General Electric Company

David August Snider

Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr

Michael Joseph Alexander

Willy Steve Ziminsky

Harold Lamar Jordan, Jr

William Forrester Seely

Randy Scott Rosson

Steven William Tillery

Geoffrey David Myers

Timothy Andrew Healy

Joseph Vincent Citeno

Bryan Edward Sweet

Samuel Bryan Shartzer

John David Stampfli

Christopher Edward LaMaster

James Harper

Mark William Pinson

John Carver Maters

Alberto Jose Negroni

Mark W Flanagan

Scott Victor Hannula

Harold Lamar Jordan

Keegan Saunders O'Donnell

Kyle Joseph Conger

Daniel Robert Tegel

Christopher John Morawski

Timothy Edward DeJoris

Brian Patrick Hansen

Stephen R Watts

Pramod Kumar Yadav

Rajeev Kumar Verma

Robert Walter Arnold

Eric Motter

Steven C Castellaw

Vikram Srinivasa Muralidharan

Carlos Gabriel Roman

Eugene A Post

Christopher Holsonback

Christopher Grant Cooper

Mark Mitchell

Pramodkumar Yadav

A method of igniting liquid fuel in a turbomachine combustor is provided. The method includes a step of initiating a flow of gaseous fuel from a gaseous fuel supply to a gaseous fuel nozzle. The method further includes a step of initiating a flow of liquid fuel from a liquid fuel supply to a primary liquid fuel cartridge. After initiating both the flow of gaseous fuel and the flow of liquid fuel, the method includes a step of igniting the flow of gaseous fuel and the flow of liquid fuel with an igniter. The method further includes a step of terminating the flow of gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel supply to the gaseous fuel nozzle.

Methods of igniting liquid fuel in a turbomachine

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more processor-executable instructions wherein the one or more instructions when executed by a processor of a controller, cause acts to be performed is provided. The acts to be performed include obtaining one or more signals representative of ambient conditions and one or more operating conditions of the gas turbine engine, executing a model to predict a duration of a startup time for the gas turbine engine based on the ambient conditions and the one or more operating conditions, and causing a display to display the predicted duration of the startup time of the gas turbine engine.

System and method for predicting and enhancing power plant startup time

A fuel supply system for use in a gas turbine engine is provided. The fuel supply system includes a fuel manifold, and a shutoff valve coupled in flow communication with the fuel manifold and positioned upstream from said fuel manifold. The shutoff valve is configured to actuate into a closed position when the gas turbine engine is operating at an overspeed condition. The system also includes a relief valve coupled in flow communication with the fuel manifold, wherein the relief valve is configured to release fuel from within the fuel manifold when the shutoff valve is in the closed position, and when a pressure within the fuel manifold is greater than a first predetermined threshold.

Fuel supply system for use in a gas turbine engine and method of controlling an overspeed event therein

A system includes a controller including a memory storing instructions and a processor that executes the instructions. The instructions cause the controller to receive a first input signal of a first temperature at an inlet of a gas turbine of a gas turbine and heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) system and a second input signal of a rotational speed of the gas turbine. The instructions also cause the controller to calculate the exhaust flow rate of the gas turbine and HRSG system based on the first input signal and the second input signal. Further, the instructions cause the controller to control the gas turbine and HRSG system to isolate a fuel source at a portion of normal operating speed of the gas turbine sufficient to achieve a predetermined purging volume during coast down of air flow through the gas turbine and HRSG system based on the exhaust flow rate.

Systems and methods to improve shut-down purge flow in a gas turbine system

A system includes a controller including a memory storing instructions to perform operations of a power generation system and a processor that executes the instructions. The instructions cause the controller to control purging fluid flow to an inlet of a gas turbine, an exhaust of the gas turbine, or a combustion section of the gas turbine. The instructions cause the controller to receive a first temperature at the inlet, a rotational speed of the gas turbine, and a purging fluid flow rate. The instructions cause the controller to calculate an exhaust flow rate of the system based on at least the first temperature, the rotational speed, and the purging fluid flow rate. The instructions cause the controller to control the system to isolate a fuel source from the gas turbine at a portion of normal operating speed sufficient to achieve a purging volume during coast down.

A system includes a controller including a memory storing instructions and a processor that executes the instructions. The instructions cause the controller to control a steam turbine system coupled to a power generation system to release steam during deceleration of a gas turbine. The instructions cause the controller to receive a first temperature of the gas turbine and a rotational speed of the gas turbine. The instructions cause the controller to calculate an exhaust flow rate of the power generation system based on at least the first input signal and the second input signal. The instructions cause the controller to control the power generation system to isolate a fuel source from the gas turbine at a portion of normal operating speed of the gas turbine sufficient to achieve a predetermined purging volume during coast down of air flow through the power generation system based on the exhaust flow rate.

A system includes a controller of a power generation system including a memory storing instructions and a processor that executes the instructions. The instructions cause the controller to control the power generation system to provide inlet bleed heat flow to a gas turbine during deceleration of the gas turbine. The instructions also cause the controller to receive a first temperature, a rotational speed of the gas turbine, and an inlet bleed heat flow rate. Additionally, the instructions cause the controller to calculate an exhaust flow rate based on at least the first temperature, the rotational speed, and the inlet bleed heat flow rate. Further, the instructions cause the controller to control the power generation system to isolate a fuel source from the gas turbine at a portion of normal operating speed of the gas turbine sufficient to achieve a purging volume during coast down of the gas turbine.

A compressor start bleed system for a turbine system includes a compressor section. Also included is a turbine section disposed downstream of the compressor section. Further included is at least one duct fluidly coupled to the compressor section, wherein the at least one duct is configured to route a start bleed extraction from the compressor section to a location downstream of the turbine section. Yet further included is at least one control device of the at least one duct configured to actively modulate the start bleed extraction during a part speed operation of the turbine system.

Compressor start bleed system for a turbine system and method of controlling a compressor start bleed system

A method is disclosed for providing a real time, radial exhaust temperature distribution in a gas turbine to improve the understanding of exhaust gas temperature in a manner similar to installing production rakes. The thermocouples are installed along the exhaust frame strut skins at a number of radial positions. The data from the thermocouples along each of the struts is used to produce a normalized radial profile of the turbine exhaust temperature. The existing turbine station instrumentation is then used to expand the normalized profile into an actual profile of the turbine exhaust temperature. The calculations/transfer functions for temperatures are obtained from data collected during performance testing with full rakes. This profile is integrated to determine a bulk Tx to improve gas turbine controls including model-based controls or corrected parameter controls (MBC/CPC) controls, or specific radial temperatures are used, to provide protective action for bucket platforms, or other turbine components.

Exhaust strut radial temperature measurement

Systems and methods for controlling the startup of a gas turbine are described. A gas discharge component may be configured to discharge gas from a compressor component associated with the gas turbine. A fuel control component may be configured to control a fuel flow provided to a combustor component associated with the gas turbine. A drive component may be configured to supply a rotational force to a shaft associated with the gas turbine. At least one control device may be configured to (i) direct the gas discharge component to discharge gas from the compressor component, (ii) direct the fuel control component to adjust the fuel flow, and (iii) direct the drive component to rotate the shaft.

Systems and methods for controlling the startup of a gas turbine

Systems and methods for model based steam flow control to and/or through a steam turbine component are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes: at least one computing device configured to control a steam flow in a power generation system by performing actions comprising: generating a flow model for the steam flow based at least in part on operational data about the steam flow in the power generation system; and adjusting a characteristic of the steam flow based upon the flow model.

Steam flow control system

A method of delivering a purge flow through a gas turbomachine includes generating a purge flow, guiding the purge flow through at least one of a combustor assembly and a turbine portion of the gas turbomachine, determining a cumulative purge volume passing through the one of the combustor assembly and the turbine portion of the gas turbomachine to determine a predetermined purge volume, and discontinuing the purge flow once the predetermined purge volume has passed through the one of the combustor assembly and the turbine portion of the gas turbomachine.

Method for meeting a purge flow requirement for a power plant and a power plant having a purge control system

A system and method for startup control of a gas turbine is disclosed. The system and method includes defining a target startup time for the startup of the gas turbine and determining a remaining time to achieve the target startup time. The system and method includes monitoring at least one parameter associated with the startup and determining a first operating point for the parameter. The system and method adjusts the first operating point for the parameter to a second operating point based at least in part on the remaining time for the startup. The system and method controls an effector based on the second operating point for the parameter.

System and method for gas turbine startup control

Embodiments of the present invention employ a closed loop controls philosophy, which actively controls the starting means of a powerplant machine, throughout the start-up process. Here, the present invention may provide a method for adjusting a nominal operating schedule of the starting means, which may have the form of a Load Commutated Inverter (LCI). Embodiments of the method may adjust the nominal operating schedule based, in part, on an operating parameter, which is associated with the gas turbine. The operating parameter may include, but is not limited to: a rotor speed, a desired start-up time, or the like. Here, the control system may receive data on the operating parameter associated with the gas turbine.

Method for starting a turbomachine

Systems and methods for controlling fuel flow to a turbine component are provided. One or more parameters associated with a fuel flow to a turbine component may be monitored. The fuel flow may be modeled based at least in part on the one or more monitored parameters. The fuel flow may be adjusted to a target flow based at least in part on the modeling of the fuel flow.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

David August Snider