Patent ID: 6918253

Claim:
A method of operating a power plant, comprising: passing a fossil fuel into a combustion chamber; passing an oxidant into said combustion chamber, said oxidant comprising oxygen and carbon dioxide; combusting said fossil fuel within said combustion chamber at a first pressure, said first pressure being substantially within a range of from approximately 700 psia to approximately 2000 psia; and passing a coolant having a heat exchange relationship with said combusting fossil fuel and a heat sink having a first temperature; said first pressure being equal to or greater than a liquid-vapor equilibrium pressure of carbon dioxide at said first temperature of said heat sink; passing products of partial combustion from said combustion chamber to a heat exchanger; condensing water from said products of partial combustion at a second pressure within said heat exchanger, said second pressure being selected so that said water condenses from said products of partial combustion at a temperature above approximately 450° F.; and passing said products of partial combustion to a boiler.