Fuel injection system and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10584644-B2
Application number	US-201514805815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2015
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A fuel injection system of a gas turbine includes a first pilot nozzle injecting fuel in a first flow rate range, a second pilot nozzle injecting fuel in a second flow rate range that is greater than the first flow rate range, a main nozzle injecting fuel in a third flow rate range that is greater than the second flow rate range, a first valve opening or closing a first supply pipe fueling the second pilot nozzle, a second valve opening or closing a second supply pipe fueling the main nozzle, and a controller selectively opening any one of the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe or opening or closing both of the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe by reflecting a change in altitude and thus applying control signals to the first valve and the second valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel injection system of a gas turbine comprising:
a first pilot nozzle injecting fuel at a first flow rate into the gas turbine;
a second pilot nozzle injecting the fuel at a second flow rate that is greater than the first flow rate into the gas turbine;
a main nozzle injecting the fuel at a third flow rate that is greater than the second flow rate into the gas turbine;
a first valve disposed on a first supply pipe supplying the fuel to the second pilot nozzle and opening or closing the first supply pipe in response to a first signal;
a second valve disposed on a second supply pipe supplying the fuel to the main nozzle and opening or closing the second supply pipe in response to a second signal;
a third supply pipe supplying the fuel to the first pilot nozzle, the third supply pipe extending from the first pilot nozzle to a fuel pump without a valve;
a combustion chamber fueled by the first pilot nozzle, the second pilot nozzle, and the main nozzle;
a compressor supplying compressed air to the combustion chamber;
a pressure sensor sensing a discharge pressure of the compressor; and
a controller selectively opening or closing any one of the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe, or opening or closing both of the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe, by detecting a change in altitude,
wherein the controller is electrically connected to the pressure sensor and detects the change in altitude based on an electric signal from the pressure sensor corresponding to a sensed change in the discharge pressure of the compressor, and
wherein as a result of detecting the change in altitude, the controller sends signals to the first valve and the second valve to open or close the first supply pipe or the second supply pipe to, to control a flow of the fuel to be injected into the gas turbine,
wherein a center point of the first pilot nozzle, a center point of the second pilot nozzle and a center point of the main nozzle are positioned on a circumference in a circular pattern.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller closes both of the first valve and the second valve when the discharge pressure of the compressor is less than a predetermined first pressure, opens the first valve and closes the second valve when the discharge pressure of the compressor is equal to or greater than the first pressure and less than a predetermined second pressure, and opens both of the first valve and the second valve when the discharge pressure of the compressor is equal to or greater than the second pressure.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an altitude sensor sensing altitude by sensing air pressure, using ultrasonic waves, using radar, or using a global position system (GPS), wherein the controller is connected to the altitude sensor and senses the change in altitude.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller retains information on a current altitude corresponding to a sensed value of the altitude sensor, and closes both of the first valve and the second valve when the current altitude is in a predetermined first range, opens the first valve and closes the second valve when the current altitude is greater than the first range and less than a predetermined second range and opens both of the first valve and the second valve when the current altitude is in or greater than the second range.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein flows of the fuel injected by the first pilot nozzle, the second pilot nozzle, and the main nozzle are determined by areas of the first pilot nozzle, the second pilot nozzle, and the main nozzle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first pilot nozzle, the second pilot nozzle and the main nozzle are alternately spaced apart from each other along the circumference.

7. A fuel injection system for a gas turbine, the system comprising:
a nozzle assembly comprising a plurality of pilot nozzles injecting fuel in different flow rates into the gas turbine and a main nozzle injecting the fuel in a flow rate that is larger than the flow rates of the plurality of pilot nozzles into the gas turbine;
a plurality of pilot supply pipes supplying the fuel to the plurality of pilot nozzles, a first pilot supply pipe of the plurality of pilot supply pipes extends between a fuel pump and a first pilot nozzle of the plurality of pilot nozzles;
a main supply pipe supplying the fuel to the main nozzle;
a plurality of valves respectively disposed on the main supply pipe and all of the plurality of pilot supply pipes except the first supply pipe,
wherein the first pilot nozzle injects the fuel into the gas turbine in a smallest flow rate among the plurality of pilot nozzles, and the plurality of valves respectively open or close the plurality of supply pipes in response to signals;
a combustion chamber fueled by the plurality of pilot nozzles and the main nozzle;
a compressor supplying compressed air to the combustion chamber;
a pressure sensor sensing a discharge pressure of the compressor; and
a controller selectively opening at least one supply pipe selected from the plurality of supply pipes or closing all of the plurality of supply pipes, as a result of detecting a change in altitude and sending the signals to the valves,
wherein the controller is electrically connected to the pressure sensor and detects the change in altitude based on an electric signal from the pressure sensor corresponding to a sensed change in the discharge pressure of the compressor, and
wherein the controller controls a flow of the fuel to be injected into the gas turbine,
wherein the first pilot nozzle injects the fuel at a first flow rate into the gas turbine, a second pilot nozzle of the plurality of pilot nozzles injects the fuel at a second flow rate that is greater than the first flow rate into the gas turbine, and
wherein a center point of the first pilot nozzle, a center point of the second pilot nozzle and a center point of the main nozzle are positioned on a circumference in a circular pattern.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller closes all of the valves when the discharge pressure of the compressor is less than a predetermined first pressure and selects and opens at least some of the valves depending on a size of the discharge pressure of the compressor when the discharge pressure of the compressor is equal to or greater than the first pressure.

9. The system of claim 7 further comprising an altitude sensor sensing altitude by sensing air pressure, using ultrasonic waves, using radar, or using a global position system (GPS), wherein the controller is connected to the altitude sensor and senses the change in altitude.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller retains information on a current altitude corresponding to a sensed value of the altitude sensor, and closes all of the valves when the current altitude is in a predetermined first range, selects and opens some of the valves when the current altitude is greater than the first range and less than a predetermined second range and opens all of the valves when the current altitude is in or greater than the second range.

11. A method of controlling a fuel injection system for a gas turbine, the method comprising:
injecting, to a first pilot nozzle, fuel at a first flow rate into the gas turbine;
injecting, to a second pilot nozzle, the fuel at a second flow rate that is greater than the first flow rate into the gas turbine;
injecting, to a main nozzle, the fuel at a third flow rate that is greater than the second flow rate into the gas turbine;
opening or closing a first valve disposed on a first supply pipe supplying the fuel to the second pilot nozzle, in response to a first si

Assignees

• Hanwha Aerospace Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Myeonghyo

Classifications

• F05D2270/092

  in particular blow-out and relight · CPC title

• F02C7/232

  Fuel valves {(control of fuel supply by means of fuel metering valves F02C9/263)}; Draining valves or systems (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• F02C9/28 Primary

  Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed (F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02C7/222

  Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds · CPC title

• F05D2260/85

  Starting · CPC title