The Maisotsenko Combustion Turbine Cycle

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  • Nov./Dec. 2003 - Power magazine article - Life below the wet bulb: The Maisotsenko cycle by Ken Wicker, Editor - This 2,200 word article informs and reviews the MCTC at length.  Visit Power's website at www.powermag.platts.com by clicking here to learn more.

  • June 16, 2003 - ASME Turbo Conference - Atlanta, Georgia - The presentation in Atlanta of our technical paper and the evening discussion forum was a tremendous success.  Some of the brightest minds and companies in the power generation field from all over the world attended.  An abstract of the paper can be found at www.asmeconferences.org/IGTI03/ by typing in GT2003-38080 into the search option.

The Maisotsenko Combustion Turbine Cycle

The Maisotsenko Combustion Turbine Cycle (MCTC) can produce power with fuel efficiencies above 60 percent without a bottoming cycle steam turbine. The MCTC is similar to the Humid Air Turbine (HAT) cycle, but it uses far less equipment with much higher heat transfer rates and less pressure drop.

The MCTC has been peer reviewed, and an expanded paper and presentation was presented on June 16, 2003 at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Turbo Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Maisotsenko Combustion Turbine Cycle (MCTC)

At the heart of the MCTC is the Maisotsenko Compressed Air Saturator/Turbine Exhaust Cooler. This equipment uses existing shell and tube heat exchanger technologies, built in a new configuration. The new configuration takes advantage of many processes in one apparatus:

  • Counter flow heat and mass transfer;
  • Latent heat of evaporation;
  • Saturation of compressed air, and:
  • Effective use of energy from the turbine exhaust gas.
    •

    Idalex is working closely with Yuba Heat Transfer, a Division of Connell LP who has completed the design and heat transfer calculations for the Maisotsenko Compressed Air Saturator and Turbine Exhaust Cooler. Schematically, the equipment is represented by:

    The Maisotsenko Compressed Air Saturator

    and Turbine Exhaust Cooler

    The state points on the above diagrams are plotted on the following psychrometric chart:

    The MCTC State Points Plotted on a Psychrometric Chart

    With the MCTC, the amount of superheating or humidifying is easily controlled and changed during operation, allowing added power or greater efficiency. Other benefits of the MCTC include lower NOx emissions and greatly reduced equipment costs compared to any other power cycle.

    The specific benefits for the Maisotsenko Combustion Turbine Cycle include:

    1. There is no need for after-compressor heat exchangers to cool the compressed air to near its dew point temperature before the air enters the saturator with the cooled water from the saturator.
    2. There is no need for a recuperator because it is included in the top exchanger.
    3. There is no need for a humidification tower that is dependent on the above heat exchangers.
    4. There is no need for a boiler to add additional humidity to the compressed air.
    5. There is no need for an economizer cooled with water from the humidifier tower.
    6. Incorporating the equipment listed in 1 through 5 into one piece of equipment provides direct heat and/or mass transfer between compressed air, evaporating water, water and turbine exhaust gases combining several heat exchange approaches into one. This reduces the amount of heat transfer surface needed.
    7. Only the available heat from the stack exhaust gas and inter-compressor coolers limits humidification of the compressed air.
    8. Humidification of the compressed air and/or super heating of that air with the exhaust gas is easily controlled by the amount and location of water entering the shell side of the top exchanger. The design will self adjust to differing operating conditions automatically.
    9. The properties of high-pressure air and water vapor mixtures are not well known, creating problems in sizing and design of existing equipment. This is much less of a problem with the Maisotsenko Cycle saturator as it is self-regulating.
    10. Cooling water can be drawn from the cold-water outlet if desired.
    11. There is less pressure drop, since there are fewer pieces of equipment to travel through.
    12. Less total surface area is needed, because the heat transfer rate is higher due to the evaporation on the outside of the tubes.
    13. The temperature difference across the tube is greater because the wall temperature will become the wet bulb temperature of the surrounding air.
    14. The initial cost is less, as less surface area and less equipment is needed.
    15. The operating costs are less, since the system is self-regulating.
    16. Heat and mass transfer calculations for shell and tube heat exchangers can be used for sizing.
    17. Plate heat exchangers can also be used with this same concept.

    Click here if you're interested in working with Idalex to bring the MCTC to market.

    Idalex Technologies, Inc.

    4700 W 60th Ave.

    Arvada, CO USA 80003

    (303) 375-0878
    		 

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