Low emission energy source

Abstract

A power generator provides power with minimal CO 2 , NO x , CO, CH 4 , and particulate emissions and substantially greater efficiency as compared to traditional power generation techniques. Specifically nitrogen is removed from the combustion cycle, either being replaced by a noble gas as a working gas in a combustion engine. The noble gas is supplemented with oxygen and fuel, to provide a combustion environment substantially free of nitrogen or alternatively working in 100% oxygen-fuel combustion environments. Upon combustion, Very little to no nitrogen is present, and thus there is little production of NO x compounds. Additionally, the exhaust constituents are used in the production of power through work exerted upon expansion of the exhaust products, and the exhaust products are separated into their constituents of noble gas, water and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide may be used in conjunction with a biomass to accelerate the biomass growth and to recover the oxygen enriched air resulting from algae photosynthesis for enhancing the operation of the power generator using the as Biomass for processing into methanol/ethanol and biological oils as fuel for the power generator. The biomass fuel is seen as a solar fuel and may be used in conjunctions with other solar fuels like heated thermal oil and others, as well as clean fossil fuels to optimize to clean, and efficient operation of the power generator in various regulatory contexts.

1 . A power generator, comprising: 
 a supply of gas for the combustion of fuel therewith, said supply having substantially only a single species of gas therewith;    a supply of fuel;    a combustion chamber operatively coupled in fluid communication with said supply of gas and said supply of fuel and operatively coupled to an exhaust;    a turbine in fluid communication with said exhaust and in fluid communication with a secondary exhaust therefrom, and further having an output shaft;    a steam turbine in fluid communication with said secondary exhaust, said steam turbine further including a second output shaft.    
     
     
         2 . The power generator of  claim 1 , further including a generator coupled to at least one of said output shaft and said second output shaft.  
     
     
         3 . The power generator of  claim 2 , further including: 
 a fuel supply separator; and    a gas for combustion separator.    
     
     
         4 . The power generator of  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said gas for combustion separator includes: 
 an ambient air intake:  
 a chiller section capable of separating, from a stream of air brought into said separator, at least the nitrogen therein and leave behind, for combustion, at least the oxygen components of the air.  
   
     
     
         5 . The power generator of  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said fuel supply separator includes: 
 a fuel intake:  
 a chiller section capable of separating, from a stream of fuel brought into said separator, at least the nitrogen therein.  
   
     
     
         6 . The power generator of  claim 1 , wherein said gas for combustion is high purity oxygen.  
     
     
         7 . The power generator of  claim 6 , further including a biomass; 
 a exhaust gas separator;    a separator for separating oxygen from the environment of said biomass;    a converter for converting the biomass to fuel to said engine combustion chamber;    wherein, said power generator generates electricity using at least 75% of its operating fuel as fuel converted from said biomass.    
     
     
         8 . The power generator of  claim 6 , further including additional, non-biomass based, solar generation.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said solar generation includes: 
 a plurality of solar heaters    a tank; and    a steam turbine connected to the solar heaters and tank for the passage of superheated water therethrough.    
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said solar generation alone provides a full rated capacity of a plant operated during the peak need and peak solar hours; and    said steam turbine may be selectively energized by the passage of solar generation superheated water or from the exhaust stream of a gas turbine.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the solar generation may include: 
 hot thermal fluid heated by solar collectors or hot thermal fluid that had been heated by solar collectors and is stored for this purpose;    biomass fuel grown on the site of the power generator; and    biomass fuel produced at off-site location and brought to the site.    
     
     
         12 . A method of generating power; comprising the steps of: 
 providing a combustion volume;    providing, to the combustion volume a quantity of gas for combustion and a quantity of fuel;    combusting the fuel gas mixture;    passing the combusted mixture to a gas turbine, the combusted mixture passing therethrough and exerting work to provide energy at an output shaft thereof;    passing the mixture, to a steam turbine, the mixture causing work to be generated and energy to be available on a steam turbine output shaft;    connecting at least one of the output shaft and steam turbine shaft to an electrical generator;    passing the exhaust from the steam turbine to a secondary steam turbine;    recovering useful work from the secondary steam turbine output shaft as the exhaust passes therethrough;    passing the exhaust, from a secondary turbine exhaust to a gas separation system; and    recovering components of the exhaust.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further including the steps of: 
 providing an air separator;    passing air through the separator and separating at least nitrogen therefrom; and    passing from the separator, to the combustion chamber, substantially pure oxygen forming the gas for combustion.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further including the steps of: 
 supplying a fuel separator;    passing fuel, through said separator and removing at least the nitrogen therefrom;    passing the fuel on to the combustion chamber for combustion with the oxygen.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the separator is a heat exchanger and the fuel is passed through one side of the heat exchanger and coolant, below the vapor phase temperature of nitrogen, is passed through the other side of the heat exchanger.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further including the steps of: 
 separating, from the exhaust stream, at least carbon dioxide;    providing a biomass;    providing the separated carbon dioxide to the biomass;    growing the biomass in the presence of sunlight and the carbon dioxide to form further biomass and O 2 ; and removing the O 2  therefrom;    converting the grown biomass into a fuel;    providing the fuel and the oxygen to the combustion volume;    providing supplemental fuel, other than the biomass derived fuel, to the combustion volume in a ratio of less than 25%.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein an additional solar generation paradigm is used to augment the operation of the power generator, and wherein, said power generator generates electricity using at least 75% of its operating fuel as fuel converted from said biomass or from other solar means.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the additional solar paradigm is a thermal solar paradigm.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein peak solar insulation and off-peak electrical demands in a specific location overlap or nearly overlap and, 25% of the fuel used for power generation is non-biomass fossil fuel, minus a modest reserve such that the solar generator and solar paradigm together are reproducing the maximum output possible during these peak hours.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the thermal solar paradigm alone provides the full rated capacity of the plant operated during the peak need and peak solar hours  
     
     
         21 . A method of  claim 20 , where the solar thermal paradigm may include 
 a fluid heated by solar collectors or fluid that had been heated by solar collectors and is stored for this purpose    biomass fuel grown on the site of the power generator    biomass fuel produced at off-site location and brought to the site.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further including the step of: 
 expanding the capacity of the power generator during on peak hours through the use of a combined cycle gas-steam turbine generator and wherein the full capacity of the gas turbine component of the combined cycle power generator a biomass fuel will be used.