Powerphase gets US patent for ‘Turbophase’

Turbophase uses a fuel driven engine and its waste heat, along with a highly efficient compressor in a cogeneration process to generate hot, compressed air approximately 35% more efficiently that the gas turbine itself.

The highly efficient air is then injected into the gas turbine, allowing it to produce its optimum output in all ambient conditions. Because the incremental air is created so efficiently, not only does the gas turbine generate more megawatt hours, but it also makes all of its megawatt hours more fuel efficiently.

Using the waste heat from the fueled engine driving the compression process has three major benefits, according to Bob Kraft, the inventor of Turbophase:

• "First, the connection to the plant is very simple and takes about a day,
• “second, because the power source is fuel, the auxiliary load is very low, approximately 0.5% of the incremental power generated;
• “and lastly, and most importantly, because Turbophase is a co-generation process, the system can be efficiently added to a combined cycle power plant.”

Turbophase has characteristics of a reciprocating engine, yet Mr Kraft claimedthat the electricity would be generated at combined cycle efficiencies and the installed cost is less than half .  "Our innovative use of air creates a generational leap is gas turbine fuel efficiency,” he said, concluding – “We like to say, 'Air is cheaper than fuel.'"

Florida-based Powerphase LLC has already installed its Turbophase solution on the GE’s 6B and 7FA gas turbines. The company said it is working towards partnerships with all of the other major OEMs – notably Siemens, Mitsubishi, Rolls Royce, Alstom, Ansaldo, and Caterpillar – as it seeks to introduce the same Turbophase technology on every land-based frame and aero-derivative gas turbine.