Sundstrand Corporation

Capstone Turbine Corporation

Other

Steven W Lampe

Edward C Edelman

Robert W Bosley

Jack R Shekleton

Brian W Peticolas

Ronald F Miller

Paul A Schuh

Timothy David

Joel B Wacknov

Robert W Smith

Matthew J Stewart

Malcolm J McArthur

Dennis H Weissert

Kourosh Mehr-Ayin

Sven B Sjoberg

Alan Greubel

Ashley W Timmis

A power control system for a turbogenerator which provides electrical power to one or more pump-jack oil wells. When the induction motor of a pump-jack oil well is powered by three-phase utility power, the speed of the pump-jack shaft varies only slightly over the pumping cycle but the utility power requirements can vary by four times the average pumping power. This power variation makes it impractical to power a pump-jack oil well with a stand-alone turbogenerator controlled by a conventional power control system. This power control system comprises a turbogenerator inverter, a load inverter, and a central processing unit which controls the frequency and voltage/current of each inverter. Throughout the oil well's pumping cycle, the central processing unit increases or decreases the frequency of the load inverter in order to axially accelerate and decelerate the masses of the down hole steel pump rods and oil, and to rotationally accelerate and decelerate the masses of the motor rotors and counter balance weights. This allows kinetic energy to be alternately stored in and extracted from the moving masses of the oil well and allows the oil pumping power to be precisely controlled throughout the pumping cycle, resulting in a constant turbogenerator power requirement.

Turbogenerator power control system

A helical flow compressor used to supply gaseous fuel to a turbogenerator is equipped with an inlet throttling valve. The inlet throttling valve maintains the outlet pressure of the compressor at a preselected value.

Helical flow compressor/turbine permanent magnet motor/generator

A power control system for a turbogenerator which provides electrical power to pump-jack oil well. When the induction motor of a pump-jack is powered by three-phase utility power, the speed of the shaft varies only slightly over the pumping cycle but the utility power requirements can vary by four times the average pumping power. This variation makes it impractical to power a pump-jack oil well with a stand-alone turbogenerator controlled by a conventional power control system. This control system comprises a turbogenerator inverter, a load inverter, and a central processing unit which controls the frequency and voltage/current of each inverter. Throughout the pumping cycle, the processing unit increases or decreases the frequency of the load inverter in order to axially accelerate and decelerate the masses of the down hole pump rods and oil, and to rotationally accelerate and decelerate the motor rotors and counter balance weights. This allows kinetic energy to be alternately stored in and extracted from the moving masses of the oil well and allows the pumping power to be precisely controlled, resulting in a constant turbogenerator power requirement.

A reciprocating engine generator set and a permanent magnet turbogenerator/motor integrated into a single power generation package. Control means are provided to: (a) select between a load control mode of operation, a load following mode of operation, or a peak shaving mode of operation for the permanent magnet turbogenerator/motor when utility grid power is available to the load; (b) to start the reciprocating engine electric generator when utility grid power is unavailable; and (c) to start the permanent magnet turbogenerator/motor with power from the reciprocating engine electric generator when utility grid power is unavailable.

Integrated reciprocating engine generator set and turbogenerator system and method

A liquid fuel pressurization and control system is disclosed which utilizes either a helical flow pump, or a helical flow pump followed by a gear pump, to pressurize liquid fuel to precisely the pressure level required by a turbogenerator's combustor injectors. This eliminates the need to overpressurize the fuel then regulate the fuel pressure down using a flow control valve or a pressure control valve. The shaft torque and shaft speed of the pump are controlled by the turbogenerator's power controller so as to assure that the turbogenerator's speed is precisely controlled (e.g. within ten (10) rpm out of one hundred thousand (100,000) rpm), and that its turbine exhaust temperature is precisely controlled (e.g. within two (2) degrees Fahrenheit out of twelve hundred (1200) degrees Fahrenheit) over the full range of turbogenerator electrical output power. The system also provides cool, high pressure air to assist atomization of the liquid fuel in the injectors utilizing a variable speed helical flow compressor. The system also adjusts the relative fuel flow through the multiple fuel injectors to aid flame stability at low turbogenerator speeds and low output power levels.

Liquid fuel pressurization and control method

Liquid fuel pressurization and control system

A hydraulic start system is provided having separate, sequentially started hydraulic motors for the controller PMG and for the gas turbine engine starter. Fluid pressure is provided by a hydraulic accumulator to both motors through separating valves. The PMG motor is supplied with fluid first and that drives the PMG to power up and initialize the controller before the starter motor is utilized. The engine itself is coupled to both the starter motor and the PMG through overrunning clutches such that starting the PMG does not start the engine. Once the controller is initialized, fluid is provided to the starter motor and the engine is accelerated through the light-off window and up to a self sustaining speed. As the engine accelerates, it couples with and drives the PMG, decoupling the PMG from its hydraulic motor and shutting off the fluid flow to that motor. Since the controller is fully initialized as the engine reaches the light-off window, effective ignition can occur and stable combustion is available thereafter.

Starting system for a gas turbine engine

Lean flameout upon ignition in a turbine system including a turbine wheel (10) driven by motive gases including gases of combustion from a combustor (20) may be avoided by locating an orifice (130) downstream of the servo/.DELTA.P valve (52) that controls fuel flow to the fuel inlet (22) of the combustor (20).

Method for preventing lean flaeout at ignition of a stored energy system

A power generating unit in accordance with the present invention comprises a pressurized gas source (44) providing pressurized gas containing oxygen to be used in combustion of a fuel; a combustor (42) for providing pressurized gas produced by combustion of a mixture of the pressurized gas provided to the combustor by the pressurized gas source and fuel provided to the combustor by a fuel supply (48); a first turbine (68) driven by pressurized gas produced by the combustor; a gear box (70) driven by the turbine having an output shaft (72); a fuel pump (46) disposed within the fuel supply having a pair of input shafts (64 and 76) for providing pressurized fuel to the combustor in response to rotation of either of the input shafts; a motor (58) coupled to the pressurized gas source having a drive shaft (60) which rotates in response to the pressurized gas applied from the gas source; and a coupling mechanism (62 and 74), coupled to the shafts, for applying driving torque to the fuel pump during rotation of the pressurized gas to the combustor from the input shaft which is rotating at a higher velocity.

Power unit fuel pressurization system

Improved control over the production of motive gas applied by a nozzle (16) to a turbine wheel (10) may be achieved by a method of (a) supplying fuel to a combustor (20), (b) simultaneously with the performance of step (a), supply insufficient oxidant for the fuel through a path (90) to the combustor (20), and (c) simultaneously with steps (a) and (b), supplying additional oxidant sufficient to effect desired combusiton of the fuel to the combustor (20) via a path (92) and at a variable rate.

Stored energy system for driving a turbine wheel

An aircraft auxiliary power system using a turbine to provide rotational power to a gearbox having coupled to it electric generators and pumps. Between the gearbox and turbine a clutch is provided. The clutch is disengaged when the turbine is started, thus reducing drag on the turbine shaft during starting, and the clutch is engaged after the turbine is started to provide rotational power to the coupled electric generators and pumps.

Clutch to disconnect loads during turbine start-up

In order to control engine operation by exhaust gas measurement, while avoiding operating conditions that exceed the safe maximum temperature limit, a gas turbine engine (10) includes a thermocouple temperature probe (28). The gas turbine engine (10) has a rotary compressor (12), a turbine wheel (14) coupled to the compressor (12) for driven movement thereof, and an annular nozzle (16) proximate the turbine wheel (14) for directing gases of combustion at the turbine wheel (14). It also includes an annular combustor (18) defining an annular combustion space (20) disposed about the turbine wheel (14) and in fluid communication with both the compressor (12) and the nozzle (16). The combustor (18) receives fuel from a source and air from the compressor (12) and it combusts fuel and air in the combustion space (20) to generate the gases of combustion. It further includes an exhaust duct (22) leading from the turbine wheel (14) for exhausting the gases of combustion generated in the combustion space (20) after the gases of combustion have been directed at the turbine wheel (14) by the annular nozzle (16). The exhaust duct (22) directs the gases of combustion axially away from the turbine wheel (14) substantially centered about a centerline (26) thereof. With this arrangement, the thermocouple temperature probe (28) is adapted to measure a mean temperature for the gases of combustion substantially at the centerline of the exhaust duct (22).

Turbine temperature exhaust monitoring system

Improved control over the production of motive gas applied by a nozzle (16) to a turbine wheel (10) may be achieved by a method of (a) supplying fuel to a combustor (20), (b) simultaneously with the performance of step (a), supply insufficient oxidant for the fuel through a path (90) to the combustor (20), and (c) simultaneously with steps (a) and (b), supplying additional oxidant sufficient to effect desired combustion of the fuel to the combustor (20) via a path (92) and at a variable rate.

A fuel and air control system (10, 100) for a power unit which produces output power from a turbine which rotates in response to pressurized gas provided by a combustor (12) which combusts fuel which is injected into the combustor by a primary fuel injector (14) to produce the pressurized gas cooled by fuel injected into the combustor by a secondary fuel injector (16) in accordance with the invention includes a fuel control valve (30) coupled to a source of fuel which controls a combined fuel flow through a fuel flow path (32) from the control valve to the injectors in response to a fuel flow control signal; an air control valve (44) coupled to an air source which controls a mass flow of air through an airflow path to the combustor in response to an airflow control signal; and a controller (34), providing the control signals, for causing the valves to produce flows resulting in a constant air/fuel ratio in the combustor during combustion when the fuel flow and air flow are varied under control of the controller.

Constant air/fuel ratio control system for EPU/IPU combustor

An airframe power unit for producing a power output in accordance with the invention includes a combustor (16) having a fuel injector (58) which injects fuel into the combustor which is combusted to form a gas stream (18); a turbine (12) driven by the gas stream from the combustor for producing the power output; an air supply (20) for providing pressurized gas containing oxygen blown down from a storage vessel (22) to the combustor which is used in the combusting of the fuel; a valve (24) disposed in the gas supply which controls a rate of supply of gas to the combustor in response to the control signal applied to the valve to cause the turbine to operate with a constant operational characteristic; a control for providing at least one control value (P.sub.S and S.sub.S) with each value specifying a desired operational parameter for use in producing the constant operational characteristic; a sensor (31 or 68) for sensing at least one operational parameter of the turbine; a difference circuit (32, 204, 404 or 504 ) for producing the control signal as a function of a difference of at least one control value and a corresponding sensed operational parameter; and a fuel control (50) for controlling the rate of injection of fuel by the fuel injector into the combustor.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Steven W Lampe