General Electric Company

Charles E Steber

Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr

Masayoshi Kuwata

Warren James Mick

Mitchell Dean Cohen

Willy Steve Ziminsky

Rahul Jaikaran Chillar

Christian Lee Vandervort

Douglas Scott Byrd

Robert Joseph Iasillo

Abdul-Azeez Mohammed-Fakir

Keith Cletus Belsom

Julio Enrique Mestroni

Joseph Vincent Citeno

Roy M Washam

Rodger O Anderson

Mark William Pinson

Calvin Levy Sims

Ravindra Annigeri

Harmon Lindsay Morton

Daniel Robert Tegel

Larry Lou Thomas

Massoud Parisay

Henry Joe Wiersma

Walter W Goodwin

John Stephen Henderson

Ronald Thomas Clawson

Jacob Tussey McLeroy

John A Rizzo

Robert J Travis

John Eugene Barnes

Robert R Reed

Donald Bruce Potter

The present application provides a liquid fuel system for use with a flow of a liquid fuel and a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The liquid fuel system may include a number of fuel lines in communication with the combustor, a purge air inlet positioned about each of the fuel lines, a number of drain lines with each drain line in communication with a respective fuel line, and a number of drain valves with each drain valve in communication with a respective drain line so as to drain the flow of liquid fuel in the fuel lines via a flow of purge air through the purge air inlet and opening the drain valves.

Liquid fuel system and method

Methods and systems for operating a gas turbine engine system include an electrical generator configured to provide electrical energy to a load, a gas turbine engine including at least one combustor that includes a plurality of fuel injection points configured to inject a fuel into the combustor at a plurality of different locations wherein the combustor configured to combust the fuel and the gas turbine engine is rotatably coupled to the generator through a shaft. The gas turbine engine system includes a control system including a plurality of sensors positioned about the gas turbine engine system and configured to measure at least one parameter associated with the sensor, a processor programmed to receive a signal indicative of a heating value of the fuel, and automatically control a fuel split between the fuel injection points on the combustor using the determined heating value.

Method for operating gas turbine engine systems

A combustor having a combustion liner and at least one combustor orifice assembly, the combustor orifice assembly comprising a boss, an orifice plate that defines an orifice, the orifice plate having a bottom surface that is adapted to be received by the boss, and a retaining ring, whereby the orifice plate is retained between the retaining ring and the boss.

External dilution air tuning for dry low NOX combustors and methods therefor

Dilution sleeves are provided in radially aligned openings in the combustion liner and flow sleeve of a combustor for a gas turbine. The sleeves have a flange for seating on a collar of the flow sleeve about the opening therethrough enabling the dilution sleeve to extend through the aligned openings. A cover is removably mounted on the outer casing and a spring bears between the cover and the dilution sleeve flange to maintain the dilution sleeve in the openings. Dilution sleeves having different cross-sectional flow areas may be provided in lieu of initially installed dilution sleeves upon comparing measured emission levels with desired emission levels and ascertaining the desired increase or decrease in cross-sectional flow area through the dilution sleeves.

External dilution air tuning for dry low NOx combustors and methods therefor

In a combustor having an axis, a flow sleeve and a liner, a plurality of circumferentially spaced supports interconnect the upstream ends of the liner and flow sleeve to limit wear on the supports and accommodate relative thermal expansion of the liner and flow sleeve. Each support includes a flow sleeve stop having an angled surface, a groove and a female threaded aperture and a liner stop having a complementary angled surface, a rib and an enlarged opening. By inserting the liner axially through the open upstream end of the flow sleeve, the rib of the liner stop engages the slot of the flow sleeve stop. By passing a bolt having a spring through the enlarged opening of the liner stop and threading the bolt to the flow sleeve stop, the liner is biased for axial downstream movement to maintain the complementary inclined surfaces of the stops in contact with one another, thereby limiting wear and accommodating relative thermal expansion of the flow sleeve and liner.

Supports for connecting a flow sleeve and a liner in a gas turbine combustor

A method for detecting flashback events in gas turbine is disclosed. The method employs periodic reference point checks to determine whether or not flashback damage has occurred. The method relies on the repeatability of exhaust profile and NOx as functions of precise turbine conditions. In combination with experience-based limits, changes in these values are used to determine if a flashback has occurred, even days later.

Flashback event monitoring (FEM) process

In a gas turbine having a plurality of combustors, each having an annular array of outer fuel nozzles arranged about a center axis, an improved construction is provided wherein each combustor has a center nozzle located on the center axis. Various methods of operating the improved combustor are also disclosed. For example, one method of operating a combustor for a gas turbine wherein the combustor has a plurality of fuel nozzles in an annular array arranged about a center axis and has a center nozzle located on the center axis, and wherein the annular array is supplied with fuel from at least one pre-mix fuel manifold, and further wherein the center nozzle is supplied with fuel from a center nozzle pre-mix fuel manifold includes the steps of:

Center burner in a multi-burner combustor

A transition piece for connection between a gas turbine combustor and a stage of the gas turbine, the transition piece being generally tubular and having an upstream end for connection to the gas turbine combustor and a downstream or aft end for connection to the turbine stage, the aft end defined by radially inner and outer sides, and wherein the aft end is formed with a peripheral rib extending about the end and wherein at least one of the radially inner and outer sides has an external frame support secured thereto and extending substantially completely between the opposite sides which provides resistance to external pressure at the aft end while permitting the transition piece to expand thermally.

Transition piece external frame support

In a gas turbine having a plurality of combustors, each having an annular array of outer fuel nozzles arranged about a center fuel nozzle. A method for operating the combustors wherein the annular array is supplied with fuel from a diffusion manifold and at least one pre-mix manifold, and further wherein the center nozzle is supplied with fuel from a center premix manifold includes the steps of:

A gas turbine combustor is provided with a premixer in which an oxidant and fuel is mixed and caused to flow to the combustion zone past two or more arrays of convex members positioned transverse or canted to the flow. The convex members introduce turbulence and include a plurality of openings to introduce one or more additional fuels into the premixed oxidant and fuel flow. Parallel, annular and radial arrays, or combinations thereof, may be provided. The downstream array is V-shaped in cross section and provides flame holding capability while the upstream array principally provides additional mixing of fuel and oxidant.

Two stage V-gutter fuel injection mixer

An igniter for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes a body section mounted on a ball joint within a standoff cylinder. The standoff cylinder, in turn, is mounted on the casing of the combustor. An electrode tip, extending from the body section if tightly fitted into a hole in the combustor liner. The ball joint permits substantial transverse motion of the electrode tip to fit it through the hole during installation of the igniter, and to track the position of the hole if it should move relative to the casing due to differential thermal expansion during operation of the combustor. Seals between mating parts prevents the leakage of air from the interior of the casing.

Gas turbine igniter with ball-joint support

A transition duct in an advanced heavy duty gas turbine engine is cooled by impingement jets formed by apertures in a sleeve spaced a distance from the surface to be cooled. The sleeve is configured so as to duct spent impingement air towards the combustor, where it can be subsequently used for mixing with, and combustion of, the fuel, or for cooling of the combustor. The distance between the impingement sleeve and the transition duct surface is varied to control the velocity of air crossflow from spent impingement air in order to minimize the pressure loss due to crossflow. The cross-sectional areas of the apertures are varied to project impingement jets over the various distances and crossflow velocities. Generally, larger aperture areas are used with larger distances. The distance between the impingement sleeve and the transition duct systematically increases towards the combustor as the quantity of spent impingement air increases to a maximum value at the intersection of the combustor and the transition duct. The combination of variations in distance, aperture size, and inter-aperture spacing is utilized to vary the impingement cooling intensity to compensate for the variable internal heat load and also to produce the desired temperature distribution over the surface of the transition duct according to design requirements. The aforementioned variations are optimized to minimize the air flow pressure drop ahead of the combustion system which achieving the required cooling intensity according to design requirements.

Impingement cooled transition duct

A modular catalytic combustor for a gas turbine has a plurality of individual, non-metallic cylindrical catalyst beds, and a support structure for each of the individual catalyst beds. Each catalyst bed together with its support structure forms an individual catalyst module. Each support structure includes an outer cooled support cylinder, with the individual support cylinders of the various modules interconnected in spaced relationship with cooling air passageways between. There are means for supplying compressed air, such as from a gas turbine compressor, into the space surrounding the support cylinders. The outer cooled support cylinders are provided with apertures for entry of cooling and purge air from the surrounding space. Each of the catalyst beds has an integral, cylindrical, outer ceramic shell, and is positioned within a corresponding outer support cylinder. A sheet metal heat shield is interposed between and concentric with each of the outer support cylinders and the catalyst bed within. The heat shield is mounted and configured so as to provide passageways for cooling and purge air such that a limited amount of cooling and purge air enters through the apertures and flows generally along the outer surface of the heat shield in one axial direction, around an end of the heat shield, and then in the opposite axial direction along the inner surface of the heat shield to exit into the main stream of gas flowing through the combustor. As a result, fuel-air mixture is prevented from entering the annular space just outside the catalyst beds, and cooling of the metal structure is provided without undue cooling of the outer ceramic shell.

Modular catalytic combustion bed support system

A structural support system for the aft end of advanced design combustion transition duct members of specially configured to withstand high temperature gradients and mechanical loads developed in heavy-duty cannular gas turbine combustion systems. A composite element support system is provided for each transition duct member wherein one end of a cylindrical base element is contoured for and welded to the outer wall of its associated transition duct member, while its other end carries a hinge joint of special design to interconnect the transition duct member to a desired mounting member. The circular footprint of the cylindrical base element on the transition duct member wall is configured to minimize thermal and mechanical stresses especially in the weld joint region, while the hinge joint allows relative movement of the connected parts about a desired axis. Additionally, a hinge joint through bolt is torqued to a predetermined value to dampen out unwanted mechanical vibrations.

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Scotia, NY, United States of America

Charles E Steber