General Electric Company

Robert Paul Coleman

Curtis Lee Brown

Stephen Rex Payling

Nicholas Damlis

James William Stegmaier

James Michael Placko

Mark S Rocklin

Lautaro Aspiazu Montgomery

A method for operating a gas turbine engine including a high pressure compressor, a variable inlet guide vane assembly and a water injection apparatus for injecting water into a flow of the engine is provided. The method comprises transmitting engine operating parameters including a temperature of the gas flow at an outlet of the high pressure compressor, T3, to an engine controller, using the controller to regulate a flow of water injected into the gas flow and to adjust a relative position of the inlet guide vane assembly until engine full power is about reached as determined by a pre-defined T3 operating parameter limit, and adjusting the controller to then facilitate operation of the engine with an increased output without exceeding the pre-defined T3 operating parameter limit.

Methods for operating gas turbine engines

Control systems and methods for controlling injection of water into a turbine engine are described. In an exemplary embodiment, the water injection system includes a plurality of nozzles for injecting water into a gas flow through the engine, a water source, a water manifold, a water supply line extending from the water source to the water manifold, a water metering valve for controlling flow through the water supply line, an air manifold, an air flow pipe coupled to the high pressure compressor and to the air manifold, a plurality of air feeder tubes extending from the air manifold to the nozzles, and a plurality of water feeder tubes extending from the water manifold to the nozzles.

Control systems and methods for water injection in a turbine engine

A method is provided for operating a gas turbine engine that includes a high pressure compressor and a water injection apparatus for injecting water into a flow of the engine upstream from the high pressure compressor. The method includes the steps of operating the engine without injecting water into the gas flow of the engine, injecting water at a first flow rate into the gas flow for power augmentation once engine full power is about reached, and injecting water into the engine at an increased second flow rate for evaporative cooling of engine components downstream from the high pressure compressor.

Methods and apparatus for injecting water into a turbine engine are described. In one embodiment, water injection apparatus is provided for injecting water into the gas flow through the engine, e.g., at a high pressure and/or low pressure compressor inlet. The water injection apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles arranged so that water injected into the gas flow by the nozzles results in substantially uniformly reducing the temperature of the gas flow at the high pressure compressor outlet.

Methods and apparatus for water injection in a turbine engine

Precompressor and pre-booster water spray injection apparatus and methods are described. In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of nozzles are configured so that water injected into the gas flow to the high pressure compressor provides substantially uniform radial and circumferential temperature reductions at the outlet of the high pressure compressor.

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Fairfield, OH, United States of America

Robert Paul Coleman