Capstone Turbine Corporation

Guillermo Pont

Jeffrey W Willis

Bruce L Alder, Jr

Mark G Gilbreth

Edward C Edelman

Robert D McKeirnan, Jr

James Brian Dickey

Ed Edelman

Benjamin E Toby

Gunther Linzner

Joel B Wacknov

Simon Wall

Paul Berner

Brian Dickey

Jeffery W Willis

The invention provides integrated turbogenerators having a turbine wheel, a compressor impeller, and a motor generator mounted to or mechanically constrained to a common shaft, and improved components and configurations thereof.

Integrated turbine power generation system with catalytic reactor

Upon shutdown of a liquid fuel turbine engine, the liquid fuel supply is turned off and compressed air is passed through the fuel lines and fuel injectors to purge all remaining liquid fuel into the combustion chamber to be combusted therein.

Combustion system with shutdown fuel purge

In an integrated turbogenerator system having an air intake for a compressor to supply combustion air to a combustor, an electric brake device such as a resistor is connected to the electrical power output of the turbogenerator and is situated in the air intake to be cooled by the stream of combustion air flowing into the intake. When load transients require unloading excess electrical power produced by the turbogenerator, the brake resistor is supplied with at least part of the excess electrical power to create heat energy and thereby heat the in-flowing combustion air to lower the combustor efficiency, turbogenerator power produced, and excess electric power to be unloaded. An algorithm may be provided for controlling the turbogenerator speed deceleration rate to maintain the brake resistor at or near a physical temperature limit.

Turbogenerator with electrical brake

A low emissions combustion system with a plurality of tangential fuel injectors to introduce a fuel/air mixture at the combustor dome end of an annular combustion chamber in two spaced injector planes. Each of the spaced injector planes includes multiple tangential fuel injectors delivering premixed fuel and air into the annular combustor. A generally skirt-shaped flow control baffle extends from the tapered inner liner into the annular combustion chamber downstream of the fuel injector planes. A plurality of air dilution holes in the tapered inner liner underneath the flow control baffle introduce dilution air into the annular combustion chamber while another plurality of air dilution holes in the cylindrical outer liner introduces more dilution air downstream from the flow control baffle.

Gas turbine engine having a multi-stage multi-plane combustion system

Combustion method

Multi-stage multi-plane combustion system for a gas turbine engine

A system and method for modular control of a multi-fuel turbogenerator include separate controllers for controlling fuel supplied to the combustor and power output from the generator. The power controller generates a fuel command based on the required turbine exhaust temperature, where the fuel command is independent of the particular fuel being used. Fuels may include natural gas, diesel, propane, waste gas, or gasoline, for example. The power controller communicates the fuel command and the airflow or calculated air/fuel ratio to the fuel controller which selects an appropriate mode of operation for the injectors. Injector operating modes include one or more pilot modes where fuel is not mixed with air prior to combustion, and one or more premix modes where fuel is highly mixed with air prior to combustion. The fuel controller implements closed-loop feedback control of a fuel metering device and controls the fuel injectors in the appropriate operating mode based on the fuel command, the energy content of the fuel being used, and the air/fuel ratio.

System and method for modular control of a multi-fuel low emissions turbogenerator

A low emissions combustion system for a gas turbine engine, including a generally annular combustor with a plurality of tangential fuel injectors to introduce a fuel/air mixture. The annular combustor includes a skirt shaped flow control baffle from the inner liner and air dilution holes in the inner liner underneath the flow control baffle and also in the cylindrical outer liner. The fuel injectors extend through the recuperator housing and into the combustor through an angled tube and then through a tangential guide in the cylindrical outer liner of the combustor housing. The fuel injectors generally comprise an elongated injector tube with the outer end including a coupler having at least one fuel inlet tube. Compressed combustion air is provided to the interior of the elongated injector tube from either holes or slits therein which receive compressed air from the angled tube around the fuel injector which is open to the space between the recuperator housing and the combustor.

Low emissions combustion system for a gas turbine engine

A low emissions combustion system for a gas turbine engine, including a generally annular combustor with a plurality of tangential fuel injectors to introduce a fuel/air mixture. The annular combustor includes a skirt shaped flow control baffle from the inner liner and air dilution holes in the inner liner underneath the flow control baffle and also in the cylindrical outer liner. The fuel injectors extend through the recuperator housing and into the combustor through an angled tube and then through a tangential guide in the cylindrical outer liner of the combustor housing. The fuel injectors generally comprise an elongated injector tube with the outer end including a coupler having at least one fuel inlet tube. Compressed combustion air is provided to the interior of the elongated injector tube from either holes or slits therein which receive compressed air from the angled tube around the fuel injector which is open to the space between the recuperator housing and the combustor. Flame stabilization occurs outside the injector tube at full power and flashback occurs such the flame stabilization occurs within the injector tube at low power.

Low emissions combustion system for a gas turbine engine employing flame

A low emissions combustion system for a gas turbine engine, including a generally annular combustor with a plurality of tangential fuel injectors (14) to introduce a fuel/air mixture. The annular combustor includes a skirt shaped flow control baffle (48) from the inner liner and air dilution holes (50-54) in the inner liner underneath the flow control baffle and also in the cylindrical outer liner. The fuel injectors (14) extend through the recuperator housing and into the combustor through an angled tube and then through a tangential guide in the cylindrical outer liner of the combustor housing. The fuel injectors generally comprise an elongated injector tube with the outer end including a coupler having at least one fuel inlet tube. Compressed combustion air is provided to the interior of the elongated injector tube from either holes or slits therein which receive compressed air from the angled tube around the fuel injector which is open to the space between the recuperator housing and the combustor.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Guillermo Pont