Systems and methods for predicting fuel circuit leaks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10563594-B2
Application number	US-201615295559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2016
Priority date	Oct 17, 2016
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A system includes a combustor assembly which receives a fuel-oxidant mixture. The system includes a control valve which controls a fuel flow into the combustor assembly. The system includes one or more sensors which measure one or more properties. The system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and the control valve. The controller receives data from the one or more sensors indicative of operating conditions of the combustor assembly. The controller determines a predicted fuel flow for a first fuel line of a plurality of fuel lines based in part on the data received from the one or more sensors. The controller calculates a difference between a commanded fuel flow and the predicted fuel flow. The controller adjusts an operation of the control valve associated with a gas turbine engine when the difference is greater than a threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a combustor assembly configured to receive a fuel-oxidant mixture;
a control valve configured to control a fuel flow into the combustor assembly;

one or more sensors configured to measure one or more properties;
a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and the control valve, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive data from the one or more sensors indicative of operating conditions of the combustor assembly;
determine a first predicted fuel flow for a first fuel line of a plurality of fuel lines based in part on the data received from the one or more sensors;
calculate a first difference between a first commanded fuel flow and the first predicted fuel flow for the first fuel line, wherein the first difference corresponds to a first pressure measurement;
calculate a second difference between a second commanded fuel flow and a second predicted fuel flow for a second fuel line of the plurality of fuel lines, wherein the second difference corresponds to a second pressure measurement;
compare the first pressure measurement and the second pressure measurement to a pressure threshold; and
adjust an operation of the control valve associated with a gas turbine engine when the first pressure measurement or second pressure measurement is greater than the pressure threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the operation of the control valve by using a multiplier factor to adjust a calculated fuel split of the plurality of fuel lines based in part on the data received from the one or more sensors.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a fuel sensor configured to measure temperature or pressure of the fuel flow in the first fuel line.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure one or more operating conditions of a gas turbine cycle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are disposed upstream of the combustor assembly.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust operation of a gas turbine in fluid communication with the combustor assembly if the difference between the first commanded fuel flow and the first predicted fuel flow is greater than a threshold.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a property change of the fuel flow by comparing the first difference between the first commanded fuel flow and the first predicted fuel flow for the first fuel line to the second difference between the second commanded fuel flow and the second predicted fuel flow for the second fuel line.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to generate a notification when a leak is detected based on the first pressure measurement or the second pressure measurement being greater than the pressure threshold.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fuel lines is configured to direct fuel to a corresponding fuel nozzle of the combustor assembly.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of fuel lines is configured to receive fuel from a common header.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to reduce erroneous leak notifications when a change in composition of the fuel flow occurs based on the first pressure measurement or the second pressure measurement being greater than the pressure threshold.

12. A method comprising:
receiving, via a controller, data from one or more sensors configured to measure one or more properties of a combustor fuel input from a plurality of fuel lines;
determining a first predicted fuel flow for a fuel based in part on the data received from the one or more sensors;
calculating a first difference between a first commanded fuel flow and the first predicted fuel flow, wherein the first difference corresponds to a first pressure measurement;
calculating a second difference between a second commanded fuel flow and a second predicted fuel flow for a second fuel line of the plurality of fuel lines, wherein the second difference corresponds to a second pressure measurement;
comparing the first pressure measurement and the second pressure measurement to a pressure threshold; and
adjusting operation of a gas turbine engine when the first pressure measurement or second pressure measurement is greater than the pressure threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising comparing a first pressure difference of the first fuel line to a second pressure difference of the second fuel line to identify a property change of the fuel.

14. The method of claim 13 , generating a notification when the property change of the fuel is identified.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the operation of the gas turbine engine comprises using a multiplier to adjust the first commanded fuel flow based in part on signals received from the one or more sensors.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the signals comprise fuel conditions or gas turbine operating conditions.

17. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer instructions thereon, the computer instructions, when executed by a processor, configured to cause the processor to:
receive data from one or more sensors configured to measure one or more properties of a combustor fuel input from a plurality of fuel lines;
determine a first predicted fuel flow of a fuel based in part on the data received from the one or more sensors;
calculate a first difference between a first commanded fuel flow and the first predicted fuel flow, wherein the first difference corresponds to a first pressure measurement;
calculate a second difference between a second commanded fuel flow and a second predicted fuel flow for a second fuel line of the plurality of fuel lines, wherein the second difference corresponds to a second pressure measurement;
compare the first pressure measurement and the second pressure measurement to a pressure threshold; and
adjust operation of a gas turbine engine when the first pressure measurement or second pressure measurement is greater than the pressure threshold.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the computer instructions are configured to compare a first pressure difference in the first fuel line to a second pressure difference in the second fuel line to identify a property change of the fuel.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the computer instructions are configured to generate a notification when the property change of the fuel is identified.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the computer instructions are configured to adjust the operation of the gas turbine engine comprises using a multiplier to adjust the first commanded fuel flow based in part on signals received from the one or more sensors.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Harper James
• Arthanari Akilez Krishnamurthy

Classifications

• F05D2260/821

  Parameter estimation or prediction · CPC title

• F02C9/26

  Control of fuel supply (F02C9/48 takes precedence; fuel valves F02C7/232) · CPC title

• F05D2260/80

  Diagnostics · CPC title

• F02C9/263 Primary

  by means of fuel metering valves · CPC title

• F23N2231/18

  Detecting fluid leaks · CPC title