General Electric Company

Douglas Marti Fortuna

Timothy James Held

Allen Michael Danis

James Neil Cooper

Daniel Lee Durstock

Mark David Durbin

Phillip D Napoli

Gilbert Henry Badeer

Curtis Lee Brown

Ching-Pang Lee

Gary L Leonard

David Orus Fitts

Wenfeng Lu

David Allen Kastrup

Eric John Kress

William C Lippmeier

Richard E Stenger

Paul Edward Sabla

James Anthony Groeschen

Steven Keith Handelsman

Neil S Rasmussen

Mark Patrick Kelsey

Daniel Tyler Jarboe

Jack Willard Smith, Jr

Douglas George Shafer

Shiladitya Mukherjee

William T Houchens

Keith A Williams

Malachi Lawrence, Jr

Eloise Brightwell

Pawel Ziecina

Joseph S Alford

Richard A Duke

Jaroslaw Weronko

Marcin Krzysztof Wachulec

Jakub Roniewicz

Michal Truszczynski

Robert Andrzej Gniazdowski

Piotr Michalec

Pawel Trzepiota

Methods and apparatus to operate a gas turbine engine with hydrogen gas are disclosed. An example combustor nozzle apparatus of a gas turbine engine includes a first circuit to transport a blend of hydrogen gas, inert gas, and/or other combustible gas from a supply to a gas turbine combustor, the blend of hydrogen gas, inert gas, and/or other combustible gas including between 100% hydrogen gas, 100% inert gas, or 100% other combustible gas, a second circuit to transport water from the supply to the gas turbine combustor, and a nozzle tip. The nozzle tip includes a first outlet in connection with the second circuit to provide the water to the gas turbine combustor, and a second outlet in connection with the first circuit, the second outlet concentrically positioned within the first outlet to provide the blend of hydrogen gas, inert gas, and/or other combustible gas to the gas turbine combustor.

Methods and apparatus to operate a gas turbine engine with hydrogen gas

An apparatus and method for a turbine engine including an engine core having a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section, which are arranged to define a stator and rotor. The engine further includes a swirler to increase the rotational speed of the air leaving the stator and entering the interior of the rotor.

Turbine engine with a swirler

A method facilitates operating a gas turbine engine. The method comprises supplying steam to a nozzle, supplying primary fuel to the nozzle, discharging the steam into a combustor from a plurality of circumferentially-spaced steam outlets defined in a tip of the nozzle, and discharging the primary fuel into the combustor from at least one outlet that is spaced circumferentially between the steam outlets.

Methods and apparatus for injecting fluids into a turbine engine

A method of operating a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes discharging pilot fuel into a combustion chamber from a nozzle through at least one pilot fuel outlet defined in a tip of the nozzle, discharging steam from the nozzle through a plurality of steam outlets that are spaced circumferentially about the plurality of pilot fuel outlets, and discharging primary fuel from the nozzle through a plurality of primary fuel outlets that are circumferentially aligned with the plurality of steam outlets. To facilitate mixing the primary fuel with the steam, the primary fuel is discharged from the nozzle tip at an oblique angle with respect to a centerline extending through the nozzle tip.

A method facilitates the assembly of a gas turbine engine. The method comprises providing a turbine nozzle including an inner band, an outer band, and at least one vane extending between the inner and outer bands, wherein the vane includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall connected together at a leading edge and a trailing edge and coupling the turbine nozzle to a combustor that includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced cooling openings that are oriented with respect to the turbine nozzle such that cooling air discharged therefrom during engine operation is biased towards the vane leading edge.

Methods and apparatus for assembling turbine engines

A method enables a gas turbine engine to be assembled. The method comprises coupling a fuel nozzle within the engine to inject fuel into the engine, wherein the fuel nozzle includes three independent injection circuits arranged such that the second injection circuit is between the first and third injection circuits, coupling a liquid fuel source to a first injection circuit defined within the nozzle and including an annular discharge opening, and coupling a water source to one of the second injection circuit and the third injection circuits such that the water source is coupled in flow communication to an annular discharge opening.

Methods and apparatus for reducing gas turbine engine emissions

A nozzle for a gas turbine engine that includes an air circuit, a water circuit, and a swirler that facilitate reducing erosion within the nozzle is described. The air circuit is formed by a first conduit that extends along the nozzle. The water circuit is formed by a second conduit that also extends along the nozzle and is radially inward from the first conduit. Each circuit is in flow communication with a discharge opening. An air swirler adjacent the discharge opening discharges air into water spray exiting the water circuit to facilitate evaporating the water to lower engine operating temperatures.

Methods and apparatus for injecting water into gas turbine engines

A fuel-air mixer for a gas turbine engine combustor having a primary swirler and a venturi that effectively reduces carboning via purge air. Purge air flows axially through the fuel-air mixer forming a boundary layer of air on the inner surface of the venturi. The boundary layer of air minimizes the amount of fuel contacting the inner surface of the venturi resulting in reduced carbon resin or coke formation.

Anti-carboning fuel-air mixer for a gas turbine engine combustor

An operating system includes a fuel and control sub-system which includes a main gas circuit, a start gas circuit, a dual fuel nozzle, and a plurality of metering valves. The fuel and control sub-system is configured to transition the operation of the engine from operating with a start gas having a high heating value to using a main gas having a low heating value. The sub-system is further configured to inject water into the gas turbine and permits a user to adjust an overall fuel heating value to improve flammability limits and avoid regions of combustor acoustics.

Methods and apparatus for operation of gas turbines

A fuel delivery system and method for operating a dual fuel and steam turbine engine that utilizes gas fuel at the engine start phase through a combination of gas and liquid fuel circuits. Gas fuel initially flows through the liquid fuel circuits to a dual fuel and steam nozzle. A boiler connected to the system generates steam, and the steam is supplied to the nozzle to raise the fuel pressure to an acceptable range. The gas fuel is injected into both the liquid and gas fuel circuits and the engine can then operate on either gas or liquid fuel, or any combination thereof.

Fuel delivery systems and method

A one-piece cowl is provided for use in assembled relationship with a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The cowl is of a generally annular configuration which defines a central cowl axis, and is axially elongated and aerodynamically contoured relative to the central cowl axis. In order to provide a vibratory damping function for the cowl, a solid lip of increased thickness is formed at a leading edge of the cowl.

One-piece combustor cowl

A spring biased bearing is slidably mounted within a clevis joint so as to apply a frictional damping force to a flap of a jet engine exhaust nozzle. A forward hinge joint restrains the bearing against rotation with the flap while an aft hinge joint provides for both rotation and translation of the bearing about the flap. A tubular canister may be used with the hinge joint to preset the axial compression and biasing force generated by a coil spring enclosed within the canister.

Vibration damping hinge joints for variable area jet engine exhaust

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Douglas Marti Fortuna