Patent ID: 6523351
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: C10L,F02C,F25J,Y02C

Abstract:
A method of fueling a gas turbine with methane gas from natural gas reserves having from about 40 to about 80 volume percent methane, the method comprising;providing a first natural gas stream from the natural gas reserve; separating inert gases from methane gas in the first natural gas stream to provide a separated methane gas and a separated inert gas; blending the separated inert gas and a second natural gas stream having from about 40 to about 80 volume percent methane to provide an inert-gas enhanced inert gas/methane gas blend wherein the amount of inert gas blended with the second natural gas stream will decrease the relative percentage of methane gas to below about 40 volume percent methane, based upon the volumes of inert and methane gases; removing at least one acid component from the inert gas-enhanced inert gas/methane gas blend to provide a sweet inert gas enhanced inert gas/methane gas blend or removing at least one acid component from the first natural gas stream so as to provide a sweet inert gas enhanced inert gas/methane gas blend; mixing the sweet inert gas enhanced inert gas/methane gas blend and water to provide a hydrated sweet inert gas enhanced inert gas/methane gas blend, the water in the hydrated sweet inert gas enhanced inert gas/methane gas blend being in an amount effective for permitting the conversion of a portion of the methane in the sweet inert gas enhanced inert gas/methane gas blend to hydrogen gas and effective for providing a flame stable dehydrated hydrogen enhanced inert gas/methane gas/hydrogen gas blend; catalytically converting a portion of the methane to hydrogen gas in the hydrated sweet inert gas enhanced inert gas/methane gas blend to provide a hydrogen enhanced inert gas/methane gas/hydrogen gas blend, the conversion effective for providing the flame stable dehydrated hydrogen enhanced inert gas/methane gas/hydrogen gas blend; dehydrating hydrogen enhanced inert gas/methane gas/hydrogen gas blend to provide the flame stable dehydrated hydrogen enhanced hydrogen enhanced inert gas/methane gas/hydrogen gas blend; and fueling a gas turbine with the dehydrated hydrogen enhanced inert gas/methane gas/hydrogen gas blend.