Power plant with zero emissions

Abstract

A method for generation of electrical power and/or steam or vapour, by combustion of carbonaceous fuels, where carbonaceous fuel is combusted in a combustion chamber at a pressure of 40 to 200 bar in the presence of oxygen enriched air or substantially pure oxygen to produce electrical power and/or to generate steam from fluids circulating in steam tubes arranged inside the combustion chamber, and a flue gas, where the flue gas is withdrawn from the combustion chamber and is cooled to a temperature that results in condensation of the flue gas, or conversion of the flue gas to a supercritical fluid having a density of at least 600 kg/m 3 , and where the liquid or supercritical fluid formed, is safely deposited, and a plant for carrying out the method, are described.

1 . A method for generation of electrical power and/or steam or vapour, by combustion of carbonaceous fuels, where carbonaceous fuel is combusted in a combustion chamber at a pressure of 40 to 200 bar in the presence of oxygen enriched air or substantially pure oxygen to produce electrical power and/or to generate steam from fluids circulating in steam tubes arranged inside the combustion chamber, and a flue gas, where the flue gas is withdrawn from the combustion chamber and is cooled to a temperature that according to the plots in  FIG. 1  result in condensation of the flue gas, or conversion of the flue gas to a supercritical fluid having a density of at least 600 kg/m 3 , and where the liquid or supercritical fluid formed, is safely deposited. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flue gas is cooled to a temperature of 40 ° C. or lower, such as 30° C. or lower, such as 20 ° C. or lower, or 10 ° C. or lower. 
     
     
         3 . The method  claim 1 , wherein the cooling is performed in two or more steps, where water present in the flue gas is condensed and separated from the remaining flue gas, and where the remaining flue gas thereafter is further cooled for condensing of CO 2  or conversion of the CO 2  to a supercritical fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein CO 2  and water is condensed together to give a mixed fluid and/or supercritical fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the combustion chamber is a boiler for generation of steam or vapour, and where the steam or vapour is used to produce electrical power in a steam power plant. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the combustion is an oxidation in a fuel cell to generate electrical power. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous fuel is natural gas and/or gas condensate, and where the natural gas and/or gas condensate is introduced at the production pressure, or is expanded to the pressure in the combustion chamber if the production pressure is higher than the pressure of the combustion. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous fuel is methane-hydrate. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the supercritical fluid or condensed CO 2  or mixture of CO 2  and H 2 O, is deposited by injection into a sub-terrain formation such as an aquifer, an abandoned oil or gas well, or into an oil well for enhanced oil recovery. 
     
     
         10 . A plant for generation of electrical power and capturing of CO 2 , the plant comprising a source for substantially pure oxygen or oxygen enriched air to a combustion chamber for combustion of carbonaceous fuel at a pressure of 40 bar or more, where steam tubes are arranged in the combustion chamber for cooling the combustion gases in the combustion chamber by generation of steam or vapour from a fluid circulating in the steam tubes, a flue line for withdrawal of flue gas from the combustion chamber and for introduction of the flue gas into a condenser in which the flue gas is cooled for condensing of, or forming a supercritical fluid having a density of at least 600 kg/m 3 , of CO 2  and any H 2 O, present in the flue gas, and a CO 2  withdrawal line for withdrawal of condensed liquid or supercritical fluid from the condenser. 
     
     
         11 . The plant according to  claim 10 , wherein the combustion chamber is boiler for generation of steam, or a fuel cell. 
     
     
         12 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant comprises different modules like combustion module, boiler module, heat exchanger module, turbine module, pump module, compressor module, that all may be isolated from the remaining plant for maintenance and repair, or for exchanging one module with a spare module. 
     
     
         13 . The plant according to  claim 12 , wherein redundant modules is arranged in parallel for redundancy.