our technology
Astertech Thermodynamic Cycle
What is Astertech Technology?
Astertech Power Plant is a high performance Zero Emission Combined Cycle.
Astertech Thermodynamic Cycle is based on HCs oxy-combustion fuel process.
Astertech is a Thermodynamic Cycle that uses steam in its combustion process instead of air.
Astertech technology recycles heat by UAX Heating Pump while other cycles lose to the environment.
Astertech is implemented using most of standard and existing equipment, all well tested and verified.
Astertech uses an intrinsic CO2 capture system, so we do not need additional equipment.
Astertech Cycle - Process Main Equipment
Supplies and Production
Description of the essential Astertech Cycle with CO2 capture
A
The Combustion Chamber is a pressurized Hydrocarbon Burner with Oxygen diluted in water vapor (oxyfuel). As a result of combustion, a certain amount of CO2 and H2O is generated. Two steam currents enter the Combustion Chamber, which are the essential heat transfer fluid.
B
As a result of combustion, the temperature (and energy) of the steam and the gases that are sent to the Gas Turbine with high energy rise.
C
The hot and pressurized steam and CO2 expand in the Gas Turbine and this generates some mechanical work to the Power Axis of the Cycle. The exhaust gases from the Gas Turbine come out practically at ambient pressure but are still very hot, so they can be used in a Heat Recovery Boiler (HRB) to heat, first, the High Pressure steam generator tube bundles and later, other low-pressure steam generator tube bundles (as happens in any conventional combined cycle).
D
The steam together with the CO2 that circulate through the “casing” side of the HRB leave at a low temperature and pass to a Condenser that acts as a “heat sink” for the Cycle, in such a way that the HRB works at partial condensation. Consequently, two output currents are obtained through the bottom of the HRB:
- An outlet current of the condensate, from which the water generated in the combustion in liquid state is extracted.
- The residual gaseous current that contains all the CO2 accompanied by residual water vapor from HRB that did not condense.
E
This last stream of CO2 and steam leaves the HRB with temperatures close to 100ºC (ambient pressure) and is sent to a Condenser-Regenerator that transmits the heat of condensation to the Cold Center of the Heat Pump. In the Condenser-Regenerator, the residual fraction of steam finishes condensing and when the water is converted to a liquid state, it releases the CO2 in a gaseous state as an incondensable residue. In other words, by means of simple condensation, it is possible to extract the CO2 from the Cycle (stream 20) that was generated in the combustion. That is why this Cycle supposes the "Intrinsic Capture".
F
The Heat Pump acts as a regenerative mechanism of the Power Cycle by taking (through the Cold Focus) the heat given off by the HC-Condenser and returning the heat given off by the Heat Pump (through its Hot Spot) transferring it to the Reboiler. The mechanical work necessary to activate the Heat Pump is obtained from the Power Axis like any other self-consumption.
G
The Heat Pump returns thermal energy to the Power Cycle through its Hot Spot through the Reboiler. The Reboiler is a heat exchanger that receives the heat from the Heat Pump (Hot Focus) and uses it (in addition to preheating the feed water of the High Pressure circuit) to regenerate a certain amount of steam at a pressure higher than the atmospheric.
H
The partially pressurized steam generated in the Reboiler is sent to a Steam Compressor that increases the pressure of this steam enough to enter the Combustion Chamber. The mechanical work required by this Steam Compressor is obtained as self-consumption of the Cycle's power Axis itself.
I
The fraction of condensate that has not been converted into steam in the Reboiler is used as the Feed Water flow of the High Pressure steam generator (tube bundles inside the HRB).
J
This very High Pressure steam coming from the Tubular Bundles is used to drive the High Pressure Turbine, which generates a certain amount of work to the Power Axis of the Cycle.
K
The High Pressure Turbine works at counter pressure, that is, it does not expand the gases up to atmospheric pressure, but instead expands steam up to the operating pressure of the Combustion Chamber, to which this exhaust steam from the Turbine-HP is sent. , closing the cycle.
As an overview of the global system, the Astertech Cycle only receives energy from combustion (Pressure Burner) and from it comes, on the one hand, mechanical work from the Power Axis of the Cycle and, on the other, thermal energy lost in the Heat Sink ( vacuum condenser).
Astertch Cycle - Flow Diagram
The Astertech Cycle, according to its registration patent, consists of multiple different configurations (with higher performance the greater its complexity). The Essential Cycle is represented below.
