Solar Turbines Inc.

Chad Holcomb

Robert Moroto

Roy Thomas Collins

Garrett C Bolander

Richard C Whalen

Saliha Kenyon Lacoursiere

Edward C Fichtner

Paul V Smith

A gas turbine engine system includes a gas turbine engine and a control system including sensors for monitoring operating properties of the engine, a signaling device that outputs a discrete switching signal indicative of an engine load change, such as connecting or disconnecting an electrical load in an electrical power system powered by the gas turbine engine, and an electronic control unit. The control unit calculates an engine load estimate based upon the switching signal, the operating properties, and statistical information in a recursive statistical estimator.

Engine load estimation strategy in gas turbine engine system

A method for determining an estimate of the specific gravity of a fuel for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The gas turbine engine includes a fuel control valve and one or more fuel injectors. The method includes determining a first estimate of the specific gravity based on an orifice flow model of the fuel control valve. The method also includes determining a second estimate of the specific gravity based on a combined orifice flow model of the one or more fuel injectors. The method further includes recursively filtering the first estimate and the second estimate to determine a third estimate of the specific gravity.

Online estimation of specific gravity of gas fuel

A method and system for controlling a two-shaft turbine engine, the two-shaft turbine engine including a gas producer having a compressor with adjustable inlet guide vanes. The method includes monitoring a rotational speed of the gas producer, maintaining an inlet guide vane angle constant when a rotational speed of the gas producer is below a threshold value, and adjusting an inlet guide vane angle of the compressor at a predetermined rate when the rotational speed of the gas producer is above the threshold value.

Method and system for operating a turbine engine

A method for controlling a gas turbine engine fuel control valve during low flow conditions includes positioning the fuel control valve in an operating position. The method also includes determining a fuel control valve flow sensor flow rate while in the operating position and determining a corrected effective flow area ('Cda') of the fuel control valve. The method further includes generating Cda versus command data with the corrected Cda and the operating position and inserting the generated Cda versus command data into the nominal Cda versus command data set when nominal Cda versus command data is not known at the operating position.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Chad Holcomb