Automatic Starting And Stopping Of Combustion Products Generator Patents (Class 60/39.13)
  • Patent number: 9032703
    Abstract: In a gas turbine engine that includes a compressor and a combustor, wherein the combustor includes a primary fuel injector within a fuel nozzle and a secondary fuel injector that is upstream of the fuel nozzle and configured to inject fuel into a flow annulus of the combustor, a method for detecting a flame holding condition about a fuel injector. The method may include the steps of: detecting an upstream pressure upstream of the secondary fuel injector; detecting a downstream pressure downstream of the secondary fuel injector; determining a measured pressure difference between the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure; and comparing the measured pressure difference to an expected pressure difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anthony Wayne Krull, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Garth Curtis Frederick, David Kaylor Toronto
  • Patent number: 8991148
    Abstract: A jet pump (14) is inserted between the low-pressure pump and a high-pressure fuel pump (16). A fuel metering unit (20) includes a metering valve (22) which delivers a regulated fuel flow to a feed line (30), and a bypass valve (24) which diverts to a primary intake (14a) of the jet pump the excess fuel flow supplied by the high-pressure pump. An overspeed protection unit (50) includes a control element (54) of the bypass valve (24) which causes said to fully open in the event of an overspeed of the engine. A shutoff and pressurization checkvalve (42) is mounted on the feed line and controlled by a servo-valve (44) having a high-pressure port (44a) brought to the high fuel pressure, a low-pressure port brought to the pressure of the primary intake (14a) of the jet pump and an output setting the pressure in a control chamber (42a) of the shutoff valve (42) to a value between those prevailing at the high pressure and low pressure ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Bastien Dore, Loïc Pora
  • Patent number: 8955334
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling the startup of a gas turbine are described. A gas discharge component may be configured to discharge gas from a compressor component associated with the gas turbine. A fuel control component may be configured to control a fuel flow provided to a combustor component associated with the gas turbine. A drive component may be configured to supply a rotational force to a shaft associated with the gas turbine. At least one control device may be configured to (i) direct the gas discharge component to discharge gas from the compressor component, (ii) direct the fuel control component to adjust the fuel flow, and (iii) direct the drive component to rotate the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Patrick Hansen, Christopher Edward LaMaster, Timothy Edward DeJoris, David August Snider
  • Patent number: 8925328
    Abstract: A starting process for a gas turbine (28) that holds the turbine speed of rotation at an ignition speed setting during an ignition window (58), with the ignition speed setting being based on ambient air conditions to achieve a specified combustor air mass flow rate (52). A fuel flow rate may be set based on the fuel type and temperature to achieve a particular air/fuel ratio in a combustor. The fuel flow rate may be adjusted during the ignition window and thereafter based on a combustor inlet air temperature (46). Completion of ignition may be determined by a reduction (68) in a blade path temperature spread (66). After ignition, fuel flow is increased to accelerate the turbine to full speed. At any point, the fuel flow may be reduced, or its increase may be slowed, to avoid exceeding a temperature limit in the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Shervin Rodd, Adam M. Foust, Gary V. Hildebrandt, Damien G. Teehan
  • Patent number: 8915088
    Abstract: A method for controlling a flow of fuel to a starting gas turbine engine includes controlling the flow of fuel to the engine by controlling fuel pressure to the engine, and modulating the flow of fuel to the engine if engine exhaust gas temperature approaches a given exhaust gas temperature to lower the engine exhaust gas temperature below the given exhaust gas temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Andre M. Ajami, Kenneth W. Winston, Xiaolan Hu
  • Patent number: 8820046
    Abstract: Methods and systems for mitigating distortion of a shaft of a gas turbine engine are provided. One method comprises at least one step of applying intermittent rotary power to a shaft of a gas turbine engine. The step of applying intermittent power to the shaft is performed during a period where conditions of temperature differential in the engine exist capable of distorting the shaft. The methods and systems shorten the time needed to start a gas turbine engine in such a way that bowing of a shaft is not a significant problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven A. Ross, Thomas E. Agin
  • Patent number: 8794008
    Abstract: In a method for the low-CO emissions part load operation of a gas turbine with sequential combustion, the air ratio (?) of the operative burners (9) of the second combustor (15) is kept below a maximum air ratio (?max) at part load In order to reduce the maximum air ratio (?), a series of modifications in the operating concept of the gas turbine are carried out individually or in combination. One modification is an opening of the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) before engaging the second combustor (15). For engaging the second combustor, the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) is quickly closed and fuel is introduced in a synchronized manner into the burner (9) of the second combustor (15). A further modification is the deactivating of individual burners (9) at part load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Klaus Knapp, Peter Flohr, Hans Peter Knoepfel, Weiqun Geng
  • Patent number: 8726625
    Abstract: A combined cycle power plant is provided and includes a gas turbine engine to generate power from combustion of a fuel and air mixture, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) disposed downstream from the gas turbine engine to receive heat energy from the gas turbine engine from which steam is produced, the HRSG including a superheating element and a drum element, and a steam turbine engine to be receptive of the steam produced in the HRSG and to generate power from the received steam, the HRSG further including a valve operably disposed to isolate the superheating element from the drum element when a risk of condensate formation in the HRSG exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joel Donnell Holt, Gordon Raymond Smith
  • Publication number: 20140020396
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic method of regulating a power plant (3?) of an aircraft (1), the power plant having at least one turbine engine (3), each engine (3) being capable of operating in an idling mode of operation. A calculation system (15) executes stored instructions in order to implement the idling mode of operation as a function of operational and ordered conditions either via a first regulation mode by regulating a first speed of rotation (Ng) of said gas generator (4), or via a second mode of regulation by regulating a second speed of rotation (NTL) of said free turbine (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: EUROCOPTER
  • Publication number: 20130213002
    Abstract: A start/stop apparatus includes: a transfer rotation shaft which rotates with a gas turbine; a hydraulic pump which continuously generates a predetermined oil pressure; a high-pressure oil accumulation portion which is introduced the oil pressure which generated by the hydraulic pump; a low-pressure oil accumulation portion which is introduced the oil pressure which generated by the hydraulic pump, and the pressure of the low-pressure oil accumulation portion is set to be lower than that of the high-pressure oil accumulation portion; a hydraulic motor which rotates the transfer rotation shaft using the oil pressure; a hydraulic switch valve which introduces either oil pressure of the high-pressure oil accumulation portion or the low-pressure oil accumulation portion in the hydraulic motor; and a rotation controller which controls the hydraulic motor based on the rotation speed of the gas turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
  • Patent number: 8434312
    Abstract: In a method for the low-CO emissions part load operation of a gas turbine with sequential combustion, the air ratio (?) of the operative burners (9) of the second combustor (15) is kept below a maximum air ratio (?max) at part load In order to reduce the maximum air ratio (?), a series of modifications in the operating concept of the gas turbine are carried out individually or in combination. One modification is an opening of the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) before engaging the second combustor (15). For engaging the second combustor, the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) is quickly closed and fuel is introduced in a synchronized manner into the burner (9) of the second combustor (15). A further modification is the deactivating of individual burners (9) at part load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Klaus Knapp, Peter Flohr, Hans Peter Knöpfel, Weiqun Geng
  • Patent number: 8090545
    Abstract: A method for prior determination of a life consumption of individual components in a fossil-fuelled power generating installation, with respect to a load cycling process to be carried out is provided. An apparatus is also provided for prior determination of a life consumption of individual components in a fossil-fuelled power generating installation, with respect to a load cycling process to be carried out. Actual variables which characterize the state of the power generating installation before a load cycling process are determined. A driving gear of the power generating installation which creates the load cycling process is set in advance. The load cycle time is calculated based upon the driving gear and the characterizing variables. A predicted life consumption for at least one of the individual components for the selected driving gear is also calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengellschaft
    Inventors: Edwin Gobrecht, Rainer Newald, Eva Windecker
  • Patent number: 7878004
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention is directed towards a method and device for optimizing a light-up procedure of a gas turbine engine. An aspect of the method comprises repeating an engine start attempt with amended light-up parameter values or range of light-up parameter values, where the values are amended by a predefined scheme including recording the light-up parameter value or the range of light-up parameter values of each start attempt together with the light-up success rate achieved in the respective start attempts, and optimizing the light-up parameter value or range of parameter values by analyzing the recorded data after the start attempts have been finished. An aspect of the device is to provide a control unit that implements the inventive method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gareth Davies, Richard Noden, Dorian Skipper, John Wilkinson, Richard Woods
  • Patent number: 7299638
    Abstract: A combined heat and power system that may be ON/OFF controlled by the thermal load requirements for the system and/or operated at or below atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Inventor: Robin MacKay
  • Patent number: 6887609
    Abstract: A fuel cell system and method of operation in which the fuel cell system has a fuel cell unit with anode and cathode, a media flow path for supplying substantially pure hydrogen to the anode, a media flow path for the cathode, an anode exhaust-gas flow path and a cathode exhaust-gas flow path. A fan for supplying air to the cathode is provided in the flow path of the cathode, and a catalytic burner is arranged in the cathode exhaust-gas flow path. The anode exhaust-gas flow path opens into the catalytic burner and/or into the cathode exhaust-gas flow path upstream of the catalytic burner. The combined, catalytically converted fuel cell exhaust-gas flow is passed into an expansion machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Ballard Power Systems AG
    Inventor: Lars Kaufmann