Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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GAS TURBINE BLOWER/PUMP
FIELD OF INVENTION
.. This invention relates to Aeration Blowers and Pump technologies. More
particular, the present
invention relates to a Gas Turbine engine fueled by Natural gas or Bio gas,
the byproduct of
wastewater treatment, where this Gas turbine engine direct drives a blower or
a pump, employing a
recuperated heat in the Gas Turbine to increase the Gas Turbine Inlet
temperature to 1800 to 2000
Deg F and a heat exchanger cooling system or a electric generator system
driven by the downstream
system exhaust waste heat.
It is an aspect of this invention to combine in the same design the direct
mechanical power from
the Gas Turbine fueled by Natural gas and Bio gas to the impeller of a blower
or a pump with
heat recovery from the exhaust gas; all in one highly efficient system.
BACKGROUND
Blowers and Pumps are used in a variety of applications including water and
wastewater treatment,
food and beverage, oil and gas, power generation, pulp and paper and
pharmaceutical industries.
Such blowers deliver airflow at high volume and pressure typically lower than
1.0 atmospheres of
discharge pressure. The pumps deliver low or high water flow at varying heads.
In the past blowers
and pumps have been driven by electric motors. Electric motors require
electricity generated on site
using a variety of electric co-generators or accessing this electricity from
the electric grid. Electric-
motor driven blowers and pumps require several complex electric components,
including variable
frequency drives, Sine wave fitters, Line Input Reactors, Harmonic Filters and
power Transformers.
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These electric components produce electric losses and waste heat leading to an
estimated 12 to 15
% energy loss.
In some occasions, reciprocating gas or diesel engines drive the blowers and
pumps. These
reciprocating engines are inefficient, noisy, and large in size, produce a
large amount of waste heat
and are difficult to retrofit them to meet the evolving emission standards. On
the other hand, Gas
Turbines have evolved over the years to being highly efficient, low in
emissions as they are used in a
variety of applications from aerospace, aviation and power generation. In some
cases, Gas Turbine
engines are used to drive high-pressure gas compressors that deliver natural
gas, oxygen or nitrogen
in pipelines, at multiple atmospheres discharge pressures. During the
compression of gas, gas
turbine exhaust heat and the compression heat energies are generated as
byproducts and expelled
as waste heat.
Thus, the wasted energy in the use of electric motors and the wasted energy in
the use of
reciprocating engines or Gas Turbine engines combined with the wasted energy
by product of
compression represent significant energy loss in the operation of compressors,
blowers and pumps.
Furthermore, biogas is a free byproduct of waste treatment, when treated
properly, instead of being
flared or dumped to the atmosphere, can be used alone or in a combination with
natural gas to
produce the fuel required for the gas turbine engine directly driving the
blower or pump thereby
reducing significantly the operating costs of the waste treatment facility.
Recently, we started to see
an emerging global trend to use the biogas as fuel to help wastewater
treatment facilities achieve
their goal of becoming energy neutral.
Various reciprocating engines or Gas Turbine Engines have heretofore been made
in the prior art.
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For example US 9140267 discloses a compressor housing that defines a gas inlet
flow path and a
gas outlet and a rotatable impeller wheel between the gas inlet flow path and
the gas outlet. An inner
wall of the housing defines a surface in close proximity to radially outer
edges of impeller wheel
vanes that sweep across the surface as the wheel rotates. An opening is
provided in the inner wall at
the surface. A port is provided in the housing in gas communication with the
opening for diverting gas
in a direction away from the inlet flow path during relatively low flow
conditions. A gas displacement
device is disposed outside of the inlet flow path and connected to the port,
wherein the pump is
operable to remove gas selectively through the opening and the port in a
direction away from the inlet
flow path.
Another arrangement is disclosed in US 8506237 which relates to a turbomachine
that includes a
radial-flow impeller and one or more of a variety of features that enhance the
performance of
machinery in which the turbomachine is used. For example, when the
turbomachine is used in a
dynamometer where one of the features is a variable-restriction intake that
allows for adjusting flow
rate to the impeller. An impeller shroud and a shroud guide each movable
relative to the impeller.
An exhaust diffuser facilitates an increase in the range of shaft power and
the reduction of
deleterious vibration and noise. The turbomachine can also include a unique
impeller blade
configuration that cooperates with the adjustable intake and the exhaust
diffuser to enhance flow
through the turbomachine.
US 8327644 illustrates a micro gas turbine engine for use in a turbo heater or
co-generation
application is described. The micro gas turbine engine includes a fuel
delivery system which
minimizes the development of deposits in the air-fuel passageway. To this end,
a fuel delivery
channel formed between a fuel deflector and a slinger body is formed with a
contoured or undulating
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surface. A fuel deflector ring is interposed between the fuel delivery channel
and the slinger impeller
to facilitate the flow of the air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber.
Yet another centrifugal pump is shown in US 8240976 which relates to a
centrifugal pump housing
including a rotatable impeller having radial blades and an axial diffuser
having vanes angularly
spaced downstream of said impeller by a cross-over gap formed within said pump
housing so that
the fluid subjected to the impeller must move through said cross-over gap to
be driven into said axial
diffuser, the improvement comprising at least a single, axial diffuser vane
extension mounted
circumferentially with said axial diffuser and extending into said cross-over
gap for guiding the fluid
flow from said impeller through the cross-over gap and driven to said axial
diffuser, said diffuser vane
extension being constructed designed and formed in structure with a tandem
vane portion for
imparting a twisting force to the fluid received from said impeller for
minimizing any turbulence
present in the fluid stream as it leaves the impeller whereby said pump
exhibits a pump head curve
that has been modified for eliminating flat or positive slopes as the flow-
head curve becomes
.. continuously rising toward shut-off.
US 8096127 describes an exhaust turbo-supercharger is capable of preventing
misalignment of the
center of the rotating shaft of a supercharger turbine and the center of the
rotating shaft of a
supercharger compressor, or, misalignment of the center of the rotating shaft
of the supercharger
turbine, the center of the rotating shaft of the supercharger compressor, and
the center of the rotating
shaft of a power generator, due to the heat of exhaust gas; is capable of
reducing vibration of these
rotation axes; and is capable of improving the reliability of the entire
supercharger. The exhaust
turbo-supercharger has a casing that supports a turbine unit and a compressor
unit. The lower end of
the casing constitutes a leg portion, and the leg portion is fixed to a base
placed on the floor. A power
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generator having a rotating shaft is connected to a rotating shaft of the
turbine unit and the
compressor unit.
Moreover US 8931291 illustrates a system that includes a gas compressor
including an engine, a
compressor driven by the engine, and a vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system
driven by waste heat
from the compressor, wherein the VAC system is configured to cool at least one
medium. In other
embodiments is provided a method that includes generating waste heat while
compressing a gas,
driving a vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system with the waste heat, and cooling
at least one medium
via the VAC system.
Finally US 746813 relates to a centrifugal compressor is applied as an organic
rankine cycle turbine
by operating the machine in reverse. In order to accommodate the higher
pressures when operating
as a turbine, a suitable refrigerant is chosen such that the pressures and
temperatures are
maintained within established limits. Such an adaptation of existing,
relatively inexpensive equipment
to an application that may be otherwise uneconomical, allows for the
convenient and economical use
of energy that would be otherwise lost by waste heat to the atmosphere.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved gas turbine engine
and in particular to provide
an improved aeration blower and pump.
It is an aspect of this invention to combine in the same design the direct
mechanical power from
the Gas Turbine fueled by Natural gas and Bio gas to the impeller of a blower
or a pump with
heat recovery from the exhaust gas; all in one highly efficient system.
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It is an aspect of this invention to provide a unit having a first inlet and
first outlet; a second inlet and
second outlet; an impeller disposed between said first inlet and said first
outlet; a gas turbine
disposed between said second inlet and said second outlet; a combustion
mixture introduced into
said second inlet to drive said gas turbine and exhaust through said second
outlet; an impeller
disposed between said first inlet and said first outlet; and said gas turbine
connected to said impeller
so as to drive said impeller and move a fluid from said first inlet to said
first outlet.
It is a further aspect of this invention to provide an integrated gas turbine
unit comprising: a
working fluid inlet and working fluid outlet; an impeller disposed between
said working fluid inlet and
said working fluid outlet; a combustor disposed between an inlet and outlet
for combusting a mixture
of air and biofuel to drive a turbine; and a shaft having an axis of rotation,
said turbine and impeller
coaxially connected to said shaft so as to move said working fluid.
It is a further aspect of this invention to provide a method of driving an
impeller with a gas turbine
comprising: coaxially connecting said impeller and turbine; rotatably
driving said gas turbine by
combusting a mixture of air and fuel so as to rotationally drive said turbine
and impeller and produce
an exhaust gas; and capturing waste heat from said exhaust gas to preheat said
air upon reentry to
the gas turbine at a higher pressure ratio of 4.5 compared to inlet and at
high temperature between
1800 and 2000 Deg. F, at which stage the gas expands through the gas turbine
and results in further
moving of a working fluid by said impeller. The gas expanding through the gas
turbine enters the
power turbine at high pressure and temperature, rotating the said power
turbine that in turn rotates at
variable the shaft directly connected to the impeller of the blower and pump
to deliver the working air
of fluid.
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These and other objects and features of the invention shall be described with
the following drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following detailed description will be better understood with reference to
the accompany figures,
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view taken from the right front side view of the Gas
Turbine unit 10.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view taken from the rear right side view of the Gas
Turbine unit 10.
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.
FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the Gas Turbine Blower unit 10.
FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the Gas Turbine Blower unit 10.
FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.
FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the Gas Turbine unit 10.
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FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of the invention relating
to a Gas Turbine Blower
unit 12 taken along lines 9-9 of FIG. 4 showing the rotors mounted in an
arrangement with the main
components.
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the Gas Turbine Blower
unit, blower system
shown in FIG. 9 with a gas turbine compressor driven by high-pressure gas
turbine, a combustor of
natural gas or biogas, a single blower impeller driven by a free power turbine
and a recuperator
recovering the heat from the exhaust gas that will be used to increase the gas
turbine inlet
temperature.
FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the invention
relating to a Gas Turbine
Pump unit 16 taken along lines 11-11 of FIG. 7.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the Gas Turbine Pump
unit, device,
system shown in FIG. 11 with a gas turbine compressor driven by high pressure
gas turbine, a
combustor of natural gas or biogas, a single pump impeller driven by free
power turbine and a
recuperator recovering heat from the exhaust gas to be used to increase the
gas turbine inlet
temperature.
FIG. 13 is a chart illustrating one example of the efficiency and cost savings
of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
The same parts are marked throughout the figures with like numbers.
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Two specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
These embodiments are
only exemplary of the present invention. It should be appreciated that in the
development of any such
actual implementation, as in engineering or design project, numerous detail
decisions must be made
to achieve the developer's specific goals which may vary from one embodiment
to another.
The embodiments discussed below may include an optional gearbox 13 to reduce
or increase rotor
speed driven by free power turbine, an optional heat exchanger 27 and an
optional electrical
generator or cooling refrigerator 29 to recovery the wasted heat from the
exhaust gas down stream
from recuperator 60.
Figures 1 through 8 generally illustrate one embodiment of the invention
relating to Gas Turbine unit
or device 10 having a gas turbine module 12 combustion air inlet 14 blower or
pump module 16,
exhaust plenum 18, exhaust outlet 20 and inlet 22. In one embodiment the inlet
22 is an air inlet or
first inlet, or working fluid inlet 24 to a blower 26. In a second embodiment
to be described herein the
inlet 22 is a water inlet 28 to a pump 40 to be described herein.
The Gas Turbine device 10 also includes an outlet or first outlet or working
fluid outlet 32.
In one embodiment the outlet first outlet or working fluid outlet 32 is an air
outlet 34. More particularly
air through the blower inlet 24 is compressed by a blower impeller 37 and then
is discharged through
the blower scroll or volute channel 36.
In another embodiment shown for example in FIG. 7 the Gas Turbine unit 10
includes a water inlet
28 a pump impeller 40 and water outlet 42.
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The integration of the assembly as described herein not only produces an
energy efficient
blower/pump system 10 but also presents a unit 10 which is compact in size and
design. In one
embodiment the width of the unit as shown for example in FIG. 9 can be 39
inches and the height 37
inches. However such dimensions are given by way of example only as other
compact sizes may be
experienced depending on the size requirement to accomplish the rated flow
ranging from 1,000 to
50,000 SCFM and discharge pressures from 0.5 to 1.2 atmospheres.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 illustrates one embodiment of a Gas
Turbine Blower system 12
which generally includes a centrifugal blower impeller 37, a gas turbine axial
and/or centrifugal
compressor 50, a natural gas or biogas combustor 70, a high pressure axial
and/or radial gas turbine
80, an axial and/or radial free power turbine 90 and a recuperator 60.
On the blower side, the air through the blower inlet 24 is compressed by the
blower impeller 37, and
then it is discharged after leaving the blower scroll 36 to outlet 34. The
blower impeller 37 is driven
by the free power turbine 90 through a common shaft or axis 17.
On the gas turbine side, the air passes through the inlet 14; is compressed by
the compressor 50 to
an elevated pressure over ambient pressure of for example 4-5 pressure ratio
at which point it enters
into the recuperator 60 which increases the air temperature. The heated air is
burned with the fuel of
natural gas / biogas in the combustor 70, and the high pressure and
temperature gas is expanded in
the high pressure gas turbine 80, and then the gas is expanded again in the
free power turbine 90.
Finally the gas is exhausted from the recuperator 60 which recovers heat to
the air before combustor
70. The compressor 50 is driven by the high pressure gas turbine 80 through a
common shaft or axis
2.
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FIG. 10 illustrates the one embodiment of a Gas Turbine Blower system 12 shown
in figures 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 8 and 9. The air flow inlet 24 of the blower 37 is in one example
approximately 3000 to 15000
cubic feet per minute (CFM). The discharge air through outlet 34 in one
example is 1.2-1.5 pressure
ratio to a wastewater treatment system.
A free power turbine 90 provides the power to meet the requirement of working
fluid. As shown in the
drawing, the free turbine 90 is a single stage axial turbine, but it may be a
single radial turbine or
may have multiple stages of expansion.
A controller 21 such as a computer or the like is used to adjust the fuel of
natural gas / biogas 25 and
the air flow inlet 14 of the compressor 50 depending on the requirement of
discharge air 34. In order
to reduce or increase the speed of the blower impeller 37, an optional gearbox
13 can be installed on
the shaft or the axis of rotation 17 between the blower 37 and free power
turbine 90. In order to
further increase energy efficiency, an optional heat exchanger 27 and an
optional electrical generator
or refrigerator system 29 can be installed at the exhaust of the recuperator
60.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12 illustrates another embodiment of the
invention in relation to a
Gas Turbine Pump unit, device and system 16 which generally includes a pump
impeller 40 a gas
turbine axial and/or centrifugal compressor 50, a natural gas or biogas
combustor 70, a high pressure
axial and/or radial turbine 80, a axial and/or radial free power turbine 90
and a recuperator 60.
On the pump side, the water through the pump inlet 28 is compressed by the
pump impeller 40, and
then it is discharged after leaving the pump scroll or volute passage 36 to
outlet 42. The pump
impeller 40 is driven by the free power turbine 90 through a common shaft or
axis 17.
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FIG. 12 illustrates the embodiment of the invention described in Figures 1, 2,
3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 relating
to the Gas Turbine Pump unit, device and system 16 with other options on a
block diagram. The
water flow inlet 28 of the pump impeller 40, for example can be approximately
15,000 to 50,000
gallon per minute (GPM), the discharge water through outlet 42 is provided
with varying pressure
ratio to meet the requirements of a wastewater treatment system. The
controller 21 is used to adjust
the fuel of natural gas / biogas 25 and the air flow inlet 14 of the
compressor 50 depending on the
requirement of discharge water through outlet 42. In order to reduce or
increase the speed of pump
impeller 40, an optional gearbox 13 can be installed on the shaft or axis 17
between the pump 40 and
free power turbine 90. In order to further increase energy efficiency, an
optional heat exchanger 27
and an optional electrical generator or refrigerator system 29 can be
installed at the exhaust of the
recuperator 60.
Furthermore FIG. 13 is a chart which illustrates the efficiency and cost
savings by utilizing the gas
turbine system 10 as described herein versus a traditional electric motor
option of traditional methods
used before.
In particular FIG. 13 illustrates one example of the operating costs of the
electric motor option in
several states namely Florida, Texas and California versus the operating costs
of the Gas Turbine
system 10 as described herein for the same locations in Florida, Texas and
California which showed
a savings of 31% in costs in Florida, 40% savings in costs in Texas and 33%
savings in costs in
California to run the systems with natural gas; based on the current cost of
electricity and the
historically high level cost of natural gas prices. The savings will be
significantly higher when biogas is
added to natural gas and more so if the system is operated with only biogas.
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