Patent ID: 11022005

Abstract:
A steam turbine power plant utilizing high temperature high efficiency industrial heat pumps (IHP) to preheat boiler feedwater is disclosed. The typical extraction steam feedwater preheater is replaced by a plurality of series connected heat pumps that produce boiler feedwater by preheating pressurized condensate from a feedwater pump attached to a condensate receiver. A stack economizer extracts waste heat from boiler flue gas to provide a closed loop of hot source water to the heat pumps. The Heat Rate of the power plant will be reduced by approximately 7%. By using leaving condenser water as source water for the lower temperature stage heat pumps, some of the liberated high temperature source water can be diverted to a new boiler combustion air preheater. The combination of feedwater preheating heat pumps plus a boiler combustion air preheater will reduce the Heat Rate of the power plant by approximately 12%.