Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
  • F02C6/00—Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for special use
  • F02C6/14—Gas-turbine plants having means for storing energy, e.g. for meeting peak loads
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
  • F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
  • F02C7/22—Fuel supply systems
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
  • F02C9/00—Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants
  • F02C9/48—Control of fuel supply conjointly with another control of the plant

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method and system for generating energy, in particular electricity, by natural gas.
• Electric power production and distribution networks need to respond to power demand that varies over time.
• the demand pattern has a daily, weekly and annual cycles and the electric power production needs to have a generation capacity to meet peak demands. It is clear that the value of the generated electric power is highest at times of peak demand, for example at early evening hours, at times of extreme heat or cold wave, etc.
• the present invention provides a method and system for generating energy from natural gas supplied through a gas piping system.
• the method and system of the invention permit to match the rate of gas feed to an energy-generating plant to meet different energy demand needs.
• the system permits an increase in the rate of gas feed at times of peak energy demand.
• the ability to increase the rate of gas feed to an energy-generating station is done, in accordance with the invention, without a need to design a piping system adapted to supply gas at a rate to meet peak demands.
• an auxiliary, compressed natural gas (CNG) system is provided.
• gas from the gas piping system is fed to the auxiliary gas supply system, is compressed and the CNG is then stored until need.
• gas to the energy-generating plant may be fed from said auxiliary system, instead of or in addition to gas fed directly from the piping system.
• a preferred, albeit a non-exclusive type of energy generating in accordance with the present invention is electric energy.
• an auxiliary CNG supply system comprises: (i) high pressure gas compressors units (for compressing the gas supplied by the gas piping system, typically having a pressure of about 60-80 bar, up to a relatively high storage pressure of about 250 bars) (ii) a high pressure gas storage subsystem, (iii) a gas feed linked to said supply piping system and adapted to feed compressed gas into said storage subsystem, (iv) an auxiliary piping system for feeding gas from the storage sub-system to the energy-generating unit, and (v) a valving subsystem to control gas feed from the gas storage sub-system to the auxiliary piping system.
• the valving subsystem is operated to supply gas from the auxiliary gas system to the energy- generating unit to power the said unit.
• the energy generating unit is fed with the gas piping system and from the auxiliary CNG supply system, concomitantly.
• the present invention provides a system for generating energy by the use of natural gas-operated energy-generating plant.
• the energy-generating plant is fed by a natural gas-piping system that transports gas from a gas source.
• the system comprises an auxiliary CNG supply system that comprises (i) high pressure gas compressor unit (ii) a high pressure gas storage subsystem, (iii) a gas feed linked to said supply piping system and adapted to feed compressed gas into said storage subsystem, (iv) an auxiliary piping system for feeding gas from the storage sub-system to the energy- generating unit, and (v) a valving subsystem to control gas feed from the gas storage subsystem to the auxiliary piping system.
• a control module is included for operating the valving subsystem to supply gas from the auxiliary gas system to the energy-generating unit at times of peak energy demand.
• the auxiliary CNG supply system In addition to being able to provide auxiliary gas supply to permit a total gas supply at times of peak demands, the auxiliary CNG supply system also permits a limited back-up for supply of gas to the power plant at times where the natural gas piping system is malfunctioning.
• Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a system in accordance with the invention.
• the system components are referred to each in the singular. It should, however, be understood that it is meant to refer also to a system with two or a plurality of such components.
• the gas supply line may in fact be comprised of a number of such lines or pipes.
• the term "line" in this regards refers to a functionality of transporting gas through one or more pipes than a single component.
• the ingress and egress gas lines may each include one, two or a plurality of pipes.
• the system generally designated 100 includes a piping system 102 that transports natural gas from a gas source (not shown) and feeds the gas to the energy-generating plant, in this case an electricity-generating power plant 104.
• the plant includes one or more turbines (or engines).
• the natural gas can be fed directly from the piping system 102 to the gas power plant 104, typically through a filter system 108, a metering system 110 and a pressure regulating system 112 of one or more a gas supply lines 106.
• natural gas is transported, typically at a pressure in the range of between about 60 to 90 bar.
• the natural gas is fed into the filter system 108 which filters out particulate matter and condensate liquid, typically via a separator in a one or two-stage design, which is known per se.
• the separator condensate can be collected, stored in vessels and then transported away, e.g. by trucks and disposed.
• the metering system 110 serves to gauge the amount of utilized natural gas.
• the design of metering system 110 depends, as known, on the energy-generating capacity of the electric power generating plant 104, or in other words on the intended natural gas flow rate.
• the design of a metering system is generally known per se and need not be elaborated herein.
• the regulating system 112 serves for reducing the gas pressure from the supply pressure, typically in the range of between about 60 to 90 bar, to a lower pressure, typically in the range of between about 0.5 to 40 bar in which the natural gas is supplied to the turbines ⁇ engines of the power plant 104.
• the regulating system 112 may also include a gas preheating arrangement, which may, for example be gas/water pre- heaters known per se. The pressure regulated and optionally preheated gas is then fed to power plant 104 through the gas supply line 106.
• an auxiliary gas supply system 120 includes an ingress control valve situated on an ingress gas line 124 and an egress control valve 126 on egress gas line 128 for feeding gas from the auxiliary CNG supply system to the power plant 104.
• Valves 122 and 126 are typically motor-operated valves.
• the auxiliary CNG supply system 120 also includes a compressor 130, a CNG storage sub-system 132, a regulating system 133, a flow controller 134 and a system control unit 136.
• the compressor 130 functions to compress the natural gas from its supply pressure, typically in the range of between about 60 to about 90 bar, to a higher pressure, usually in the range of between about 100 to about, 300 bar, typically above 200 bar.
• the compressor may be water cooled.
• the compressor may be associated with a gas filtering unit (not shown) for filtering liquid and particulate matter.
• the storage sub-system 132 may include one or more or even a bank of storage tanks for storing high pressure CNG.
• the CNG storage capacity of the storage subsystem 132 is designed so as to be able to provide gas in access to that provided through supply lime 106 so as to provide sufficient gas to power plant 104 at times of peak demand.
• at times of peak electric power demand gas may be fed to power plant 104 jointly from supply line 106 and from auxiliary gas supply system 120 (through egress gas lines 128).
• the storage sub-system 132 includes more than one tank, their use may be modular to modulate the amount of stored CNG. For example, at times when peak demand for electric power may be expected, e.g. in peak summer or peak winter, all tanks may be used to their full capacity. At other times, only part of the tanks may be used.
• the auxiliary CNG supply system can also serve as an emergency back-up for use at such times where natural gas supply through the piping system is interrupted.
• the regulating system 133 serves for reducing the CNG pressure, which is typically in the range of between about 100 to 300 bar, to a lower pressure, typically in the range of between about 0.5 to 40 bar.
• the regulating system 133 may also include a gas preheating arrangement, which may, for example be gas/water pre-heaters known per se.
• control module 136 which is coupled to flow meter 138 that measures the amount of gas flow into line 106 through regulating systems 112 and 133, to flow controller 134, to valves 122 and 126 and to compressor 130.
• valve 122 At times of relatively low electric power demand, e.g. at night, the control module opens valve 122 and induces operation of compressor 130 to thereby store high pressure compressed natural gas (CNG ) in storage sub-system 132. This is in parallel to ongoing gas feed directly from piping system 102 through feed line 106 to power plant 104. At such, storage operation mode, valve 126 is usually closed.
• CNG compressed natural gas
• control module switches system 120 into an auxiliary gas supply mode in which valve 126 opens and flow controller is activated to supply gas to plant 104 through gas egress line 128.
• gas is supplied to power plant 104 both directly from piping system 102 through line 106 as well as from auxiliary CNG supply system 120 via line 128. It is also possible, by some embodiments to feed gas to power plant 104 during the auxiliary CNG supply operational mode only from the auxiliary gas supply system. This may be the case, for example, at times of interruptions in gas supply from piping system 102.
• control module 136 controls flow controller 134 so as to match the amount of gas supplied by the auxiliary supply system and the gas pressure, to that egressing from regulating systems 112 and 133.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
• Pipeline Systems (AREA)
• Control Of Eletrric Generators (AREA)

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• 2008
  • 2008-01-03 IL IL188585A patent/IL188585A0/en unknown
• 2009
  • 2009-01-01 EP EP09700072A patent/EP2240667A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2009-01-01 WO PCT/IL2009/000004 patent/WO2009083986A2/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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