STEAM GENERATORS AND COMBINED CYCLE POWER PLANTS EMPLOYING THE SAME

Abstract: A compact, unfired, staggered tube, once-through steam generator or boiler (26) of simple construction intended primarily for combined cycle power plants (20) in which the thermal energy utilized to generate steam is obtained from the exhaust gases of a gas turbine engine (22). The boiler (26) provides steam at two different pressure levels, which maximizes recovery of thermal energy; and all wettable components in the steam/water loop are fabricated of corrosion resistant materials. This eliminates the need for controlling the pH of the feedwater and the need for chemically controlling its dissolved oxygen content, thereby reducing maintenance and operating costs and making automatic, unattended, remotely controlled operation of the boiler practical as well as eliminating the need for blowing down the boiler (26) and minimizing requirements for make-up water. The boiler (26) can be operated dry to remove gas side fouling; and feedwater flow rates can be directly controlled. Orifice-generated pressure drops at the inlets (52, 50) of the boiler tubes (48, 46) are relatively large compared to the pressure drop in the rest of each tube (48, 46) to eliminate the flow instability that is characteristic of once-through boilers (26).

Description: Description Steam Generators and Combined Cycle Power Plants Employing the Same Technical Field The present invention relates to steam generators (or boilers) and, more particularly, to novel, improved steam generators of the once-through type. Bac ground Art A number of once-through boilers have heretofore been designed as shown by U.S. Patents os. 1,905,142 issued £pril 25, .1933 to Burns et al; 3,173,405 issued March 16, 1965 to Evans; and 3,357,411 issued December 12, 1967 to Kamm. U.S. Patent No. 3,144,856 issued August 18, 1964, describes a steam generating plant in which steam is produced at more than one level. Otherwise, the patented and herein disclosed steam generators are quite different. However, once-through boilers have heretofore typically been designed along the same lines as conventional boilers. - Conventional steam boilers have a number of economic shortcomings and cause many operating problems in combined cycle applications, particularly those of small capacity using gas turbines in the 4000-25000 Kw range. Start-up and shut down procedures are complex. Attended operation is mandatory, and as many as seven hours may be needed to carry out the procedure. Heat recovery is low because conventional boilers only produce steam at a single pressure. Consequently, even at high expense, only a moderate improvement in station heat rate may be obtained. ^T m lEA^ Tube, valve stem, joint and other leaks are common in conventional boilers. These are difficult and time consuming -- and consequently expensive — to repair or plug. Excessive feedwater consumption and maintenance costs and deterioration in performance result. Conventional boilers are also subject to freezing and related damage during installation and checkout. The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above. Disclosure of the Invention In one aspect of the present invention a once-through boiler comprises a "vertical casing having a gas inlet and a gas outlet. An overhead support structure is disposed in the casing and a plurality of independent steam generating circuits are hung from the support structure. Each of the circuits comprises a single, sinuous low pressure tube with horizontal tube runs and a high pressure tube internested with the low pressure tube. A feedwater pump effects a flow of water into the low and high pressure tubes. ~ The present invention provides a novel boiler capable of dual pressure steam generation; i.e., of raising steam at two different pressure levels in what amounts to two hydraulically independent boilers sharing a common gas path. As a result, they may be 21-25 percent more efficient in recovering heat than a conventional boiler in a typical combined cycle power plant. The boiler has a once-through configuration in which the transition from water to superheated steam takes place in continuous tubes or circuits, each having a high and a low pressure section. l components of the boilers contacted by water or steam are fabricated of a stainless steel or other corrosion resistant material. This eliminates the complex chemical treatment required in a conventional boiler to control pH and dissolved oxygen in the feedwater, reducing maintenance and operating costs and further tending to make automated operation feasible. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic view of a combined cycle power plant which includes a once-through boiler, constructed in accord with and embodying the principles of the present invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the boiler with part of the boiler casing broken away to show its internal components; Figure 3 is a generally diagrammatic view of the internal components of the boiler; Figure 4A is a left-hand end ' view of one of a number of essentially identical circuit assemblies in which steam is generated in the boiler; Figure 4B is a side view of an end support strap incorporated in the circuit assembly; Figure 5A is a side elevation of a center support " strap incorporated in each of the circuit assemblies; Figure 5B is an end elevation of the center strap; and Figure 6 is a partially sectioned view of the structure at the inlet end of a circuit assembly tube. Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention Referring now to the drawing. Figure 1 depicts a combined cycle power plant 20 constructed in accord with and embodying the principles of the present OMPI invention. For the most part, the components of this system are of conventional or otherwise familiar construction. Those components will be described herein only to the extent necessary for an understanding of the present invention. The major components of power plant 20 include a gas turbine engine 22 drive connected to an alternator 24, a once-through boiler 26 embodying the principles of the present invention in which steam is generated by thermal energy recovered from the hot gases exhausted from gas turbine engine 22, and a steam turbine 28 also drive connected to alternator 24 and employing the steam in boiler 26 as a motive fluid. In power plant 20, steam turbine 28 also drives the exemplary load, alternator 24. However, it can equally well be employed to drive a load which is different from the load being driven by gas turbine engine 22. The illustrated gas turbine engine is conventional configuration; it includes a compressor 30, a combustor 32, a gas producer turbine 34 for driving compressor 30, and a power turbine 36 which drives alternator 24. Hot gases exhausted from power turbine 36, typically at a temperature in the range of 427-482 ~ C, are ducted to, and flow upwardly through, the casing 38 of steam generator 26. Typically, these gases will be exhausted to atmosphere through stack 40 at a temperature on the order of 112 C. The heat thus recovered is typically 21-25% higher than can be recovered in the unfired boilers heretofore employed in combined cycle power plants. The boiler 26 illustrated in Figure 1 has a once-through, dual pressure configuration. It includes a steam generating module 42 (See Figures 2 and 3) . In one actual boiler design in accord with the principles OMPI of the present invention this module is made of forty steam generating circuit assemblies each including a high pressure tube 46 and a low pressure tube 48. In each of these tubes a phase change of water to saturated steam and from saturated steam to superheated steam occurs in a continuous flow path extending from the inlet 50 (or 52) to the outlet 54 (or 56) of the tube as the water flows downwardly through the tube in efficient, counterflow relationship to the flow of the hot gas turbine engine exhaust gases. Thus, different regions in each tube function as a feedwater heater, as a vaporizer, and as a superheater. High pressure steam generated in tubes 46 of boiler 26 flows into the high pressure section of dual pressure steam turbine engine 28, and low pressure steam generated in the boiler flows into the low pressure section of the turbine. Steam exhausted from turbine 28 flows into a conventional water cooled surface condenser 62 where the steam is condensed (other types of condensers such as those using air as the cooling medium can be used instead, if desired). Condensate accumulates in hot well 64 which contains the inventory of feedwater needed for boiler 26. That the feedwater inventory can be contained in this relatively small capacity system component is important because the large mass of saturated water contained in the drums of a conventional boiler, and eliminated in the novel boilers disclosed herein, is a safety hazard and has produced widespread legislation requiring attended boiler operation. This is cost effective and, also, permits remote, unattended operation of combined cycle power plant 20. CMPI From hot well 64, the condensed steam is circulated by condensate pump 66 to a condensate polisher 68. Here, dissolved solids are removed. The condensate is then pumped to steam generator 26 by feedwater pump 70 through a flow control valve 72. This valve matches the feedwater flow rate to the enthalpy in the hot gases supplied to the steam generator from gas turbine engine 22. A fixed orifice 74 on the upstream side of the inlets 50 and 52 to steam generating tubes 46 and 48 split ' s the feedwater in proper proportions between the high pressure tubes 46 and the low pressure tubes 48. As indicated above, it has unexpectedly been found that the fabrication of those boiler components wetted by aqueous fluids eliminates the need for chemically removing dissolved oxygen from the feedwater supplied to boiler 26 or for controlling the pH of the feedwater. Instead, physical removal of dissolved oxygen by hot well deaeration has been found adequate to prevent corrosion of the boiler components even without pH control. Hot well deaeration is effected by a vacuum pump 77 connected to hot well 64 through condenser 62. Oxygen evacuated from the hot well and condenser- by the vacuum p ~ ϋmp typically contains appreciable amounts of entrained water. Consequently, the evacutated air is pumped into a conventional separator 78. Air is discharged from separator 78 to atmosphere, and water is returned through a trap 79 from separator 78 to condenser 62. One of the important advantages of the steam generators disclosed herein and discussed above is that the requirement for make-up of feedwater is nominal. For example, one boiler of the type disclosed herein is planned to produce 6,998 kilograms of steam per hour at CMϊ one exemplary design point. Make-up water requirements for this boiler are less than 2.4 liters per hour. In contrast, make-up water requirements for a conventional blowdown boiler of comparable capacity are about 170 liter per hour. Such make-up water as is required is first demineralized and then supplied to hot well 64 through make-up water line 86. Referring now more specifically to Figures 2 and 3, each of the forty separate circuit assemblies 44 making up the steam generating module 42 of boiler 26 has a serpentine high pressure tube 46 with twenty-nine horizontal tube runs connected by U-shaped end bends and, internested therewith, a serpentine low pressure tube 48 with sixteen tube runs also connected by U-shaped end bends. In this exemplary boiler, the external tube diameter is 158.75 ram in the low pressure tubes 48 and in the feedwater sections of the high pressure tubes 46, and the wall thickness is 14.73 mm. The external tube diameter is increased to 190.5 mm in the vaporizer and superheater sections of the high pressure tubes 46 to reduce the pressure drop in those tubes, and the wall thickness in those sections is 158.75 mm. ~ The tube runs are staggered, as can be seen in Figure 4A, and spaced on about 508 mm centers. Although not critical, the staggered tube run configuration is preferred as this provides maximum heat transfer area per unit volume of steam generating boiler module 42. Specifically, in a typical boiler in accord with the present invention, four rows of staggered run tubes will provide approximately the same transfer of heat from the hot gases to the feedwater as seven rows of parallel tubes will. •*ξT&£ ' ^ OMPI Solid helical fins (shown diagramma ically in Figure 2 and identified by reference character 78) surround both the high and low pressure tubes 46 and 48. In the exemplary boiler under discussion, fins 6.35 mm thick and 95.25 mm tall are employed. These fins are spaced apart about 36.29 mm on the 158.75 mm outer diameter tubes and about 28.22 mm on the 190.5 mm outer diameter tubes. The use of finned tubing is another important practical feature of the present invention as a finned tube can provide up to ten times the heat transfer surface area of a bare tube. As indicated above, a number of desirable attributes of those boilers disclosed herein such as reduced maintenance and operating costs, simplification of automatic operation, and elmination of possibilities for operator error are obtained by the use of corrosion resistant materials, thereby eliminating the need for controlling the pH of the boiler feedwater or for chemically controlling its dissolved oxygen content. To this end, tubes 46 and 48 are made of such a material, typically a nickel-chromium-iron containing, high temperature and corrosion resistant alloy. The other boiler components in the water-steam circuit are also fabricated of corrosion resistant material ' s such as those just discussed or of Type 316 or 321 stainless steels as a further example. Another advantage of fabricating the tubes 46 and 48 and other water or steam wetted boiler components from materials such as those just described is that the boiler can be operated dry for extended periods of time. As indicated above, this mode of operation can be employed to rid the boiler tube and other surfaces contacted by hot gases of soot or other gas side fouling. Still another advantage of using corrosion resistant materials for the purpose just described is that they make the boiler capable of withstanding corrosion in marine environments, making it eminently suitable for offshore platform and similar applications. Referring again to the drawing, the horizontal runs of the high pressure tube 46 and of the low pressure tube 48 in each of the circuit assemblies 44 are fixed to vertical end straps 80 and a vertical center strap 82 (see Figures 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B). The end straps are configured to accept shouldered sleeves 84 which are brazed to the tubes at the ends of the finned areas. With the forty circuit assemblies 44 disposed in the side-by-side arrangement shown in Figure 3, the end straps 80 combine to form two side walls defining the flow path of the hot gases through boiler 26. The center strap 82 of each circuit assembly 44 is notched to accept sleeves 86 which are brazed onto the fins at the midspan of each tube run. This arrangemnet is significant as it permits continuous finning of the tube runs. The center straps are positioned by alternating flares on sleeves 86 (not shown) on opposite sides of the strap. ~ Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the circuit assemblies 44 made up of high and low pressure steam generating tubes 46 and 48 and the end and center straps or hangers 80 and 82 are suspended from horizontal supports 88, 90 and 92 which cross the gas path through boiler 26. In particular, end hangers 80 are suspended from beams 88 and 92 by support straps 94 and 96. The upper ends of straps 94 and 96 are pinned to the associated hanger 80 by fasteners 98. The upper ends of center hangers 82 are configured to engage a ledge (not shown) running along center support beam 90. This hanger and strap arrangement by which the tubes of the various circuit assemblies 44 are suspended is important because it provides a high degree of thermal compliance. This furthers the capabilities of boiler 26 to be operated dry for the removal of gas side fouling without causing structural damage to the boiler. Beams 88, 90 and 92 are supported from a cold frame 100 of post-and-beam construction. The details of this frame are not part of the present invention; and they will, consequently, not be described herein. The cold frame also supports a front liner 102 and a rear liner (not shown) . These two liners cooperate with the assembled end straps 80 of the circuit assemblies 44 to define the gas path through boiler 26. Also supported from cold frame 100 is an outer casing composed of a front panel 104, two side panels 106 (only one of which is shown) , and a rear panel (not shown). The panels are separated from the assembled end straps 80 and the front and rear inner liners by spacers 108. This is an important safety feature. toy steam that escapes through a leak or rupture will be ducted upwardly through the boiler and out stack 40 and will consequently not endanger personnel in the area of the boiler. Cold frame 100 also supports feedwater inlet headers 110 and 112. As shown in Figure 2, the steam outlet headers 114 and 116 are enclosed within and supported by the outer casing of boiler 26 so that they can drop downwards as the boiler temperature increases. This, too, insures that escaping steam will be safely vented from the boiler rather than endangering personnel in the vicinity. Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 6, feedwater is supplied to each of the high and low pressure steam generating tubes 46 and 48 from inlet headers 110 and 112 through a tube 118 or 120. A filter and orifice assembly 122 is installed in each feedwater supply tube. Typically, the orifice will be sized to create a substantiall pressure drop across the tube 46 or 48 with which the orifice assembly is associated. This insures boiling stability in the steam generating tubes and equal flow distribution of the feedwater among the paralleled high pressure tubes and the paralleled low pressure tubes. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims: Claims 1. A once-through boiler (26) comprising: a vertical casing (38) having a gas inlet and a gas outlet (40) at opposite ends thereof; an overhead support structure (88,90,92) in said casing (38) ; a plurality of independent steam generating circuits (44) hung from said support structure (88,90,92), each of said circuits (44) comprising a single, sinuous low pressure tube (48) with horizontal tube runs and a high pressure tube (46) internested with the low pressure tube (48) ; and a feedwater pump (70) for effecting a flow of water into said low and high pressure tubes (48,46) at the inlet ends (50,52) thereof. 2. A once-through boiler (26) as defined in claim 1 in which all components that are wettable by aqueous fluids are fabricated from corrosion resistant materials. 3. A once-through boiler (26) as defined in claim 1 wherein said low and high pressure tubes (48,46) " are equipped with s lid, helical, external fins (78). 4. A once-through boiler (26) as defined in claim 1 wherein there is an orifice means (122) at the inlet end (52,50) of each of said low and high pressure tubes (48,46) for creating a pressure drop at the inlet thereof which is sufficiently higher than the pressure drop across the remainder of said tube (48,46) to reduce flow instability in said tube (48,46). O : 5. A once-through boiler (26) as defined in claim 2 which includes outlet headers (114,116) for receiving the steam generated in said low and high pressure tube (48,46) runs, said outlet headers (114,116) being enclosed in said boiler casing (38) whereby steam generated in said boiler (26) and escaping by leakage or rupture will be safely ducted from said casing (38) through said exhaust gas outlet (40). 6. A once-through boiler (26) as defined in claim 1 wherein the means (80,82) from which said circuit assemblies (44) are hung in juxtaposed, side-by-side relationship comprises horizontally oriented, spaced apart beams and an independent set of center and end straps (82,80) supporting the high and low pressure tubes (46,48) of each of said steam generating circuits (44). 7. A once-through boiler (26) as defined in claim 1 which has inner liner means (102) cooperating with said end straps (80) to define a vertical gas flow path through said boiler (26). ~ 8. A combined cycle power plant (20) comprising: gas turbine engine (22); a once-through boiler (26) ; means (70,72) for effecting a flow of feedwater into said boiler; means (102) for effecting a flow of exhaust gases from said gas turbine engine (22) through said once-through boiler (26) to convert said feedwater to steam;. a steam turbine (28) ; and means for effecting a flow of the steam generated in said boiler to said steam turbine to drive the latter. 9. A combined cycle power plant (20) as defined in claim 8 wherein said steam turbine (28) has a high pressure section and a low pressure section and wherein said boiler (26) has hydraulically independent high and low pressure steam generating means (46,50,54), (48,52,56), said power plant also including means for conveying steam from said high and low pressure steam generating means to the high and low pressure sections of said steam turbine. 10. A combined cycle power plant (20) as defined in claim 8 which has a single feedwater pump (70) for supplying feedwater to both the high pressure steam generating means (46,50,54) and the low pressure steam generating means (48,52,56) of said once-through boiler (26). 11. A combined cycle power plant (20) as defined in claim 8 which has condenser means (62) for condensing steam exhausted from said steam turbine (28) and a ho " t well (64) for receiving the condensate, said hot well (64) containing the feedwater inventory of said power plant (20). 12. A combined cycle power plant (20) as defined in claim 8 wherein all components of said once-through boiler (26) that are contactable by aquueous fluid are fabricated from corrosion resistant materials. i ~ 13. A combined cycle power plant (20) as defined in claim 8 wherein said once-through boiler (26) has a casing (38) ; a gas inlet and a gas outlet (40) at the lower and upper ends of said casing (38), respectively; and a plurality of independent, steam generating circuits (44) comprising a single, sinuous low pressure tube with horizontal tube runs and a high pressure tube (46) internested with the low pressure tube (48). 14. A combined cycle power plant (20) as defined in claim 13 which includes outlet headers (114,116) for receiving the steam generated in said low and high pressure tubes (48,46), said outlet headers (114,116) being enclosed in said boiler casing (38) whereby steam generated in said boiler (26) and escaping by leakage or rupture will be safely ducted from said casing. 15. A combined cycle power plant (20) as defined in claim 14 which has first and second inlet headers (110,112) with which the inlets (52,50) of the low and high pressure tubes (48,46) respectively communicate and orifice means (74) in flow circuit relationship between said pump (70) and said headers (110,112) for splitting the flow of feedwater therebetween. 16. A combined cycle power plant (20) as defined in claim 14 wherein there is an orifice means (122) at the inlet end (52,50) of the low and high pressure tubes (48,46) in said once-through boiler (26) for creating a pressure drop at the inlet thereof which is sufficiently higher than the pressure drop across the remainder of said tube (48,46) to reduce flow instability in said tube (48,46). 17. A combined cycle power plant (20) as defined in claim 14 wherein the low and high pressure tubes (48,46) are equipped with solid, helical, external fins (78) . OMPI

Inventors: ARCHIBALD JOHN P, CAMPBELL ALAN H, DUFFY THOMAS E, ARCHIBALD, JOHN, P., CAMPBELL, ALAN, H., DUFFY, THOMAS, E.
Applicants: SOLAR TURBINES INC, SOLAR TURBINES INCORPORATED
Application year: 1984
Main classification: F22B1
IPC codes: F01K9, F01K23, F22B1, F22B21, F22B29, F22B33, F22B37