Abstract: Waste heat energy conversion cycles, systems and devices use multiple waste heat exchangers arranged in series in a waste heat stream, and multiple thermodynamic cycles run in parallel with the waste heat exchangers in order to maximize thermal energy extraction from the waste heat stream by a working fluid. The parallel cycles operate in different temperature ranges with a lower temperature work output used to drive a working fluid pump. A working fluid mass management system is integrated into or connected to the cycles.

Abstract: Various thermodynamic power-generating cycles are disclosed. A turbopump arranged in the cycles is started and ramped-up using a starter pump arranged in parallel with the main pump of the turbopump. Once the turbopump is able to self-sustain, a series of valves may be manipulated to deactivate the starter pump and direct additional working fluid to a power turbine for generating electrical power.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a system that enables one to both: (i) address various thermal management issues (e.g., inlet air cooling) in gas turbines, gas turbine engines, industrial process equipment and/or internal combustion engines; and (ii) yield a supercritical fluid-based heat engine. In one embodiment, the present invention utilizes at least one working fluid selected from ammonia, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or other suitable working fluid medium. In another embodiment, the present invention utilizes carbon dioxide or ammonia as a working fluid to achieve a system that enables one to address inlet cooling issues in a gas turbine, internal combustion engine or other industrial application while also yielding a supercritical fluid based heat engine as a second cycle using the waste heat from the gas turbine and/or internal combustion engine to create a combined power cycle.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a system that enables one to address various thermal management issues in advanced gas turbine engines. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method to extract heat from an air stream, utilize a significant fraction for on-board power generation, and reject a small quantity of heat to the fuel stream safely at, for example, a lower temperature. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method to extract heat from an air stream, utilize a significant fraction for on-board power generation, and reject a small quantity of heat to the fuel stream safely at, for example, a lower temperature with no potential air/fuel contact is disclosed.

Abstract: Various thermodynamic power-generating cycles employ a mass management system to regulate the pressure and amount of working fluid circulating throughout the working fluid circuits. The mass management systems may have a mass control tank fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit at one or more strategically-located tie-in points. A heat exchanger coil may be used in conjunction with the mass control tank to regulate the temperature of the fluid within the mass control tank, and thereby determine whether working fluid is either extracted from or injected into the working fluid circuit. Regulating the pressure and amount of working fluid in the working fluid circuit helps selectively increase or decrease the suction pressure of the pump, which can increase system efficiency.

Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine engine including a compressor and a combustor is provided. The method comprises channeling between about 0% to about 8% of the total airflow discharged from a compressor towards a pilot swirler coupled within the burner, wherein the burner includes a main swirler and an annular centerbody extending between the pilot and main swirlers, injecting a portion of the total fuel flow supplied to the burner through a plurality of apertures defined in a hollow pilot centerbody coupled within the pilot swirler, channeling the remaining airflow discharged from the compressor towards the main swirler, and injecting the remaining fuel flow supplied to the burner through at least one main swirler vane coupled within the main swirler, such that the portion of fuel is pre-mixed with a portion of the total airflow.

Abstract: A combustor swirl cup includes coaxial inner and outer swirlers separated by a tubular centerbody. The centerbody includes a bypass inlet surrounding the inner swirler and diverges aft along a perforate inner nozzle to terminate at an annular flameholder. An impingement ring is spaced forward from the flameholder in flow communication with the bypass inlet for receiving cooling air therefrom to impingement cool the flameholder.

Abstract: A method for operating a combustion system is provided. The method includes coupling the main swirler to the pilot swirler such that the main swirler substantially circumscribes the pilot swirler, supplying fuel to a first fuel circuit defined in the main swirler, and inducing swirling to the supplied fuel via a first set of swirler vanes positioned within the main swirler. The method also includes supplying fuel to a second fuel circuit defined in the main swirler, inducing swirling to the supplied fuel via a second set of swirler vanes positioned within the main swirler, each of the second set of swirler vanes comprising at least one second fuel passage defined therein, and coupling a shroud in flow communication to at least one of the first set of swirler vanes and the second set of swirler vanes, the shroud comprising at least one third fuel passage defined therein.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor includes an annulus with one or more circular rows of burners and a means for providing a number of equiangular spaced apart flame temperature nonuniformities around the annulus during engine operation. The number of the flame temperature nonuniformities being equal to a circumferential acoustic mode to be attenuated in the combustor (i.e three, five, or seven). Fuel lines and/or water lines in supply communication with the burners and metering orifices in a portion of the fuel lines and/or the water lines may be used to produce the flame temperature nonuniformities. The annulus of the burners may have an equal number of equiangular spaced apart first and second arcuate segments of the burners and a means for operating the burners in the first segments and operating the burners in the second segments at different first and second flame temperatures respectively.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel nozzle includes an axis of symmetry extending therethrough, the nozzle body including a first passage extending coaxially therethrough, a second passage, and a third passage, the second passage circumscribing the first passage, the third passage formed radially outward of the second passage, and a nozzle tip coupled to the nozzle body, the nozzle tip including at least one primary discharge opening in flow communication with the first passage, at least one secondary discharge opening in flow communication with the second passage, and at least one tertiary discharge opening in flow communication with the third passage.

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes discharging pilot fuel into a combustion chamber from a nozzle through at least one pilot fuel outlet defined in a tip of the nozzle, discharging steam from the nozzle through a plurality of steam outlets that are spaced circumferentially about the plurality of pilot fuel outlets, and discharging primary fuel from the nozzle through a plurality of primary fuel outlets that are circumferentially aligned with the plurality of steam outlets. To facilitate mixing the primary fuel with the steam, the primary fuel is discharged from the nozzle tip at an oblique angle with respect to a centerline extending through the nozzle tip.

Abstract: Disclosed here are integrated methods and systems for producing fuel from biomass. The methods and systems pertain to gasifying a feed derived from biomass fermentate separation residue, such as corn-based distiller's grains, and producing a liquid transportation fuel component, such as aviation turbine fuel, from the gasified feed in a hydrocarbon synthesis reactor. At least a portion of the waste heat from the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor is supplied to a thermal process for liquefying, fermenting or distilling a biomass, or to a thermal process for separating or treating a biomass fermentate separation residue.

Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine engine including a compressor and a combustor is provided. The method comprises channeling between about 0% to about 8% of the total airflow discharged from a compressor towards a pilot swirler coupled within the burner, wherein the burner includes a main swirler and an annular centerbody extending between the pilot and main swirlers, injecting a portion of the total fuel flow supplied to the burner through a plurality of apertures defined in a hollow pilot centerbody coupled within the pilot swirler, channeling the remaining airflow discharged from the compressor towards the main swirler, and injecting the remaining fuel flow supplied to the burner through at least one main swirler vane coupled within the main swirler, such that the portion of fuel is pre-mixed with a portion of the total airflow.

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes discharging pilot fuel into a combustion chamber from a nozzle through at least one pilot fuel outlet defined in a tip of the nozzle, discharging steam from the nozzle through a plurality of steam outlets that are spaced circumferentially about the plurality of pilot fuel outlets, and discharging primary fuel from the nozzle through a plurality of primary fuel outlets that are circumferentially aligned with the plurality of steam outlets. To facilitate mixing the primary fuel with the steam, the primary fuel is discharged from the nozzle tip at an oblique angle with respect to a centerline extending through the nozzle tip.

Abstract: A method for operating a combustion system is provided. The method includes coupling the main swirler to the pilot swirler such that the main swirler substantially circumscribes the pilot swirler, supplying fuel to a first fuel circuit defined in the main swirler, and inducing swirling to the supplied fuel via a first set of swirler vanes positioned within the main swirler. The method also includes supplying fuel to a second fuel circuit defined in the main swirler, inducing swirling to the supplied fuel via a second set of swirler vanes positioned within the main swirler, each of the second set of swirler vanes comprising at least one second fuel passage defined therein, and coupling a shroud in flow communication to at least one of the first set of swirler vanes and the second set of swirler vanes, the shroud comprising at least one third fuel passage defined therein.

Abstract: A method for decreasing combustor acoustics in gas turbine engines is provided. The method includes fabricating a plurality of premixers, chamfering a trailing edge of a main swirler shroud of each premixer, coupling a respective one of the chamfered premixers to each of a plurality of combustor domes, and coupling the plurality of combustor domes to an inlet of a combustor in a circumferential arrangement such that, during operation, the chamfered edge facilitates reducing combustor acoustics.

Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine engine includes channeling compressed airflow discharged from a first compressor through an intercooler having a cooling medium flowing therethrough, channeling a working fluid through the intercooler to facilitate increasing an operating temperature of the working fluid, and channeling the discharged working fluid to a combustor to facilitate increasing an operating efficiency of the gas turbine engine.

Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine engine includes coupling an anti-resonant frequency system to a combustor including a premixer assembly and a plurality of damper tubes, and adjusting the anti-resonant frequency system until the anti-resonant frequency of the damper tubes is approximately equal to the combustor resonant frequency.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for directly communicating between an accelerator and an instruction sequencer coupled thereto, where the accelerator is a heterogeneous resource with respect to the instruction sequencer. An interface may be used to provide the communication between these resources. Via such a communication mechanism a user-level application may directly communicate with the accelerator without operating system support. Further, the instruction sequencer and the accelerator may perform operations in parallel. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a technique to provide a real-time threading service to an application in a multi-core environment. An executive is launched, within a most privilege level of an operating system (OS), on a real-time core in the multi-core environment. The real-time core is sequestered from the OS. A real-time thread is created in a least privilege level on the real-time core for an application using a library. The library is loaded by the application. The real-time thread shares a virtual address space with the application.