Patent ID: 9680350
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: F02C,F25J,H02K

Claim:
1. A method of separating air and generating electrical power comprising: compressing the air in a main air compressor to produce a compressed air stream; forming a combustion air stream from at least part of the compressed air stream; during design operational conditions, introducing the compressed air stream into an air separation unit and separating the air through cryogenic rectification to produce one or more products; during turn-down operational conditions where the one or more products are not being produced or being produced at a lesser rate, introducing the combustion air stream and a fuel stream into a combustor, combusting the fuel to produce a heated and pressurized combustion stream and expanding the heated and pressurized combustion stream in a turbine connected to an electrical generator to generate electrical power; operating the main air compressor such that the compressor produces the compressed air stream to allow the combustion air stream to be available during the turn-down operational conditions to support combustion of the fuel stream for generation of the electrical power; wherein the turbine produces an exhaust stream and the exhaust stream indirectly transfers heat to the combustion air stream prior to the introducing the combustion air stream into the combustor; the combustion air stream is saturated with moisture prior to the exhaust stream indirectly transferring heat to the combustion air stream wherein the combustion air stream is saturated with moisture by: condensing a steam stream in a condenser to produce a condensed stream; pumping the condensed stream in a pump to produce a first pressurized water stream; combining the first pressurized water stream with a second pressurized water stream to produce a combined water stream; heating the combined water stream in the condenser through indirect heat exchange with the steam stream to produce a heated water stream; counter-currently contacting the heated water stream with the combustion air stream in a saturator to produce the combustion air stream saturated with the moisture and a bottoms liquid; and recirculating at least part of the bottoms liquid to form the second pressurized water stream.