US 12,247,515 B2
Power production plant including liquid oxygen storage and method of operation of the power production plant
James Jeffrey Moore, Midlothian, TX (US); Owen Pryor, San Antonio, TX (US); Jeremy Fetvedt, Raleigh, NC (US); and Ian Cormier, Durham, NC (US)
Assigned to Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX (US); and 8 Rivers Capital LLC, Durham, NC (US)
Filed by Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX (US); Jeremy Fetvedt, Raleigh, NC (US); and Ian Cormier, Durham, NC (US)
Filed on Jan. 9, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/407,518.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/438,805, filed on Jan. 13, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0240587 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. F02C 3/04 (2006.01); F02C 7/32 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 3/04 (2013.01) [F02C 7/32 (2013.01); F05D 2220/32 (2013.01); F05D 2240/35 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a power plant, the method comprising:
producing power in the power plant by expanding through a turbine a pressurized combustion stream arising from combusting a fuel with oxygen in a combustor in a presence of a pressurized carbon dioxide circulating fluid;
producing, using the power, liquid oxygen (LOx) from ambient air in an air separation unit (ASU) that is configured for independent operation at a full load capacity or a partial load capacity;
delivering the LOx from the ASU to a liquid oxygen storage vessel;
providing the LOx from the liquid oxygen storage vessel in a condition suitable for use as at least a portion of the oxygen in the combustor;
wherein operation of the power plant and the producing of the LOx in the ASU are independently controlled relative to an economic variable so that one or more of an amount of the LOx that is produced in the ASU, an amount of the LOx that is delivered to the liquid oxygen storage vessel, and an amount of the LOx that is provided for use in the combustor is adjusted responsive to a change in a value of the economic variable and
while the power plant is generating the power, determining a price of the power is above a threshold value;
in response to the price of the power being above the threshold, shutting down the ASU or placing the ASU in a standby mode and producing the power using LOx from the liquid oxygen storage vessel.