The present application and the resultant patent relate generally to gas turbine engines and more particularly relate to a variable volume combustor with a lean pre-nozzle fuel injection system using a number of aerodynamically shaped fuel nozzle support struts.
Operational efficiency and the overall output of a gas turbine engine generally increases as the temperature of the hot combustion gas stream increases. High combustion gas stream temperatures, however, may produce higher levels of nitrogen oxides and other types of regulated emissions. A balancing act thus exists between the benefits of operating the gas turbine engine in an efficient high temperature range while also ensuring that the output of nitrogen oxides and other types of regulated emissions remain below mandated levels. Moreover, varying load levels, varying ambient conditions, and many other types of operational parameters also may have a significant impact on overall gas turbine efficiency and emissions.
Lower emission levels of nitrogen oxides and the like may be promoted by providing for good mixing of the fuel stream and the air stream prior to combustion. Such premixing tends to reduce combustion temperature gradients and the output of nitrogen oxides. One method of providing such good mixing is through the use of a combustor with a number of micro-mixer fuel nozzles. Generally described, a micro-mixer fuel nozzle mixes small volumes of the fuel and the air in a number of micro-mixer tubes within a plenum before combustion.
Although current micro-mixer combustors and micro-mixer fuel nozzle designs provide improved combustion performance, the operability window for a micro-mixer fuel nozzle in certain types of operating conditions may be defined at least partially by concerns with dynamics and emissions. Specifically, the operating frequencies of certain internal components may couple so as to create a high or a low frequency dynamics field. Such a dynamics field may have a negative impact on the physical properties of the combustor components as well as the downstream turbine components. Given such, current combustor designs may attempt to avoid such operating conditions by staging the flows of fuel or air to prevent the formation of a dynamics field. Staging seeks to create local zones of stable combustion even if the bulk conditions may place the design outside of typical operating limits in terms of emissions, flammability, and the like. Such staging, however, may require time intensive calibration and also may require operation at less than optimum levels.
There is thus a desire for improved micro-mixer combustor designs. Such improved micro-mixer combustor designs may promote good mixing of the flows of fuel and air therein so as to operate at higher temperatures and efficiency but with lower overall emissions and lower dynamics. Moreover, such improved micro-mixer combustor designs may accomplish these goals without greatly increasing overall system complexity and costs.
The present application and the resultant patent thus provide a combustor for use with a gas turbine engine. The combustor may include a number of fuel nozzles, a pre-nozzle fuel injection system supporting the fuel nozzles, and a linear actuator to maneuver the fuel nozzles and the pre-nozzle fuel injection system.
The present application and the resultant patent further provide a method of operating a combustor in a gas turbine engine. The method may include the steps of supporting a number of fuel nozzles about a number of support struts, flowing a flow of fuel through the support struts to the fuel nozzles, diverting a pre-nozzle flow of fuel from the support struts, flowing a flow of air through the support struts, and mixing the flow of air and the pre-nozzle flow of fuel upstream of the fuel nozzles.
The present application and the resultant patent further provide a combustor for use with a gas turbine engine. The combustor may include a number of micro-mixer fuel nozzles, a number of support struts with a number of fuel injections holes thereon supporting the micro-mixer fuel nozzles, and a linear actuator to maneuver the micro-mixer fuel nozzles and the support struts.
These and other features and improvements of the present application and the resultant patent will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views,
The gas turbine engine 10 may use natural gas, liquid fuels, various types of syngas, and/or other types of fuels and combinations thereof. The gas turbine engine 10 may be any one of a number of different gas turbine engines offered by General Electric Company of Schenectady, New York, including, but not limited to, those such as a 7 or a 9 series heavy duty gas turbine engine and the like. The gas turbine engine 10 may have different configurations and may use other types of components. Other types of gas turbine engines also may be used herein. Multiple gas turbine engines, other types of turbines, and other types of power generation equipment also may be used herein together.
Similar to that described above, the combustor 100 may extend from an end cover 140 at a head end 150 thereof. A liner 160 may surround the cap assembly 130 and the seal 135 with the micro-mixer fuel nozzles 120 therein. The liner 160 may define a combustion zone 170 downstream of the cap assembly 130. The liner 160 may be surrounded by a case 180. The liner 160, the case 180, and a flow sleeve (not shown) may define a flow path 190 therebetween for the flow of air 20 from the compressor 15 or otherwise. The liner 160, the combustion zone 170, the case 180, and the flow path 190 may have any size, shape, or configuration. Any number of the combustors 100 may be used herein in a can-annular array and the like. Other components and other configurations also may be used herein.
The combustor 100 also may be a variable volume combustor 195. As such, the variable volume combustor 195 may include a linear actuator 200. The linear actuator 200 may be positioned about the end cover 140 and outside thereof. The linear actuator 200 may be of conventional design and may provide linear or axial motion. The linear actuator 200 may be operated mechanically, electro-mechanically, piezeo-electrically, pneumatically, hydraulically, and/or combinations thereof. By way of example, the linear actuator 200 may include a hydraulic cylinder, a rack and pinion system, a ball screw, a hand crank, or any type of device capable of providing controlled axial motion. The linear actuator 200 may be in communication with the overall gas turbine controls for dynamic operation based upon system feedback and the like.
The linear actuator 200 may be in communication with the common fuel tube 125 via a drive rod 210 and the like. The drive rod 210 may have any size, shape, or configuration. The common fuel tube 125 may be positioned about the drive rod 210 for movement therewith. The linear actuator 200, the drive rod 210, and the common fuel tube 125 thus may axially maneuver the cap assembly 130 with the micro-mixer nozzles 120 therein along the length of the liner 160 in any suitable position. The multiple fuel circuits within the common fuel tube 125 may allow for fuel nozzle staging. Other components and other configurations also may be used herein.
In use, the linear actuator 200 may maneuver the cap assembly 130 so as to vary the volume of the head end 150 with respect to the volume of the liner 160. The liner volume (as well as the volume of the combustion zone 170) thus may be reduced or increased by extending or retracting the micro-mixer fuel nozzles 120 along the liner 160. Moreover, the cap assembly 130 may be maneuvered without changing the overall system pressure drop. Typical variable geometry combustor systems may change the overall pressure drop. Such a pressure drop, however, generally has an impact on cooling the components therein. Moreover, variations in the pressure drop may create difficulties in controlling combustion dynamics.
Changing the upstream and downstream volumes may result in varying the overall reaction residence times and, hence, varying the overall emission levels of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and other types of emissions. Generally described, reaction residence time directly correlates to liner volume and thus may be adjusted herein to meet the emission requirements for a given mode of operation. Moreover, varying the residence times also may have an impact on turndown and combustor dynamics in that overall acoustic behavior may vary as the head end and the liner volumes vary.
For example, a short residence time generally may be required to ensure low nitrogen oxides levels at base load. Conversely, a longer residence time may be required to reduce carbon monoxide levels at low load conditions. The combustor 100 described herein thus provides optimized emissions and dynamics mitigation as a tunable combustor with no variation in the overall system pressure drop. Specifically, the combustor 100 provides the ability to vary actively the volumes herein so as to tune the combustor 100 to provide a minimal dynamic response without impacting on fuel staging.
Although the linear actuator 200 described herein is shown as maneuvering the micro-mixer fuel nozzles 120 in the cap assembly 130 as a group, multiple linear actuators 200 also may be used so as to maneuver individually the micro-mixer fuel nozzles 120 and to provide nozzle staging. In this example, the individual micro-mixer fuel nozzles 120 may provide additional sealing therebetween and with respect to the cap assembly 130. Rotational movement also may be used herein. Moreover, non-micro-mixer fuel nozzles also may be used herein and/or non-micro-mixer fuel nozzles and micro-mixer fuel nozzles may be used together herein. Other types of axial movement devices also may be used herein. Other component and other configurations may be used herein.
The fuel nozzle manifold 230 of the pre-nozzle fuel injection system 220 may include a center hub 240. The center hub 240 may have any size, shape, or configuration. The center hub 240 may accommodate a number of different flows therein. The fuel nozzle manifold 230 of the pre-nozzle fuel injection system 220 may include number of support struts 250 extending from the center hub 240. Any number of the support struts 250 may be used. The support struts 250 may have a substantially aerodynamically contoured shape 255 although any size, shape, or configuration may be used herein. Specifically, each of the support struts 250 may include an upstream end 260, a downstream end 270, a first sidewall 280, and a second sidewall 290. The support struts 250 may extend radially from the center hub 240 to the cap assembly 130. Each support strut 250 may be in communication with one or more of the fuel nozzles 120 so as to provide the flow of fuel 30 thereto. The fuel nozzles 120 may extend axially from the downstream end 270 of each of the support struts 250. Other components and other configurations may be used herein.
The support struts 250 also may include a number of fuel injection holes 300 positioned about the first sidewall 280 and/or the second side wall 290. A number of the fuel injection holes 300 also may be positioned about the ends 260, 270. Any number of the fuel injection holes 300 may be used herein in any size, shape, or configuration. Differing sizes and shapes also may be used herein together. The fuel injection holes 300 may divert a relatively small percentage of the flow of fuel 30 into the flow of air 20 upstream of the fuel nozzles 120 as a pre-nozzle flow 310. The pre-nozzle flow 310 may be less than about twenty percent (20%) of the total flow of fuel 30. The percentage of the pre-nozzle flow 310 may vary. Other components and other configurations may be used herein.
In use, the support struts 250 of the pre-nozzle fuel injection system 220 structurally support the fuel nozzles 120 while delivering the flow of fuel 30 thereto. The support struts 250 provide uniform flow of air 20 to the mixing tubes 68 of the fuel nozzles 120. The support struts 250 also may provide the pre-nozzle flow 310 via the fuel injection holes 300. The pre-nozzle flow 310 mixes with the head end flow of air 20 so as to provide a lean, well mixed fuel/air mixture. The pre-nozzle fuel injection system 220 thus promotes good fuel/air mixing so as to improve overall emissions performance. Moreover, the pre-nozzle flow 310 also provides an additional circuit for fuel staging. This circuit may be adjusted to reduce the amplitude and/or frequency of combustion dynamics. The pre-nozzle fuel injection system 220 thus improves overall combustion performance without adding significant hardware costs.
It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and the resultant patent. Numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.
This invention was made with government support under Contract No. DE-FC26-05NT42643 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
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