General Electric Company

William R Hines

Michael William Horner

Padmakar M Niskode

William M Farrell

Hsin-Tuan Liu

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

Gas turbine engine with exhaust expander and compressor

Precompressor and pre-booster water spray injection apparatus and methods are described. In an exemplary embodiment, a gas turbine engine suitable for use in connection with water spray injection 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. A water injection apparatus is provided for injecting water into an inlet of the high pressure compressor. The water spray injection apparatus is in flow communication with a water supply, and during engine operation, water is delivered from such supply through the injection apparatus to the inlet of the compressor.

Gas turbine engine with water injection

A gas turbine engine operable so that, in one embodiment, by adjusting the speed of an intercooler fan, the orientation of a variable inlet guide vane, and the orientation of a variable area turbine nozzle, the conditions at the inlet of the high pressure compressor are substantially the same for an ambient air temperature within the range of 59.degree. F. and 100.degree. F. The engine, in one embodiment, includes a low pressure compressor, a high pressure compressor, and an intercooler, including a fan, for cooling air output by the low pressure compressor and supplying the cooled air to the high pressure compressor.

Gas turbine engine having flat rated horsepower

A simple cycle gas turbine engine which includes a variable flow booster, a small high pressure compressor, and a power turbine is described. The variable flow booster, which includes a low pressure compressor, has at least two flow paths. In one embodiment, variable bleed valves, or doors, are used to control air flow through respective booster flow paths. In one embodiment, a first flow path directs air flow around booster compressor to the core engine, and a second flow path directs air flow at least partially through the booster compressor.

Variable size gas turbine engine

The present invention is a variable area turbine nozzle for use in a turbine engine. The variable area turbine nozzle adjusts the positions of its vanes to insure efficient operation of the turbine engine. The vanes rotate about bearing assemblies that are air cooled to extend the operating life of the bearing assemblies. Each vane is cantilevered off journal bearings outside the outer casing which carry moment loads while ball bearings take all radial loads for ease of rotation. This design provides long running time of the turbine nozzles without frequent overhaul.

Variable area turbine nozzle for turbine engines

A bypass flow system for a gas-side air recuperator of a gas turbine engine. Pressurized air from the compressor section of the gas turbine is caused to pass through a pair of heat exchangers arranged in parallel spaced relationship and located in the hot gas stream between the exhaust gas box and the exhaust stack of the gas turbine engine. The space between the heat exchangers comprises a bypass duct for the exhaust gases and is openable and closeable by a butterfly valve. The longitudinal edges of the bypass duct are each provided with a flow divider device extending upstream of the exhaust gas flow by a distance at least equal to the width of the bypass duct. The flow divider devices are mirror images of each other and the forwardmost longitudinal edges thereof are blunt. The inner facing surfaces of the flow divider devices are configured to provide a two dimensional bellmouth entrance to the bypass duct, and the opposite surfaces of the flow divider devices are configured as controlled diffusion surfaces.

Gas-side bypass flow system for the air recuperator of a gas turbine

An integrated turbine and generator includes a power turbine having counter-rotating outer and inner rotor blades extending from respective outer and inner rotors. The outer and inner rotors are supported by stationary front and rear frames. At least one electrical generator includes a field core for creating magnetic poles which is disposed coaxially with an armature for generating electrical power upon relative rotation therebetween. The field core and the armature are disposed coaxially with the outer rotor and radially outwardly therefrom, with one of the field core or armature being fixedly joined to the outer rotor for rotation therewith, and the other one thereof being fixedly joined to the front and rear frames. In a preferred embodiment, a tractor piston is joined to the inner rotor and a pusher piston is joined to the outer rotor and both provided with steam under pressure for generating forward thrust forces thereagainst for balancing aft thrust forces from the outer and inner blades carried through front and rear thrust bearings to the front and rear frames.

Integrated turbine-generator

An industrial gas turbine engine includes in serial flow relationship a booster compressor, core engine, power turbine, and flow channel, with the power turbine having a first shaft, joined to the booster compressor, and an output shaft, and the flow channel having an outlet. Means for selectively varying flow area of the channel outlet are provided for controlling stall margin of the booster compressor in an exemplary embodiment of the engine and method of operation. The flow area varying means is effective for providing a minimum area of the channel outlet for controlling booster compressor stall margin at least at a synchronous speed associated with powering an electrical generator. In one embodiment, the flow area varying means effects a minimum horsepower from the output shaft for allowing lock-on and lock-off of the electrical generator at synchronous speed. In another embodiment of the invention, the flow area varying means is effective for braking the electrical generator during a full power stopcock rollback.

Gas turbine engine for controlling stall margin

An industrial gas turbine engine includes in serial flow relationship a booster compressor, a core engine, a power turbine having a first shaft joined to the booster and an output shaft, and means for independently varying the radially outer and radially inner booster flow areas. The means for independently varying the radially inner and outer booster flow areas can include a dual panel variable booster inlet guide vane assembly having first and second variable vane portions. The vane assembly can include a first variable vane portion rotatably supported with a first vane panel extending in a cantilevered manner adjacent a second vane panel to provide a closely spaced radial clearance therebetween. Varying means can be positioned outward of a casing for independently varying the first and second vane portions. The variable vane assembly can be operable with compressor bleed means or power turbine outlet area varying means. In one embodiment the variable vane assembly can provide a minimum horsepower from the output shaft during unfueled shutdowns or for allowing lock-on and lock-off of an electrical generator at a synchronous speed.

Industrial gas turbine engine with dual panel variable vane assembly

The present invention provides a gas turbine engine with a circumferentially disposed plurality of pivotal flow splitters between compressor sections to bleed off flow and remove particles, particularly ice in the case of an aircraft fan-jet gas turbine engine, by pivoting the leading edge of the splitter into the compressor flow thereby using the total pressure Q of the flow to drive bleed flows overboard and remove particles. In the preferred embodiment the pivotal flow splitter is integral with a booster variable bleed valve (VBV) door, and includes a booster bleed duct means having a bellmouth shaped inducer type inlet to enhance the capture of compressor flow and particle removal

Gas turbine engine variable bleed pivotal flow splitter

A method of operating a dual rotor gas turbine engine includes bypassing a predetermined portion of compressed airflow from a high pressure compressor to downstream of a high pressure turbine first stage nozzle, and increasing core speed of the engine to a value greater than a reference value for improving hot day lapse rate curve and output shaft horsepower. The method steps are performed at least at values of ambient air temperature greater than a first value thereof associated with a reference maximum value of output shaft horsepower, and without increasing high pressure compressor discharge air temperature beyond a maximum value thereof associated with the reference maximum value of the output shaft horsepower. The dual rotor, gas turbine engine includes a preexisting design, aircraft derivative core engine including a high pressure compressor and a high pressure turbine first stage nozzle. A portion of compressed airflow from the high pressure compressor is bypassed to a point downstream of the high pressure turbine first stage nozzle, and core speed is increased for increasing output shaft horsepower of a low pressure turbine without increasing high pressure compressor discharge air temperature beyond a maximum value thereof.

Hot day M & I gas turbine engine and method of operation

A method of operating a gas turbine engine includes providing combustion gases to turbine means, and choking flow of the combustion gases for increasing shaft horsepower in an output shaft while reducing thermal efficiency of the gas turbine engine. The method may also include the step of supercharging the turbine means for further increasing output shaft horsepower. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a gas turbine engine effective for carrying out the method is disclosed. The engine includes an output shaft, compression means, combustion means, turbine means, and diffusion means for diffusing combustion gases discharged from the turbine means for obtaining choked flow for increasing shaft horsepower and reducing thermal efficiency. The compression means is effective for supercharging the turbine means at a predetermined speed of the output shaft for providing increased output shaft horsepower.

Gas turbine engine and method of operation for providing increased

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.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

William R Hines