General Electric Company

Howard Jay Kaplan

Robert Joseph Iasillo

David Martin Johnson

Gregory James Hampson

Kevin Jon O'Dell

Robert Scott Traver

Steven Patrick Junquera

Christopher David Miller

David Francis Acquavella

Kevin Joseph Prowse

Thomas Edward Wickert

Troy Joseph Schroeder

Christopher John Morawski

George Raymond Hubschmitt

John E Drazba

Joel Thomas Stimpson

A system for cooling at least one gas turbine liquid fuel component located in a high temperature environment to eliminate coking in the component is disclosed. The system includes a sleeve surrounding the liquid fuel component, a device for providing a current of cool air, and a conduit connected between the cool air device and the sleeve to direct the current of cool air into the sleeve to cool the liquid fuel component. The system can also include a manifold connected to the conduit and a plurality of second conduits for connecting the manifold to a plurality of sleeves surrounding a plurality of liquid fuel components, each sleeve being connected to a corresponding second conduit. Each sleeve includes a plurality of spacing devices for centering the sleeve around the at least one liquid fuel component so as to form an annulus between the sleeve and the liquid fuel component through which the current of cool air flows. The system can alternatively use a supply of cool liquid pumped by a pump through a conduit adjacent to a liquid fuel component to cool the component.

Cooling of liquid fuel components to eliminate coking

The clearance control system includes a closed air circuit having a heat exchanger, a circulation compressor and an air heater in series for flowing air heated or cooled to higher and lower system-set discharge temperatures in the casing of rotating machinery to expand or contract the casing, respectively, to maintain optimum clearances between the rotating blade tips and the casing. At start-up, the air heater is energized to supply heated air to and expand the casing. During start-up and subsequent to this initial phase, the air heater is deenergized and the air cooling system is actuated by closing a heat exchanger bypass valve and opening a shutoff valve, enabling the air to be cooled in the heat exchanger. By controlling the flow of coolant to the heat exchanger, the lower set discharge temperature of the air exiting the circulation compressor can be regulated during steady-state operation to maintain the casing contracted for optimal clearance.

System for controlling clearance between blade tips and a surrounding casing in rotating machinery

A liquid fuel purge system is disclosed for flushing liquid fuel from the combustion chambers of a gas turbine. The liquid purge system includes a three-way valve to pass liquid fuel and, alternatively, purge air to the combustion chambers. The gas turbine may operate on liquid fuel or gaseous fuel. When the turbine is switched to burn gaseous fuel, the liquid fuel remaining in the liquid fuel system is flushed by purge air provided by a liquid fuel purge system.

Liquid fuel and water injection purge systems and method for a gas turbine having a three-way purge valve

Compressor discharge air flows through a heat exchanger in heat exchange relation with cooling water and is supplied at reduced temperature in atomizing air and purge modes to combustors in a dual-fuel gas turbine. The heat exchanger has a pair of bypass passages in parallel with a temperature regulating valve controlling flow of water through the heat exchanger in response to the temperature of the compressor discharge air exiting the heat exchanger. Should the flow control valve close in response to low temperature of the compressor discharge air, in the air atomizing mode, the bypass passages with orifices therein provide a minimum protective flow of cooling water to the heat exchanger. In the purge mode where only half the air flow and heat rejection is required in the heat exchanger and the flow control valve closes, a bypass valve in one of the bypass passages closes to enable reduced flow of cooling water through the heat exchanger.

Dual orifice bypass system for dual-fuel gas turbine

A purge system is disclosed for flushing liquid fuel and water from the combustion section of a gas turbine system as well as for providing continuous cooling of the nozzles. The gas turbine may operate on liquid fuel or gaseous fuel. When the turbine is switched to burn gaseous fuel, the liquid fuel remaining in the liquid fuel system is flushed by a liquid fuel purge system. Similarly, water in the water injection system is purged from nozzles in the combustion system by a water purge system. The purge system operates in conjunction with an air atomization system, but does not rely on an atomizing air compressor to boost the pressure of the purge air. Instead, the purge system utilizes pressurized air from the gas turbine compressor and directs the purge air to manifolds which distribute air to the atomizing air passages, liquid fuel nozzles, and water injection nozzles via purge valves and soft purge valves.

Liquid fuel and water injection purge system for a gas turbine

A positive displacement pump supplies a low lubricity liquid fuel through a main supply line to the combustors of a turbine. A pressure transducer and a flow meter are provided in the main fuel supply line. The fuel is supplied to a pressure compensated fuel delivery valve which divides the fuel equally among the combustors and affords pressure compensation. A controller is responsive to the pressure in the main fuel supply line to control a bypass pressure valve to supply fuel in the main supply line at a predetermined pressure. The controller also controls the total volume of fuel flow rate through the pressure compensated fuel delivery valve responsive to the flow meter. In another form, a centrifugal pump supplies fuel to the pressure compensated fuel delivery valve. A controller responsive to the flow meter in the main supply line controls the total fuel flow rate to the valve which divides the fuel equally among the combustors at equal flow rates.

Growing community of inventors

Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Howard Jay Kaplan