to produce supercritical steam. A steam turbine optimized for expanding supercritical steam is deployed during periods of available solar radiation by a controllable clutch and other switching and valve arrangements. The exhaust from the supercritical steam turbine can be coupled to downstream staged turbines optimized for successively lower pressures and higher flow rates.

主权项

1. An apparatus for generating mechanical work from thermal energy, comprising:
at least a first power generation component operable to produce at least one flow medium with an elevated energy state from which energy can be extracted; at least one energy extraction component operable to extract mechanical work from the flow medium, extraction of such energy reducing the flow medium to a less elevated energy state; a flowpath defined for the flow medium from the first power generation component to the energy extraction component; a solar concentrator operable when solar radiation is available to direct solar heat energy into the flow medium along the flowpath, thereby increasing the elevated energy state of the flow medium.