Patent ID: 8631658
Filing Date: 2014-01-21
Classification: F01K,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A system for enhancing the power output of a renewable heat source Rankine cycle power plant with little or no increase in emissions, the renewable heat source Rankine cycle power plant having a working fluid including water, the water being heated by a renewable source of heat within the Rankine cycle power plant, the system comprising in combination: a reheater having a fuel inlet, an oxygen inlet and a steam inlet; a source of fuel upstream of said fuel inlet, said source of fuel including a fuel combustible with oxygen to produce products of combustion including steam and/or carbon dioxide; a source of oxygen upstream of said oxygen inlet, said source of oxygen including an oxidizer that is primarily oxygen; said steam inlet located downstream from the renewable source of heat of said Rankine cycle power plant to receive steam after the steam has been heated by the renewable source of heat of the Rankine cycle power plant; said reheater adapted to combust at least a portion of the fuel from said fuel inlet with at least a portion of the oxygen from said oxygen inlet to produce products of combustion including steam and/or carbon dioxide; said reheater adapted to combine the products of combustion generated within said reheater with the steam from said steam inlet to generate a working fluid including steam; said reheater including an outlet for the working fluid; a turbine downstream of said outlet of said reheater, said turbine adapted to output power from the power plant; wherein a condenser is provided downstream from said turbine, said condenser adapted to receive steam from said turbine and condense said steam into liquid water, said condenser including an outlet for the liquid water; wherein said source of fuel includes a fuel containing carbon therein, with the products of combustion within said reheater including steam and carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide within the products of combustion causing carbon dioxide to be contained within the working fluid leaving said outlet of said reheater, said condenser adapted to separate carbon dioxide in the working fluid from water within the working fluid, with the carbon dioxide being in a gaseous state when leaving said condenser and the water being in a liquid state when leaving said condenser; and wherein said water outlet of said condenser, including water previously routed from the renewable heat source and water originally generated in said reheater by combustion of the fuel with the oxygen, is recycled to the renewable heat source of the Rankine cycle power plant at least partially.