Patent ID: 8479489

Claim:
A method of cooling an exhaust gas stream from an outlet of a turbomachine prior to recirculation to an inlet of the turbomachine, comprising the steps of: channeling the exhaust gas stream from the outlet of the turbomachine to the inlet of the turbomachine through a guide element; cooling the exhaust gas stream by providing a Rankine cycle system through which a working fluid is circulated, wherein the Rankine cycle system serially comprises: a high temperature heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with the guide element; an expansion device; a low temperature heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship, with a cooling medium; and a pump; and cooling the exhaust gas stream by way of an additional heat exchanger and a chiller, wherein the chiller is operatively coupled to the expansion device and circulates a coolant to and from the additional heat exchanger, the additional heat exchanger being downstream of the high temperature heat exchanger, wherein the exhaust gas stream at the outlet has a first temperature and the exhaust stream downstream of the high temperature heat exchanger has a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.