Search

US-20260125812-A1 - INTEGRATED POWER PRODUCTION AND STORAGE SYSTEMS

US20260125812A1US 20260125812 A1US20260125812 A1US 20260125812A1US-20260125812-A1

Abstract

A power plant is configured to output power to a grid power system and comprises a hydrogen generation system configured to produce hydrogen, a gas turbine combined cycle power plant comprising a gas turbine engine configured to combust hydrogen from the hydrogen generation system to generate a gas stream that can be used to rotate a turbine shaft and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) configured to generate steam with the gas stream of the gas turbine engine to rotate a steam turbine, a storage system configured to store hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generation system, and a controller configured to operate the hydrogen generation system with electricity from the grid power system when the grid power system has excess energy and balance active and reactive loads on the grid power system using at least one of the hydrogen generation system and the gas turbine combined cycle power plant.

Inventors

  • David Hunt
  • David McDeed
  • Mark Peak
  • Peter Luessen
  • Brian Allen
  • Jeanfils Saint-Cyr

Assignees

  • MITSUBISHI POWER AMERICAS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251218

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A method of operating an integrated power plant connected to a grid power system, the method comprising: operating a gas turbine engine to drive an electric generator to provide power to the grid power system, the gas turbine engine operable on hydrogen, natural gas and blends thereof; operating an electrolyzer to generate hydrogen and oxygen with electricity from the grid power system; storing hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer in a storage system; and coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the electrolyzer based upon a power demand of the grid power system.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the electrolyzer based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: operating the gas turbine engine with natural gas when renewable energy sources are available.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the electrolyzer based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: operating the gas turbine engine with hydrogen when renewable energy sources are not available.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the electrolyzer based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: obtaining the hydrogen for the gas turbine engine from a hydrogen storage system.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the electrolyzer based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: operating the gas turbine engine with a blend of hydrogen and natural gas.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein operating the gas turbine engine with a blend of hydrogen and natural gas occurs when the power demand of the grid power system is in a transition state between a first power demand level and a second power demand level.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein operating the gas turbine engine with a blend of hydrogen and natural gas occurs when renewable energy sources are partially available to the grid power system.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the electrolyzer based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: starting the gas turbine engine from a state of not operating to operate at rate of increasing power production to attain a maximum rated power output; and discontinuing operation of the electrolyzer and consumption of electricity by the electrolyzer from the grid power system; wherein the power demand of the grid power system is a call for maximum power.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the electrolyzer based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: ramping up operation of the gas turbine engine from a partial load state at a maximum ramp rate; and discontinuing operation of the electrolyzer and consumption of electricity from the grid power system; wherein the power demand of the grid power system is a call for maximum power.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the electrolyzer based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: reducing operation of the gas turbine engine from a maximum load status to a minimum load status to produce a reduced electricity output; and starting operation of the electrolyzer to consume the reduced electricity output; wherein the power demand of the grid power system is reduced.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and electrolyzer to power demand of the grid power system comprises: operating the gas turbine engine in a standby mode; and shutting down operation of the electrolyzer; wherein the demand of the grid power system is constant.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and electrolyzer to power demand of the grid power system comprises: ramping up operation of the gas turbine engine to full speed; and reducing output of the electrolyzer; wherein the demand of the grid power system is increased.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and electrolyzer to power demand of the grid power system comprises: ramping up operation of the gas turbine engine from a non-operating state; and shutting down operation of the electrolyzer; wherein the demand of the grid power system is increasing.
  14. 14 . An integrated power plant system comprising: a gas turbine engine operable on hydrogen, natural gas and blends thereof; a plurality of electrolyzers; a storage system; a controller in communication with the plurality of electrolyzers, the gas turbine engine and the storage system; and memory having instructions stored therein executable by the controller to operate the plurality of electrolyzers, the gas turbine engine and the storage system, the instructions comprising: instructions for operating the gas turbine engine to drive an electric generator to provide power to a grid power system, the gas turbine engine operable on at least one of hydrogen, natural gas and blends thereof; instructions for operating one or more of the plurality of electrolyzers to generate hydrogen and oxygen with electricity from the grid power system; instructions for storing hydrogen produced by the one or more of the plurality of electrolyzers in a storage system; and instructions for coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the plurality of electrolyzers to power demand of the grid power system.
  15. 15 . The integrated power plant system of claim 14 , wherein instruction for coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the plurality of electrolyzers based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: operating the gas turbine engine with natural gas when renewable energy sources are available.
  16. 16 . The integrated power plant system of claim 14 , wherein instruction for coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the plurality of electrolyzers based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: operating the gas turbine engine with hydrogen when renewable energy sources are not available.
  17. 17 . The integrated power plant system of claim 16 , wherein instructions for coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the plurality of electrolyzers based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: obtaining the hydrogen for the gas turbine engine from a hydrogen storage system.
  18. 18 . The integrated power plant system of claim 14 , wherein instructions for coordinating operation of the gas turbine engine and the plurality of electrolyzers based upon the power demand of the grid power system comprises: operating the gas turbine engine with a blend of hydrogen and natural gas.
  19. 19 . The integrated power plant system of claim 18 , wherein operating the gas turbine engine with a blend of hydrogen and natural gas occurs when the power demand of the grid power system is in a transition state between a first power demand level and a second power demand level.
  20. 20 . The integrated power plant system of claim 19 , wherein operating the gas turbine engine with a blend of hydrogen and natural gas occurs when renewable energy sources are partially available to the grid power system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/788,946, filed Jul. 30, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/140,381, filed Apr. 27, 2023, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,095,264, which application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/446,597, filed Aug. 31, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,670,960, which application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 63/073,282, filed Sep. 1, 2020; 63/174,275, filed Apr. 13, 2021; and 63/233,383 filed Aug. 16, 2021, each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety TECHNICAL FIELD This document pertains generally, but not by way of limitation, to combined-cycle power plants used to generate electricity. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, the present application relates to production, use and storage of hydrogen and oxygen in combined-cycle power plants that can be integrated into manufacturing or production facilities. BACKGROUND The grid is a mechanism to balance aggregate energy demand of consumers with aggregate energy supply of power producers, including renewable energy sources and traditional power plants, such as those that burn fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources can comprise sources of energy that do not include combustion or release of CO2. Typical renewable energy sources include hydroelectric, solar and wind. Solar and wind, particularly, are intermittent and unpredictable. Power plants can comprise a means to generate power on demand using fuels, such as fossil fuels or hydrogen derived from various sources. Fossil fuels can comprise coal, natural gas or fuel oil. Typical power plants comprise a gas turbine and an electrical generator, and frequently include a steam turbine in a combined-cycle configuration. The gas turbine and steam turbine can create electric power from mechanical energy converted from combustion of fuel and associated steam generation processes. Consumers of electricity comprise any user of electrical power. Consumers can be a residential consumers, commercial consumers or industrial consumers. Consumers can use energy in different ways, thereby placing widely differing demands on the grid. Apparent Power, Real Power and Reactive Power Electric circuits are comprised of different types of power producers, or “generators,” and power consumers or “loads.” Generators produce power that flows to the loads, and is subsequently returned to the generator to complete the circuit. Active Loads are purely resistive loads that generate no magnetic field and convert electrical power purely to other forms of energy, with examples being heaters and incandescent light bulbs. Reactive Loads are those that generate a magnetic field in order to convert electrical power to other forms of energy, such as rotating mechanical power as in induction motors or sound as in speakers. When Reactive Loads are present in an electric circuit, it appears that more power is supplied by the generator to the loads (“Apparent Power”) than the power consumed by the loads (“Real Power”) and there exists a difference in the alignment between the voltage and current, known as phase alignment, due to the requirement to generate the magnetic fields. In an AC Circuit, Apparent Power(S) is the product of the voltage (V) and the current (I) given by the equation (S=VI). The amount of phase alignment between voltage and current is represented by the angle (Φ) and has a range of negative (−) 90 degrees to positive (+) 90 degrees. A phase angle Ø=zero represents voltage and current are in full phase alignment and S=VI represents not only the Apparent Power, but also the Real Power (P) and S=P=VI. This corresponds to a circuit containing purely Active Loads and containing no Reactive Loads. In circuits where Reactive Loads are present, voltage and current are out of phase due to the requirement to create the magnetic fields and it appears that more power is supplied by the generator than is consumed by the loads and @ represents the amount of alignment, or phase angle, between voltage and current, and Real Power is given by the equation P=VI cos (Φ). The difference between Apparent Power and Real Power is given by the relationship S=(P{circumflex over ( )}2+Q{circumflex over ( )}2) {circumflex over ( )}(½) with Q being defined as “Reactive Power.” Reactive Power is then the difference between the Apparent Power and Real Power developed in a circuit, with Reactive Power given by the relationship Q-VI sin (Φ) and measured in a unit known as Volt-Amp-Reactive or VAR. Reactive Power can be generated within a generator by raising or lowering the voltage that generates the magnetic field (the “Excitation Voltage”) or by managing the amount of reactive loads within a circuit such as dispatching them on or off to manage the overall system VAR flow. Failure to manage balance flows of both Active and Reactive Power can