Patent ID: 8689564

Claim:
A method for operating a combined cycle fossil-fueled power station of the type including a steam generator and a first steam turbine having a single housing containing both a medium pressure stage and a low pressure stage and a separate housing containing a high pressure stage, comprising coupling a steam generator to a gas turbine; allocating low pressure steam for carbon dioxide separation from a source other than directly from the medium or low pressure stages of the first steam turbine by: connecting the downstream side of the high pressure stage of the first steam turbine to carry at least a portion of steam output from the high pressure stage via a cold reheater line back to the steam generator without first passing through either the medium-pressure stage or the low-pressure stage of the first steam turbine connecting a live steam line to carry steam from the steam generator to the high pressure stage of the first steam turbine; connecting a condenser downstream from the first steam turbine; connecting a process steam line to carry process steam from the cold reheater line to a back pressure steam turbine separate and distinct from the first steam turbine; expanding the process steam in the back pressure steam turbine such that saturated steam is formed; connecting a saturated steam line to carry saturated steam output from the back-pressure steam turbine to a heat exchanger of a carbon dioxide separation device, wherein the back pressure steam turbine is connected in the process steam line downstream from the cold reheater line and in the saturated steam line upstream from the heat exchanger of the carbon dioxide separation device, and wherein the heat exchanger of the carbon dioxide separation device is connected directly to and between the condenser and the back pressure steam turbine.