Design Details of a 600 MW Graz Cycle Thermal Power Plant for CO₂ Capture

The high power highest efficiency zero-emission Graz Cycle plant of 400 MW was presented at ASME IGTI conference 2006 and at CIMAC conference 2007. In continuation of these works a raise of power output to 600 MW is presented and important design details are discussed. The cycle pressure ratio is increased from 40 to 50 bar by a half-speed stage connected via gears to the main compressor shaft allowing to keep the volume flow to the main compressors constant. The compressors are driven by the transonic compressor turbine stage. Mass flow to the compressors is increased by the factor of 1.27, density in blades of the main compressors is raised by the same factor. The turbine inlet temperature is raised to 1500°C together with the increase in the cycle pressure ratio, both are well accepted values in gas turbine technology today. Most important development problems have to be solved in designing the oxy-fuel burners. They are presented here in the form of coaxial jets of fuel (natural gas or coal gas alternatively) held together by a steam vortex providing coherent flow and flame is ignited by its strong suction. Combustion is finalized by the mixing with a counter-rotating outer vortex flow of working gas leading to a well defined position of vortex break down. The transonic stage of the compressor turbine is supplied with innovative steam cooling forming coherent layers outside of the blade shell of which stress deliberations will be presented.