Patent ID: 9353682
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: F02C

Claim Text:
1. A method of controlling a power plant that comprises a working fluid and a recirculation loop, wherein the power plant includes a combustor operably connected to a turbine, and wherein the recirculation loop comprises a recirculation compressor, the combustor positioned downstream of the recirculation compressor, the turbine positioned downstream of the combustor, and a recirculation conduit configured to direct an outflow of the working fluid from the turbine to the recirculation compressor, the method including the steps of: recirculating at least a portion of the working fluid through the recirculation loop; controlling the power plant such that the combustor at least periodically operates at a preferred stoichiometric ratio by controlling an amount of a compressed oxidant supplied to the combustor at an oxidant input and an amount of a fuel supplied to the combustor at a fuel input, wherein the recirculation loop is configured to prevent the input of the compressed oxidant and the fuel to all locations except for the oxidant input and the fuel input, respectively, occurring in the combustor; extracting the working fluid from a first extraction point and a second extraction point positioned on the recirculation loop during periods when the combustor operates at the preferred stoichiometric ratio; determining a characteristic of the working fluid at the first extraction point; determining the characteristic of the working fluid at the second extraction point; and based on the characteristic of the working fluid at the first extraction point and the characteristic of the working fluid at the second extraction point, extracting the working fluid from both the first extraction point and the second extraction point; determining a preferred value for the characteristic of the working fluid based on an intended downstream application; and controllably mixing the working fluid extracted from the first extraction point and the working fluid extracted from the second extraction point such that a combined flow of extracted working fluid comprises the preferred value for the characteristic of the working fluid.