Method for regulating and augmenting the power output of a gas turbine

Claim 1

A method of regulating the operation of a gas turbine power plant so as to achieve a desired shaft power, comprising the steps of: a) compressing air; b) heating said compressed air, thereby producing a hot gas; c) directing a variable flow rate of steam into said hot gas, thereby producing a mixture of hot gas and steam; d) expanding said mixture of hot gas and steam in a turbine, thereby producing an expanded gas/steam mixture, said turbine having a rotating shaft disposed therein, whereby said expansion of said mixture of hot gas and steam imparts power to said shaft, said power being a function of the flow rate of said hot gas/steam mixture; and e) adjusting said flow rate of said gas/steam mixture by adjusting said flow rate of said steam, so as to maintain said desired shaft power from said turbine shaft while maintaining approximately constant the temperature of said gas/steam mixture that is expanded in said turbine.

Claim 2

A method of regulating the operation of a gas turbine power plant so as to achieve a desired shaft power, comprising the steps of: a) compressing air; b) heating said compressed air, thereby producing a hot gas; c) directing a variable flow rate of steam into said hot gas, thereby producing a mixture of hot gas and steam; d) expanding said mixture of hot gas and steam in a turbine, thereby producing an expanded gas/steam mixture, said turbine having a rotating shaft disposed therein, whereby said expansion of said mixture of hot gas and steam imparts power to said shaft, said power being a function of the flow rate of said hot gas/steam mixture; and e) adjusting said flow rate of said gas/steam mixture by adjusting said flow rate of said steam, so as to maintain said desired shaft power from said turbine shaft while maintaining approximately constant the temperature of said gas/steam mixture that is expanded in said turbine.

Claim 11

A method of regulating shaft power in a gas turbine power plant, comprising the steps of: a) compressing air in a compressor; b) heating said compressed air in a combustor by burning a fuel therein, thereby producing a flow of hot gas; c) directing a flow of feed water into an evaporator, thereby generating a flow of steam at a steam generation rate; d) variably adjusting a valve disposed in a conduit directing said generated steam from said evaporator, thereby regulating said steam generation rate by varying the pressure of said feed water in said evaporator; e) introducing said generated steam into said flow of hot gas, thereby producing a mixture of hot gas and generated steam flowing at a flow rate, said flow rate of said mixture being proportional to said steam generation rate; f) regulating the amount of said fuel burned so as to maintain the temperature of said mixture of hot gas and generated steam at a predetermined value despite variations in said rate of steam generation; g) directing said mixture of hot gas and generated steam to a turbine having a rotating shaft for expansion therein, thereby producing power in said shaft proportional to said flow rate of said mixture of hot gas and generated steam, whereby said shaft power is regulated by varying said pressure of said feed water in said evaporator; and h) exhausting said mixture of hot gas and generated steam from said turbine after said expansion and directing said exhausted mixture to flow over said evaporator, thereby transferring heat from said exhausted mixture to said feed water flowing in said evaporator, whereby said heat transfer generates said steam.

Claim 12

A method of regulating shaft power in a gas turbine power plant, comprising the steps of: a) compressing air in a compressor; b) heating said compressed air in a combustor by burning a fuel therein, thereby producing a flow of hot gas; c) directing a flow of feed water into an evaporator, thereby generating a flow of steam at a steam generation rate; d) variably adjusting a valve disposed in a conduit directing said generated steam from said evaporator, thereby regulating said steam generation rate by varying the pressure of said feed water in said evaporator; e) introducing said generated steam into said flow of hot gas, thereby producing a mixture of hot gas and generated steam flowing at a flow rate, said flow rate of said mixture being proportional to said steam generation rate; f) regulating the amount of said fuel burned so as to maintain the temperature of said mixture of hot gas and generated steam at a predetermined value despite variations in said rate of steam generation; g) directing said mixture of hot gas and generated steam to a turbine having a rotating shaft for expansion therein, thereby producing power in said shaft proportional to said flow rate of said mixture of hot gas and generated steam, whereby said shaft power is regulated by varying said pressure of said feed water in said evaporator; and h) exhausting said mixture of hot gas and generated steam from said turbine after said expansion and directing said exhausted mixture to flow over said evaporator, thereby transferring heat from said exhausted mixture to said feed water flowing in said evaporator, whereby said heat transfer generates said steam.