General Electric Company

Joseph Kirzhner

Kenneth Damon Black

Gregory Allan Crum

Jason Allen Seale

Matthieu Paul Frederic Vierling

Denis Michel Martin

Nicolas Pourron

In operating a gas turbine, there can be a difference between the desired heating value of the fuel and the actual needs of the fuel for the supplied fuel to be ignited. In one aspect, fuel parameters related to the molecular weight of the fuel such as specific gravity and pressure drop are determined. Ignitability of the fuel is calculated based on the fuel parameters and adjusted as necessary to bring the fuel's ignitability to designed values. The fuel's ignitability can be calculated without actually igniting the fuel and also without direct knowledge of the fuel's calorific value or its composition.

Method, apparatus and system for igniting wide range of turbine fuels

A combined cycle power plant includes a compressor, a first turbine, a second turbine, a first combustor, a second combustor, a heat exchanger and a heat recovery steam generator. A controller operates the combined cycle power plant a first mode wherein compressor air is passed through the heat exchanger before being delivered to the first and second combustors, and exhaust gas from the second turbine is passed to the heat exchanger. The exhaust gas from the second turbine pre-heats the compressor air passing through the heat exchanger to the first and second combustors.

Reheat gas and exhaust gas regenerator system for a combined cycle power plant

A blade tip clearance probe holder including: a first housing in operable communication with a first feature of a casing for a rotary machine; a spring rod assembly in operable communication with the first housing; an electrical capacitance clearance meter in operable communication with the spring rod assembly; and a second housing in operable communication with the first housing wherein the second housing initiates a preload on the spring rod assembly and wherein the electrical capacitance clearance meter maintains a constant spatial relationship with a second feature of the casing for the rotary machine.

Blade tip clearance probe holder and a method for measuring blade tip clearance

A method of monitoring a clearance distance between a rotatable member and a stationary member within a rotary machine is provided. The method includes exciting a probe with a first modulation signal when the rotatable member is rotating at less than or equal to a predetermined rate, exciting the probe with a second modulation signal when the rotatable member is rotating at greater than the predetermined rate, measuring the clearance distance between the rotatable member and the stationary member using the probe excited with at least one of the first modulation signal and the second modulation signal.

Methods and apparatus for measuring rotating machine clearances

A method of measuring a clearance distance between a first member and a stationary member is provided. The method includes measuring the clearance distance using a first probe that is removably coupled at least partially within a mounting adapter, determining a first probe calibration based on the measured clearance distance, measuring a gauge clearance distance using a second probe, and modifying the first probe calibration based on the gauge clearance distance.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Joseph Kirzhner