DRYING METHOD IN A POWER-PLANT PROCESS AND DRYER USED IN THE METHOD

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the drying of a water-consuming material in a power-plant process. The water-containing material to be dried is introduced into a pressurized dryer (10) and thermal energy is supplied for the drying of the water-containing material. The steam produced in the drying is, at least partly, passed along a separate duct as injection steam into the combustion unit (13) of a gas turbine (14). The invention also concerns a dryer used in the method.

Description: 1 Drying method in a power-plant process and dryer used in the method The invention concerns a drying method in a power-plant process and 5 a dryer used in the method. At present, material that contains water is, as a rule, dried as unpressurized. Likewise, a fuel that contains water is burned as unpressurized, e.g., in a grate furnace, by dust burning, or by • JO fluid bed combustion. In the prior-art solutions of equipment, the dryer process and the power-plant process are not interconnected in an optimal way in view of the overall efficiency of the process. The process connections between the dryers and the combustion equip¬ ment have not been carried into effect in the best way possible. 5 The drying methods predominant to-day and the dryers employed in same are, on the whole, not suitable for pressurized combustion or gasification methods. The present-day drying methods are uneconomical mainly because of 0 the high cost of the pre-drying of wet fuel. Nor are the turbine and dryer solutions economical in their present forms. At present, a solid material, e.g. peat, wood chips or coal, is dried as unpressurized. The burning takes place in a grate furnace, 5 by dust burning , or by fluid bed combustion. In more advanced gas- turbine power plants, water steam is fed as injection steam into the gas turbine. Thereat both the mass flow through the gas turbine and the specific heat of the gas become higher, and the output obtained from the shaft of the gas turbine and the efficiency of the process 0 are increased. However, the prior-art solutions do not permit an optimal efficiency for the drying and for the whole process. The object of the invention is to find an improvement for the drying of a water-containing material. In the invention it has been realized 5 to form the dryer as a pressurized dryer, the steam produced in the drying in said dryer being passed as injection steam to a gas turbine. The steam produced in the pressurized dryer is passed into the com¬ bustion chamber of the gas turbine, where it substitutes for part of the air arriving through the compressor. At the same time, the power requirement of the compressor is reduced and an increased proportion of the turbine output is converted to generator power. The net output obtained from the gas turbine is increased even by about 40 per cent. Thereat, the efficiency of the gas turbine is increased by about 25 per cent as a result of the fact that the ultimate tempe¬ rature of the flue gases is lowered. An abundance of air is needed because by its means the temperature in the combustion chamber is kept at the desired level, i.e. at a level that is tolerated by the materials. When air is substituted for, for the purpose of cooling, by steam, the power required for the compressing of the air becomes lower, and more power is available to the generator. The generation of steam requires thermal power, and some energy is required for operation of the pump in order to pump the water entering into the vaporizer. The energy required by the pump is, however, just a fraction of what would be required by compressing. According to the invention, the injection steam is generated from the water obtained from the material dried in the pressurized dryer, and the thermal energy required for said drying is advantageously supplied from waste heat obtained from elsewhere in the process, e.g. from the waste heat in the combustion gases of a gas turbine. According to the invention, a solid, sludge-like or liquid material is dried by means of the device by circulating the steam produced in the drying so that at least part of the steam produced out of the fuel is passed back into the dryer, and by means of said steam the material to be dried is fluidized or made to bubble. In the solution in accordance with the invention, the supply of energy to the dryer takes place at least partly through tubes placed in the layer to be dried by making a gaseous material, e.g. flue gases of the gas turbine, flow in the tubes. When a gaseous material is made to flow, no change in phase takes place in said medium. At least part of the steam produced in the drying is passed as injection steam to the gas turbine into its combustion device. The method in accordance with the invention for the drying of a material that contains water is mainly characterized in that the water-containing material to be dried is introduced into a pressurized dryer and thermal energy is supplied for the drying of the water- containing material, whereby the steam produced in the drying is, at least partly, passed along a separate duct as injection steam into the combustion unit of a gas turbine. The dryer in accordance with the invention is mainly characterized in that the dryer comprises an inner space in a pressurized dryer, into which the water-containing material to be dried is passed, and that the dryer comprises means for the transfer of the thermal energy required in the drying to the material to be dried, and that, out of the inner space in the dryer, into which the water-containing material to be dried has been supplied for drying, a connecting duct is pro¬ vided for passing the steam produced in the drying into a gas turbine as injection steam. In the following, the invention will be described with reference to some advantageous embodiments of the invention illustrated in the figures in the accompanying drawing, the invention being, however, not supposed to. be confined to said embodiments alone. Figure 1 is a schematical illustration of an industrial process which comprises a pressurized dryer and a gas turbine which produces electricity. Figure 2 is a schematical illustration of a combination of a pres¬ surized dryer and a gas turbine, wherein the waste heat of the flue gases from the gas turbine is utilized in the drying of a water- containing material for the industrial process. Figure 3 illustrates a connection between a dryer and a heat-recovery device connected to the flue-gas duct, which said connection can be applied, e.g., to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. Figure 4 is a schematical illustration of a process in which a dryer in accordance with the invention and a method in accordance with the invention for the drying of a water-containing material are used. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a dryer in accordance with the invention. Figure 6 shows a section taken along the line I-I in Fig. 5. Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the invention wherein a superheater is fitted in the steam circulation circuit. Figures 8A to 8C illustrate arrangements for the introduction of the material to be dried into the dryer. As is shown in Fig. 1, the water-containing material A to be dried is passed in the way denoted by the arrow L into the pressurized dryer 10. In the present application, pressurization means that a positive pressure, in relation to the atmospheric pressure, has been produced into the dryer 10 by means of generation of steam. The posi¬ tive pressure is typically within the range of 5...50 bars. The ther¬ mal energy is passed into the heat exchanger 12, and the thermal ener- BY i* 3 transferred into the material to be dried. On the whole, it is possible to use any water-containing material to be dried whatsoever. The drying takes place in the dryer 10 at the pressure of the combus¬ tion chamber of the gas turbine. The moisture contained in the mate¬ rial A*L to be dried is obtained as a medium in the process by passing it along the duct 11 into the combustion chamber 13a in the combustion or gasification device 13. In the pressurized dryer 10, the moist material is dried, e.g., to a moisture content of 20 %. The combustion device 13 can be accomplished with clean fuel or with fuel that con¬ tains ashes, either with direct combustion, or such a solution is also possible wherein direct combustion is replaced by gasification or par¬ tial gasification of the fuel and by combustion of the gas produced. The steam that is passed from the dryer 10 along the duct 11 is, thus, passed into the combustion chamber 13a in the combustion unit 13 of the gas turbine 14. In the combustion chamber 13a, said steam is substituted for part of the air that arrives through the compressor IS. At the same time, the power requirement of the compressor 15 is reduced, and an increased proportion of the output of the gas turbine is converted to generator 16 power. An abundance of air is needed because by its means the temperature in the combustion chamber 13a is kept at the desired level, i.e. at a level that is tolerated by the materials. When air is substituted for, for the purpose of cooling, by steam, the power required for the compressing of the air becomes lower, and more power is available to the generator. The generation of steam requires thermal power. From the dryer 10 the dried material A-^ is transferred to other use in an industrial process, e.g. to constitute raw-material for particle board or directly to some boiler furnace of an industrial process and/or to the combustion device 13 shown in Fig. . and provided for the gas turbine 14, in which case the material A__ is material P_2 . The dryer 10 may also operate as the dryer for an intermediate or final product of some industrial process. The combustion device 13 comprises a combustion chamber 13a pres- surized by means of a compressor 15. The compressor 15 produces the necessary combustion air, which is passed into the combustion device 13 through a system of compressed-air pipes 11. The compressor 15 raises the pressure, e.g., to about 12 bars, an equally high pressure being also produced by means of generation of steam in the dryer 10 in its inner drying space 10a. At said pressure, the air is then passed into the combustion device 13 into its combustion chamber 13a. As a result of the combustion of the fuel A , the mixture of air and of the flue gases produced during combustion of the fuel is heated to about 850...1200°C. At least part of the steam that was separated from the wet material A__ introduced into the dryer 10 is passed into the combustion device 13 into its combustion chamber 13a along the steam pipe 11. The objective of the supply of steam is 1 regulation of the ultimate temperature in the combustion chamber, whereby it replaces some of the excess air that is normally required. Owing to the supply of steam, the compressor power is reduced and the net output of the process becomes higher. 5 The flue gases are passed further along the flue-gas pipe system 17 to the gas turbine 14, where the gases expand and generate kinetic energy. By means of the kinetic energy, the compressor 15 placed on the same shaft as well as the generator 16 are rotated, said generator ■ JO producing electricity. The output obtained from the gas turbine 14 is higher than the power required by the compressor 15, the extra out¬ put being recovered from the generator 16 of the gas turbine 14. After the gas turbine 14, the flue gases are passed along the duct 18 to a separate waste-heat recovery device 19, e.g. to a waste-heat boiler. 15 The invention can also be applied to a combined power plant which in¬ cludes a steam turbine that produces electricity, in addition to a gas turbine. In such a case, the thermal energy required for drying can be taken exclusively or partly from bled steams of the steam turbine. 20 In Fig. 2, an embodiment of the invention is shown in which the device 19 for recovery of the heat from the flue gases after the gas turbine is used as a source of the energy passed to the pressurized dryer 10. Between the pressurized dryer 10 and the heat-recovery device 19 25 there is a heat--*transfer circuit 20. In the heat-transfer circuit 20, it is possible to circulate, e.g., water. From the flue gases, the heat is transferred in the waste-heat boiler, in the heat ex¬ changer 21, into the water in the circuit 20, and the water is circulated in the dryer 10, in its heat exchanger 22, whereby the 30 thermal energy obtained from the flue gases is transferred in the heat exchanger 22 into the material A* j _ to be dried. The steam produced in the dryer 10 is passed further along the duct 11 into the gas turbine 14, into its pressurized part, into the combustion or gasification device 12, to constitute injection steam. 35 Fig. 3 shows a third advantageous embodiment of the invention. The water-containing material A~__ is passed into the pressurized dryer 10, and the material is fluidized by means of the circulation steam in a steam atmosphere. The steam produced in the drying is circulated in the circuit 23 by means of a steam blower 24. The steam is circu¬ lated through the heat exchanger 25, which is fitted in the heat- recovery device 19, e.g. in a waste-heat boiler for flue gases. The dried material A*^ is removed from the top portion of the dryer 10. Part of the steam is taken from the circuit 23 for circulation of the heat-transfer medium through the distribution point 26 into the duct 11 and further to other use, e.g., exactly for injection steam for the gas turbine 14. In the dryer 10 itself, in its drying space 10a, no separate heat-exchanger pipe systems are needed. Fig. 4 shows one mode of operation of a dryer in accordance with the invention as a process chart. In the way shown by the arrow !,__ , the water-containing material A__ is passed into the dryer 10. The thermal energy is passed along the duct 12 into the heat exchanger 12a, and the thermal energy is transferred into the material to be dried. As the material to be dried, it is possible to use, e.g., milled peat of a moisture content of 70 per cent. On the whole, in a dryer in accordance with the invention, it is possible to use any water-con¬ taining material to be dried. The moisture contained in the material A__ can be included in the process as a medium by passing it along the duct 11 into the combustion chamber 13a in the combustion or gasification device 13. When the material A__ to be dried is fuel A , i can be used .as fuel for the gas turbine 14. The injection steam is passed along the duct 11 into the pressurized part of the combustion or gasification device 13, advantageously into the combustion chamber 13a. The steam substitutes for part of the air arriving through the compressor 15. At the same time, the power requirement of the compressor 15 becomes lower, and an increased proportion of the output of the gas turbine 14 is converted to generator 16 power. The compressor 15 produces the necessary combus¬ tion air, which is passed into the combustion device 13 through a compressed-air pipe system 15a. The compressor 15 raises the air pressure, e.g., to 12 bars. At said pressure, the air is then passed into the combustion device 13 into its combustion chamber 13a. 1 Owing to the burning of the fuel A, the temperature of the mixture of air and of the flue gases produced on combustion of the fuel rises to about 850...1200°C . Into the combustion device 13, into its combustion chamber 13a, along the duct 11, at least part of the steam 5 is introduced that was separated in the dryer 10 from the water- containing material A-^. One objective of the supply of steam is to regulate the ultimate temperature in the combustion chamber, whereby the steam substitutes ■JO for the excess air that is normally needed. Thus, the temperature in the combustion chamber 13a is kept at a level that is tolerated by the materials. Under these circumstances, when air is being substi¬ tuted for by steam for the purpose of cooling, the power needed for compression of air is lowered, and more power remains available to 15 the generator 16. Part of the ashes from the fuel A is removed out of the combustion device 13 along ducts straight out of the system. Part of the flue gases are passed to the hot cleaner 27 for flue gases, from which the more contaminated gas and the ashes are removed through an outlet duct 28. The purer gas is passed along the duct 17 20 further into the gas turbine 14, where the gases expand and generate kinetic energy. By means of the kinetic energy, the compressor 15, placed on the same shaft, as well as the generator 16, which produces electricity, are rotated. Having accomplished the work mentioned above, the pressure of the flue gases is lowered to the level of the 25 atmospheric pressure. The output obtained from the gas turbine 14 is higher than the power required by the compressor 15, whereby the extra power can be recovered from the generator 16 of the gas turbine 14. 30 The dryer 10 is advantageously pressurized, which means, in the present application, that the drying in the drying space in the dryer takes place at a positive pressure relative the atmospheric pressure. The pressure range is typically 5...50 bars. 35 Fig. 5 shows a dryer in accordance with the invention as an illustra¬ tion of principle and as a cross-sectional view. The dryer 10 com¬ prises an outer mantle 29, advantageously consisting of a circular cylindrical mantle portion 29a and of end parts 29b^ and 29b . The longitudinal axis X of the dryer is vertical. Inside the mantle 29 of the dryer 10, heat transfer tubes 30 are fitted. The heat transfer tubes 30 are fixed at their ends, in the lower part of the dryer to the perforated plate 31 and in the upper part of the dryer to the perforated plate 32. Between the cylindrical mantle portion 29a of the dryer 10, the heat transfer tubes 30, and the plates 31 and 32, a space 33 remains for the material A to be dried. The heat transfer medium, advantageously the flue gases of the gas turbine 14, is passed along the duct 34 into the space C*^ between the plate 31 and the end part 29b**_ of the mantle portion of the dryer, from which space the flue gases pass along the straight tubes 30 into the space C2 between the other plate 32 and the end part 29b2 and further along the duct 35 out of the dryer 10. The heat is transferred out of the flue gases into the material A to be dried. The steam that is produced in the drying out of the material A that contains water, e.g. fuel, is passed along the duct 36 from the top portion of the space 33, being circulated by the steam blower 37, back into the dryer 10 into the bottom portion of the space 33. By means of said steam produced out of the material to be dried, the material A to be dried is fluidized or made to bubble. The material A is passed into the space 33 onto the nozzle plate 38. The steam is passed along the duct 36 into the space C3 between the plate 31 and the nozzle plate 38, from which space it is passed through the nozzle openings 39 into the material A to be dried, present in the space 33. Through the nozzle openings 39, the steam is distributed uniformly into the material to be dried. When the steam is passed from underneath into the material layer to be dried, the material A to be dried, placed on the plate 38, is fluidized or made to bubble. The steam circulation circuit 36 is provided with a branching point 40 for passing steam along the duct 11, at least partly, to other useful use, e.g. in the process of Fig. 4 to the gas turbine 14 into the pressurized part of the gas turbine, advantageously into its combustion unit 13 or gasification unit as injection steam. The steam and its energy can also be utilized otherwise. The steam can be passed, e.g., into superheaters in the steam circuit of a steam 1 turbine process, into heat exchangers, etc. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line I-I in Fig. 5. The water-containing material to be dried is introduced into the space g 33 between the dryer mantle 29a and the heat transfer tubes 30. The heat transfer tubes 30 are advantageously straight tubes, whereby flow losses are minimized. The space 33 is advantageously pressurized, e.g., to a pressure of 12 bars. In said space, the material to be dried is substantially in a steam atmosphere. 10 Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the invention wherein steam of the steam circulation circuit 36 is superheated in a superheater 41. The energy for the superheating can be obtained either from the exhaust gases of the gas turbine process, from the intercooling of ■J the compressor, or from somewhere else. In the figures referred to above, such an embodiment is possible in which the tubes 30 passing through the layer 33 to be dried are at least partly insulated so as to restrict the surface temperature at 20 the contact point between the material to be dried and the tube 30. Advantageously, this insulation is carried out at the tube portions at which the temperature of the flue gases is highest. Fig. 8A shows a solution for the feed and removal of the fuel in a 25 dryer which comprises a vertically mounted cylindrical mantle and heat transfer tubes 30 passing through same. Fig. 8A shows the feed of a solid material to be dried into the pressurized dryer 10. The feed takes place as follows. The solid material is fed into an un¬ pressurized feed silo 42. Out of the feed silo 42, the material to 30 be dried is made to flow by the effect of gravity into the tank 43 placed underneath, which operates as unpressurized or pressurized, as is necessary. Between the tanks there is a pressure-tight closing device 44. Out of this tank 43, the material to be dried is made to flow further into the next tank 45, which is all the time under 35 pressure. Before the flowing of the material starts, the pressure level in the intermediate tank must be raised to the same level at which the pressure in the dryer is. Between the tanks there is a pressure-tight closing device 46. After the intermediate tank has been emptied, the closing member placed at its bottom side is closed, and the pressure in the intermediate tank is discharged. The valve placed above the intermediate tank is opened to fill the intermediate tank. The removal of the dry material out of the device takes place by means of devices similar to those used for the feed, only the sequence of the operations is reversed. Fig. 8B shows a solution for the feed and removal of a sludge-like material into and out of the dryer. The sludge-like material is introduced by means of the pump 47 and removed by means of the outlet pump 48 along ducts of its own. Fig. 8C shows a solution for the introduction of a material to be dried that must be fluidized into the dryer 10. The material is passed by means of a screw conveyor 49 through the dryer mantle 29a, and the dried material is removed from the top portion of the dryer from above the fluid bed. It is an advantage of this solution that in the fluidization any heavy particles of impurities remain on the bottom of the fluid bed and can be removed from there separately.

Claims: 1 WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. Method for the drying of a water-containing material in a power- plant process, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the water-contain- g ing material to be dried is introduced into a pressurized dryer (10) and thermal energy is supplied for the drying of the water-containing material, whereby the steam produced in the drying is, at least partly, passed along a separate duct as injection steam into the combustion unit (13) of a gas turbine (14) . 10 2. Method as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a positive pressure of about 5...50 bars is introduced into the dryer (10) . ■ J 3. Method as claimed in the preceding claim, c h a r a c t e r - i z e d in that the positive pressure is introduced into the dryer (10) by means of formation of steam. 4. Method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c - 20 t e r i z e d in that the thermal energy needed for the drying of the material is taken from the waste heat in the flue gases of the gas turbine (14) or from bled steams of the steam turbine. 5. Method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c - 25 t e r i z e d in that the steam produced in the dryer is circulated through a waste-heat boiler, where it is superheated, and the steam is recirculated to among the material to be dried into the dryer, where it delivers thermal energy to the drying of the fuel. 30 6. Method in accordance with any of the preceding claims 1 to 5 for the drying of a water-containing material in a power-plant process, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the water-containing material A; *L) is passed into the pressurized space (33) in the dryer (10) , which said space is defined by heat transfer tubes (30) , in which 35 said tubes a gaseous material, advantageously flue gases from the gas turbine, is made to flow, from which said gases the heat is transferred into the material to be dried, and that in the method the material to be dried is during the drying substantially in a steam atmosphere and the steam is circulated in a steam circulation circuit (36), at least part of the steam being passed as injection steam into the gas turbine (14) which produces electricity. 7. Method as claimed in the preceding claim, c h a r a c t e r - i z e d in that in the method an additional superheater (41) is used to superheat the circulation steam before it is transferred into the dryer (10) into its pressurized space (33) . 8. Method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the material to be dried is made to bubble or fluidized in a steam atmosphere by passing the circulation steam through nozzle openings (39) or equivalent in a nozzle plate (38) to underneath the material to be dried. 9. Dryer (10) used in the drying of a water-containing material, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the dryer (10) comprises an inner space (10a) in a pressurized dryer (10), into which the water-contain- ing material (A__) to be dried is passed, and that the dryer (10) comprises means (19,20,22. ) for the transfer of the thermal energy required in the drying to the material to be dried, and that, out of the inner space in the dryer (10) , into which the water-containing material (A__) to be dried has been supplied for drying, a connecting duct is provided for passing the steam produced in the drying into a gas turbine (14) as injection steam. 10. Dryer as claimed in the preceding claim, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the dryer comprises a heat- ransfer circuit for transfer of heat out the exhaust gases of a gas turbine or out of bled steams of a steam turbine to the drying of the water-containing material. 11. Dryer as claimed in claim 9 or 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i that the dryer (10) comprises a circuit between the heat-recovery device (19) and the pressurized drying space (10) and a steam blower (24), whereby the steam produced in the drying of the water-containing 1 material is passed by means of the steam blower into the heat-recovery device (19), advantageously a waste-heat boiler for flue gases, and from there further into the dryer (10) into the space (10a) for the drying of the material, whereby the device further comprises a duct 5 (11) passing from said steam-circulation circuit, through which said duct (11) at least part of the steam can be passed to the gas turbine (14) as injection steam. 12. Dryer (10) used in the method as claimed in any of the preceding ■ JO claims 1 to 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the dryer comprises an inner positively pressurized space (33) in the dryer, into which said space the material (A;A*-_) to be dried is introduced, and that the dryer comprises heat transfer tubes (30) , which are at least partly defined by said space (33) and in which a gaseous material, 15 advantageously flue gas, is made to flow, the heat in the gaseous material that is made to flow being transferred to the drying process, and that the dryer comprises a steam circulation circuit (36), whereby the steam produced out of the material to be dried is at least partly recirculated into the dryer (10) into its space (33), and that at 20 least one duct (11) is provided for passing the steam produced in the drying in said space (33) as injection steam to the gas turbine (14) that produces electricity, advantageously into its combustion or gasification device. 25 13. Dryer as claimed in claim 12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the steam circulation circuit (36) includes a branch duct (11) , through which at least part of the steam is transferred to the rest of the power-plant process for utilization of the energy in the steam. 30 14*• Dryer as claimed in claim 12 or 13, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the equipment comprises a nozzle plate (38) or equivalent, through which the steam is passed into the space (33) inside the dryer so as to fluidize the material to be dried or to make it bubble. 35 15. Dryer as claimed in any of the preceding claims 12, 13 or 14, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the equipment comprises substan¬ tially straight heat transfer tubes (30) , which are fixed to plates (31,32) so as to make a gaseous material, such as exhaust gases, flow first into the space (C-^) between the plate (31) in the dryer (10) and the end part (29b^) of the dryer and out of said space (C__) through the tubes (30) into the space (C2) between the plate (32) and the other end part (29^2) of the dryer and from there further along the duct (35) out of the dryer (10) .

Inventors: AEIJAELAE MARTTI, HUTTUNEN ILKKA, RAIKO MARKKU, AEIJAELAE, MARTTI, HUTTUNEN, ILKKA, RAIKO, MARKKU
Applicants: IMATRAN VOIMA OY
Application year: 1989
Main classification: F02C6
IPC codes: F01K21, F02C3, F02C6, F26B7, F26B23, F26B25