General Electric Company

Michael William Horner

William R Hines

Padmakar M Niskode

Edward E Ekstedt

Gilbert Henry Badeer

William M Farrell

Thomas C Campbell

A method enables a gas turbine engine positioned within a module to be operated. The engine includes an inlet and an exhaust, and the module includes an inlet area, an exhaust area, and an engine area extending therebetween and housing the engine. The exhaust area includes an exhaust duct and an outlet. The engine is operated such that inlet air is routed through the module inlet and into the engine inlet, wherein exhaust gases are discharged through the module exhaust duct and substantially perpendicularly from the gas turbine engine. The exhaust gases are discharged from the module outlet in a direction that is at least ninety degrees offset from exhaust gases flowing within the exhaust duct. Cooling fluid is discharged from the module engine area through a cooling system exhaust, such that the discharged fluid flows through the cooling system exhaust and around the module exhaust area.

Methods and apparatus for exhausting gases from gas turbine engines

A gas turbine engine including in-line intercooling wherein compressor intercooling is achieved without removing the compressor main flow airstream from the compressor flowpath is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a gas turbine engine suitable for use in connection with in-line intercooling includes a low pressure compressor, a high pressure compressor, and a combustor. The engine also includes a high pressure turbine, a low pressure turbine, and a power turbine. For intercooling, fins are located in an exterior surface of the compressor struts in the compressor flowpath between the outlet of the low pressure compressor and the inlet of the high pressure compressor. Coolant flowpaths are provided in the compressor struts, and such flowpaths are in flow communication with a heat exchanger. In operation, air flows through the low pressure compressor, and compressed air is supplied from the low pressure compressor to the high pressure compressor. The fins increase the heat transfer area between the gas turbine main compressor airflow and the coolant flow in the struts. Specifically, the flowpaths in the struts serve as heat sinks for cooling the high temperature compressor mainstream flow. The cooled airflow is supplied to the inlet of the high pressure compressor, and the highly compressed air is delivered to the combustor. Airflow from the combustor drives the high pressure turbine, the low pressure turbine, and the power turbine. Waste heat is captured by the boilers, and the heat from the boilers in the form of steam is delivered to upstream components. The steam could, alternatively, be delivered to a steam turbine or to other equipment.

Gas turbine in-line front frame strut

Gas turbine in-line intercooler

Gas turbine engines working on an inverted Brayton cycle (IBC) which provides increased power output at a same fuel flow as is currently used in some other known cycles (e.g., air bottoming cycle) are described. In one embodiment, the engine includes a compressor coupled by a first shaft to a high pressure turbine. A combustor is located in the flow intermediate the compressor and high pressure turbine. A free wheeling power turbine is located downstream of the high pressure turbine, and the power turbine is coupled to a load by a second shaft. The flow from the power turbine is supplied, e.g., via ducts, to an axial turbine coupled to an axial compressor by a third shaft. A heat exchanger is located in the flow intermediate the axial turbine and axial compressor. In operation, the working fluid (e.g., air) is compressed by the compressor, and the compressed air is injected into the combustor which heats the air causing it to expand. The expanded air is forced through the high pressure turbine and the expanded air is supplied to the power turbine. Energy from the power turbine is transferred to the load via the second shaft. At least a portion of the air flow from the power turbine is supplied to the axial turbine which operates as an expander. The expanded air flow is supplied to an inlet of the heat exchanger, where at least a portion of the air flow is cooled from, for example, 600 degrees Fahrenheit to about 89 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooled and expanded air flow is supplied to the compressor, and air from the compressor is discharged into the atmosphere.

Method for operating an engine system including a gas turbine engine, an inverted Brayton cycle apparatus having blow-in doors and blow-out doors for engine protection

A gas turbine engine assembly including a gas turbine engine mounted within a module and including an inlet in flow communication with a module inlet area and a module exhaust area is described. The turbine engine also includes an exhaust, and is mounted within an engine area between the module inlet and exhaust areas. More specifically, the gas turbine engine is mounted such that the engine exhaust is in flow communication with the module exhaust area. Because the module also includes a secondary supply duct, the gas turbine engine is in flow communication with the module inlet and exhaust areas.

Methods and apparatus for supplying air to gas turbine engines

Gas turbine engine with exhaust expander and compressor

A system for cooling hot section components of a gas turbine engine. The cooling system includes a plurality of compressors, or compression train, and an intercooler disposed between each adjacent pair of compressors so as to achieve the desired pressure and temperature of the cooling air at reduced shaft power requirements. The first stage of compression may be provided by the booster, or low pressure compressor, of the engine, with the first intercooler receiving all of the air discharging from the booster. After exiting the first intercooler, a first portion of the booster discharge air is routed to the engine high pressure compressor and a second portion is routed to an inlet of the second compressor of the cooling air compression train. The compressed, cooled air exiting the last, downstream one of the compressors is used for cooling at least a first hot section component of the engine.

Extracted, cooled, compressed/intercooled, cooling/ combustion air for a

A gas turbine engine that includes a steam driven variable speed booster compressor is described. In one embodiment, the engine includes a low pressure turbine and a booster compressor rotatable on a low pressure shaft. The engine further includes a high pressure compressor, a high pressure combustor, and a high pressure turbine rotatable on a high pressure (HP) shaft and forming the core engine. The output of the low pressure compressor is supplied to an intercooler, and the output of the intercooler is supplied to the high pressure compressor. The engine further includes a power turbine downstream of the high pressure turbine, and the power turbine is coupled to a generator by a shaft. The output exhaust of the power turbine is supplied to an exhaust heat boiler, and steam output by the boiler is supplied to, and drives, the low pressure turbine. Steam from the boiler may also be supplied to the high pressure combustor and to the power turbine. Since the steam is generated from the power turbine exhaust heat, the amount of steam flow can be independently varied from the gas turbine engine primary conditions, consistent of course with the gas turbine exhaust flow/temperature limitations.

Steam driven variable speed booster compressor for gas turbine

A cospander for extending the high efficiency range of a turbine engine is described. A cospander, in one aspect, is a turbomachinery device including at least one stage wherein stator vane and rotor blade rows are continuously variable to an extent that each stage can be operated in compression, expansion, or null modes depending on the blade and vane angles at any specific operating point. Such a device placed ahead or within a typical compressor has the effect of reducing, increasing, or maintaining the through flow of the primary working fluid. Such flow variation control can be used to achieve the desired overall turbomachinery thermal efficiency improvements over a wider operating range than is otherwise possible. In one specific embodiment, for example, the cospander includes a variable stator vane and a variable pitch rotor blade in series flow relationship.

Variable pitch rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine inlet

Extracted, cooled, compressed/intercooled, cooling/combustion air for a

A combustor dome assembly having a venturi and an auxiliary wall concentric with the venturi to provide an annular passage for channeling or directing a high velocity air jet from a swirler to a combustion chamber associated with a downstream end of the venturi, thereby facilitating the atomization of a film of water flowing along an inner surface of the venturi and out of the downstream end. In an alternative embodiment, a deflector is used (instead of the auxiliary wall) to direct the air flow towards the downstream end. The downstream end of the venturi may have a curved edge to permit the film of water flowing along an inner surface of the venturi to turn substantially perpendicular to the air flowing past the downstream end of the venturi which further enhances atomization of water. The venturi may also comprise a flange which is positioned in operative relationship with the downstream end for increasing the turbulence at the downstream end. In another embodiment, a plurality of holes are provided in the venturi for permitting natural gas to pass through the venturi and into the annular passage where it can be premixed with swirling air before being introduced to the combustion chamber.

Apparatus and method for atomizing water in a combustor dome assembly

A powerplant comprising a compressor for producing a downstream fluid flow, a combustor downstream of the compressor, a turbine downstream of the combustor, a power turbine downstream and adjacent the turbine, and a duct region which receives at least a portion of the fluid output of the power turbine. A reformer is positioned downstream and is coupled to the duct region and the reformer has a fuel outlet which is coupled to the combustor.

Chemically recuperated gas turbine

An improved cooling system for a gas turbine is disclosed. A plurality of V-shaped notch weirs are utilized to meter a coolant liquid from a pool of coolant into a plurality of platform and air foil coolant channels formed in the buckets of the turbine. The V-shaped notch weirs serve to desensitize the flow of coolant into the individual platform and air foil coolant channels to design tolerances and non-uniform flow distribution.

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West Chester, OH, United States of America

Michael William Horner