The subject matter disclosed herein relates to fuel delivery systems of turbine assemblies, and more particularly to purging fuel therein.
Gas turbines used for power generation employ either gas fuel (e.g., natural gas, syngas, etc.) or liquid fuel, such as distillate oil or Naphtha. Some gas turbines run exclusively on gas fuel and some run exclusively on liquid fuel, while others operate with a liquid fuel backup. In this case, the liquid fuel is not used for startups or shutdowns. Yet other turbines, known as dual fuel turbines utilize liquid fuel and gas fuel, with either the liquid fuel or the gas furl serving as a primary fuel.
For gas turbines operating on liquid fuel or as a dual fuel unit, liquid fuel coking and carbon deposition are fundamental issues that impact the reliability and availability of the units. Coke formation is a cause of system failures, as the coke may clog check valves, distributor valves, fuel nozzles, and liquid fuel tubing. Approximate coke formation temperatures for distillate are 250° F. in the presence of oxygen and 350° F. with no oxygen present. Coking mitigation strategies used today include liquid fuel recirculation, N2 purge systems, air purge systems, and water cooled check valves. While these methods have certain degrees of effectiveness against coke formation, some are expensive, while others are not entirely reliable in removing coke subsequent to its formation.
According to one aspect of the invention, a fuel purging system for a turbine assembly includes a fuel delivery system. The fuel delivery system includes a fuel source for providing a fuel to the turbine assembly, a control valve for regulating a fuel flow of the fuel, a flow divider for selectively distributing the fuel to at least one combustor, and a combustor valve located upstream of the at least one combustor. The fuel purging system also includes a steam source for distributing a steam to the fuel delivery system at a location upstream of the combustor valve.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of purging fuel from a turbine assembly includes providing a fuel delivery system having a fuel supply and a combustor valve located upstream of a combustor. Also included is providing a steam source. Further included is operably connecting the steam source to the fuel delivery system. Yet further included is selectively delivering a steam from the steam source to the fuel delivery system at a location upstream of the combustor valve.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of purging liquid fuel from a turbine assembly includes providing a liquid fuel delivery system having a liquid fuel supply, a liquid fuel control valve, and a combustor valve located upstream of a combustor. Also included is providing a steam delivery system having a steam source and a steam control valve. Further included is operably connecting the steam delivery system to the liquid fuel delivery system. Yet further included is selectively delivering a steam from the steam delivery system to the liquid fuel delivery system at a location upstream of the combustor valve.
These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings.
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In operation, air flows into the compressor 18 and is compressed into a high pressure gas. The high pressure gas is supplied to the combustor 24 and mixed with fuel, for example process gas and/or synthetic gas (syngas). The fuel and compressed air are passed into the combustor 24 and ignited to form a high temperature, high pressure combustion product or air stream that is used to drive the turbine 22. The turbine 22 includes a plurality of rotating assemblies or stages that are operationally connected to the compressor 18 through a compressor/turbine shaft or rotor 25.
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The liquid fuel delivery system 14 includes the liquid fuel source 38, such as a tank, that stores liquid fuel for selective delivery to the turbine compartment 12. The liquid fuel goes through one or more stages of cleaning by passing through a filter 40, such as a strainer, for example, and is then pumped to a required pressure through one or more pumps, illustrated as a first liquid fuel pump 42 and a second liquid fuel pump 43. The liquid fuel may be heated in the fuel delivery system 14 by a heat source 44, a variety of which may be used for the heating purpose. A control valve 46 controls the fuel flow based on turbine assembly 10 conditions and requirements. A flow divider 48 meters the liquid fuel to the combustor 24. A combustor valve 50 provides yet another flow control mechanism prior to actual delivery to the combustor 24. The combustor valve 50 may be a 3-way valve that provides the capability to receive the liquid fuel and distribute the liquid fuel to both the liquid fuel nozzle 34 of the combustor 24 and optionally a liquid fuel recirculation system that delivers liquid fuel back to the liquid fuel source 38.
The turbine assembly 10 also includes a steam delivery system 52 that includes a steam source 54. The steam source 54 may comprise a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), a boiler, or any other suitable structure capable of storing and delivering steam. In the case of a HRSG, the steam may be derived from the low pressure (LP) section, intermediate pressure (IP) section, or high pressure (HP) section, as available. An exemplary embodiment derives steam from the LP section, providing it meets pressure drop requirements at the turbine compartment 12. A steam control valve 56 regulates a steam flow that is selectively delivered to the liquid fuel delivery system 14 via a steam delivery line 58 that is in flow communication with the fuel delivery system 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the steam is delivered to the liquid fuel delivery system 14 at a location downstream of the control valve 46 and upstream of the flow divider 48, and possibly upstream of the second liquid fuel pump 43. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” generally refer to the direction of flow, with respect to either the steam or the liquid fuel.
In operation, for a dual fuel unit, a liquid fuel purge is performed during a turbine assembly 10 shutdown with gas fuel operation. Once the turbine assembly 10 shutdown is initiated, a control system starts reducing load until a predetermined value is reached. At this point, the steam control valve 56 is opened to purge the liquid fuel delivery system 14. The purge removes all residual liquid fuel from the liquid fuel delivery system 14, as well as any coking and carbon deposition that may have occurred during operation. The timing of the steam purge will be designed to perform a certain number of volume sweeps, such that the liquid fuel and any carbon deposit is reduced or eliminated.
For operation during turbine assembly 10 startup, the steam is introduced into the liquid fuel delivery system 14 to remove any residual carbon and liquid fuel and ensures a smooth transition to liquid fuel once the turbine assembly 10 requires such operation.
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Although the method 70 described above refers to a shutdown procedure associated with the turbine assembly 10, it is to be appreciated that a steam purge may be employed during other turbine assembly 10 operations, such as startup and transition between gas fuel and liquid fuel, or vice versa.
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While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.