Ormat Industries Ltd.

Ormat Technologies, Inc.

Chaim Sugarmen

Uriyel Fisher

Lucien Y Bronicki

Zoltan Bihari

Ariel Rotstein

A system for producing power at remote locations comprises: a closed cycle vapor turbine unit having an evaporator containing liquid working fluid, a turbine receiving vapor of the evaporated working fluid for producing power by way of an electrical generator coupled to the turbine, a condenser and means for returning the working fluid condensate from the condenser to the evaporator; a biomass furnace associated with the evaporator for heating working fluid present in the evaporator and evaporating a portion of the working fluid; and a controller for controlling the amount of biomass fuel supplied to the biomass furnace in accordance with energy requirements of a customer load. Further, a method for producing power using the system is also provided.

Method of and apparatus for producing power in remote locations

In accordance with the present invention, apparatus is provided for producing power comprising a reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon material and producing syngas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a combustion chamber of a gas turbine unit that receives the syngas and combusts the syngas and produces flue gases comprising carbon dioxide and other gases that are supplied to the gas turbine contained in the gas turbine unit. In addition, the apparatus includes a bottoming cycle unit of a combined cycle power plant that produces power and from which combustion gases exit. A carbon dioxide separator is also included in the apparatus that receives combustion gases exiting the bottoming cycle unit and separates carbon dioxide from the other combustion gases. A compressor is provided that supplies the separated carbon dioxide to the reformer for reforming of the hydrocarbon material. Preferably, according to the present invention, the reformer comprises a solar reformer. In addition, the gas turbine unit includes a compressor that compresses air and also an electric generator coupled to the gas turbine that produces electricity.

Method of and apparatus for producing power using a reformer and gas turbine unit

Retrofit equipment includes an auxiliary gas turbine unit including an auxiliary compressor for compressing ambient air to produce compressed air, a solar collector that receives the compressed air for heating the same to produce heated compressed air, and an auxiliary turbine coupled to the auxiliary compressor and to an auxiliary generator for expanding the heated compressed air and driving the auxiliary compressor and auxiliary generator thereby producing power and hot exhaust gases. When solar insolation is available, a flow control selectively supplies the hot exhaust gases from the retrofit equipment to a boiler which is part of a conventional fossil fueled power plant. The boiler has heat exchanger coils containing water and receives hot exhaust gases for vaporizing water in the coils and producing steam which is supplied to a steam turbine coupled to a generator for expanding steam produced by the boiler, and driving the generator and producing power and expanded steam. A condenser condenses the expanded steam to condensate, and a pump returns the condensate to the boiler. When solar insolation is not available. e.g., during the night, the flow control supplies the boiler with hot gases from a primary gas turbine unit which includes a primary compressor that compresses ambient air to produce compressed air, and a combustor that receives the compressed air for burning fossil fuel and heating the compressed air to produce heated compressed air that is supplied to the primary turbine.

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Mevaseret Zion, Israel

Chaim Sugarmen