System and process for generation of electrical power

Abstract

A system and process for generation of electrical power is provided. Electrical power is generated by a system including two integrated power cycles, a first power cycle utilizing water/steam as a working fluid and the second power cycle utilizing a fluid selected from the group consisting of molecular nitrogen, argon, a chemical compound having a boiling point of at most 65° C. at 0.101 MPa and a latent heat of vaporization of at least 350 kJ/kg, and a chemical compound having a boiling point of at most 65° C. at 0.101 MPa and a specific heat capacity as a liquid of at least 1.9 kJ/kg-° K as a working fluid. The working fluid of the second power cycle is expanded through a two-phase expander to produce power in the second power cycle, where the expanded working fluid of the second cycle has a vapor quality of at most 0.5.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing power comprising:
 providing a water vapor stream comprising at least 50 mass % water vapor;   providing a fluid stream comprised of a fluid in liquid or supercritical phase, where the fluid of the fluid stream is formed of one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of molecular nitrogen, argon, a chemical compound having a boiling point of at most 65° C. at 0.101 MPa and a latent heat of vaporization of at least 350 kJ/kg, and a chemical compound having a boiling point of at most 65° C. at 0.101 MPa and a specific heat capacity as a liquid of at least 1.9 kJ/kg-° K, where the one or more constituents comprise at least 50 wt. % of the fluid of the fluid stream;   thermally contacting the water vapor stream and the fluid stream and exchanging heat between the water vapor stream and the fluid stream to condense water from the water vapor stream and to heat the fluid stream, where at least a portion of the heated fluid stream is comprised of the fluid in gaseous or supercritical phase;   expanding the heated fluid stream to produce an expanded fluid stream comprised of the fluid in liquid phase and to generate mechanical power;   in the step of thermally contacting the fluid stream and the water vapor stream, controlling the mass flow rate of the fluid stream, or the mass flow rate of the water vapor stream, or the mass flow rates of both the fluid stream and the water vapor stream to maintain the vapor quality of the expanded fluid stream at 0.5 or less or to produce the expanded fluid stream as a supercooled fluid; and   generating electrical power from the mechanical power.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the heat exchanged between the water vapor stream and the fluid stream is at least a portion of the latent heat of condensation of water condensed from the water vapor stream, wherein the water vapor stream is condensed to produce a water stream having a vapor quality of at most 0.25. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the water vapor stream is provided for thermal contact with the fluid stream at a temperature of from 100° C. to 250° C. and the fluid stream is provided for thermal contact with the water vapor stream at a temperature of from 0° C. to 65° C. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the expanded fluid stream has a vapor quality of at most 0.4. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising thermally contacting at least a portion of the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream with the water vapor stream to exchange heat between the water vapor stream and the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream to condense water from the water vapor stream and to convert at least a portion of the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream to a gaseous or supercritical phase. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of thermally contacting the water vapor stream and the fluid stream, the mass flow rate of the fluid stream, or the mass flow rate of the water vapor stream, or the mass flow rates of both the fluid stream and the water vapor stream is, or are, controlled to produce the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream at a temperature of from −100° C. to 0° C. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising the steps of:
 providing a solvent capable of absorbing carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide; 
 exchanging heat between liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream having a temperature of from −100° C. to −25° C. and the solvent to heat the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream and to cool the solvent to a temperature of from −100° C. to −25° C.; and 
 scrubbing a flue gas stream comprising carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide with the cooled solvent to separate carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide from the flue gas stream and absorb the carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide in the solvent. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising the step of thermally contacting at least a portion of the heated liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream with the water vapor stream to exchange heat between the water vapor stream and the heated liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream to condense water from the water vapor stream and to convert at least a portion of the heated liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream to a gaseous or supercritical phase. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising the steps of heating the solvent containing absorbed carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide to separate the carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide from the solvent and regenerate the solvent, and thermally contacting the regenerated solvent with the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream having a temperature of from −100 C to −25° C. to cool the solvent to a temperature of from −100° C. to −25° C. and to heat the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fluid is formed of one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of anhydrous ammonia, anhydrous carbon dioxide, anhydrous sulfur dioxide, methanol, dichloromethane, dimethyl ether, acetone, diethyl ether, methyl amine, dimethyl amine, trimethyl amine, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the water vapor stream is provided by:
 heating water to generate steam having a temperature of at least 350° C. and a pressure of at least 3 MPa; 
 expanding the steam to produce the water vapor stream and to produce mechanical power; and 
 generating electrical power from the mechanical power produced by expanding the steam. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the step of heating water to generate steam comprises combusting a fuel stream to produce a combusted gas stream containing thermal power and thermally contacting the combusted gas stream and the water. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the combusted gas stream comprises carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide and wherein the step of thermally contacting the combusted gas stream and water cools the combusted gas stream to produce a flue gas stream comprising carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide, and further comprising the step of directly contacting the flue gas stream with a solvent having a temperature of less than 0° C. to separate carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide from the flue gas stream. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising the steps of:
 in the step of thermally contacting the water vapor stream and the fluid stream, controlling the mass flow rate of the fluid stream, or the mass flow rate of the water vapor stream, or the mass flow rates of both the fluid stream and the water vapor stream to produce the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream at a temperature of from −100° C. to −25° C.; 
 thermally contacting the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream having a temperature of from −100° C. to −25° C. and the solvent to heat the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream and to cool the solvent to a temperature of from −100° C. to −25° C.; and 
 directly contacting the flue gas stream comprising carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide with the cooled solvent to separate carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide from the flue gas stream and absorb the carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide in the solvent thereby producing a carbon dioxide-rich or sulfur dioxide-rich solvent containing an increased amount of carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide therein relative to the cooled solvent. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the steps of heating the carbon dioxide-rich or sulfur dioxide-rich solvent to separate carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide from the carbon dioxide-rich or sulfur-dioxide rich solvent and regenerate the solvent, and contacting the regenerated solvent with liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream having a temperature of from −100 C to −25° C. to cool the solvent to a temperature of from −100° C. to −25° C. and to heat the liquid phase fluid of the expanded fluid stream. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more constituents comprise at least 75 wt. % of the fluid. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the heated fluid stream is expanded in two or more stages in sequence, wherein the final stage of expansion produces the expanded fluid stream comprised of the liquid phase fluid. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fluid stream is provided for thermal contact with the water vapor stream, or the water vapor stream is provided for thermal contact with the fluid stream, at a flow rate effective to provide a mass ratio of the fluid stream to the water vapor stream of at least 1. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least 50 mass % of the fluid of the fluid stream provided for thermal contact with the water vapor stream is in liquid phase. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fluid of the fluid stream provided for thermal contact with the water vapor stream is in supercritical phase.