General Electric Company

Douglas F Westerkamp

Andrew Philip Shapiro

Nishith Pramod Vora

Ching-Jen Tang

Jack S Mazer

Peter P Clifford

Bruce B Lane

Thomas A Kuczkowski

AliciA Jillian Jackson Hardy

Donald S Jenis

Disclosed is a process for improving the efficiency of a combined-cycle power generation plant and desalination unit. The process includes supplying exhaust gases from a gas turbine set used to generate electrical power to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and then directing the steam from the HRSG to a steam turbine set. Salinous water is supplied into an effect of the desalination unit. Steam exhausted from the steam turbine set is utilized in the effect of the desalination unit to produce a distillate vapor and brine from the effect by heat exchange. Additionally, steam is introduced steam from at least one additional heat source from the combined-cycle power generation plant to the effect to increase the mass flow rate of steam into the effect. In one embodiment, the additional heat source is an intercooler heat exchanger. Heated water from the intercooler heat exchanger is provided to a reduced atmosphere flash tank, and the steam flashed in the flash tank is provided to the effect.

Waste heat driven desalination process

A turbine generator includes a plurality of spaced and parallel, transverse webs interconnected by plates to define an integral generator housing-base. Each transverse web in the generator section thereof includes a central, circular opening through which the generator rotor extends, and a plurality of apertures extending about the opening. Each transverse web further includes a walkway flange which, in association with the plates, forms a walkway, and also includes a superstructure lattice at the top thereof for supporting air cooling structure. A turbine is bolted to the integral generator housing-base, and is coupled to the generator rotor. Due to the integral generator housing-base, resonant vibrations of the base portion thereof at the generator operating frequency and at twice the generator operating frequency are eliminated, the weight and size of the turbine generator are reduced, and the turbine generator has greater structural integrity and rigidity.

Integral generator housing and base for a turbine generator

A support system is provided for a bundle of U-shaped tubes in a heat exchanger of the shell and tube type. The system includes a fixed frame including a plurality of support plates for the majority of the length of the bundle and a floating frame including a plurality of support plates for the U-bend end of the bundle. The floating frame is mounted on the tubes and is free to move relative to the fixed frame, thus allowing freedom of expansion of the tubes through the fixed frame support plates even on the occurrence of tube binding in the floating frame support plates adjacent the U-bend end.

Tube support system for heat exchanger

Growing community of inventors

Cape Elizabeth, ME, United States of America

Douglas F Westerkamp