System and method having flame stabilizers for isothermal expansion in turbine stage of gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12339001-B2
Application number	US-202418634812-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2024
Priority date	Dec 30, 2022
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A system includes a gas turbine having a turbine shaft disposed along a rotational axis, a turbine casing disposed circumferentially about the turbine shaft, a combustion gas path disposed between the turbine shaft and the turbine casing, and a turbine stage disposed in the combustion gas path. The turbine stage includes a plurality of turbine vanes disposed upstream from a plurality of turbine blades. The gas turbine includes an isothermal expansion system coupled to the turbine stage, wherein the isothermal expansion system includes a plurality of flame stabilizers configured to vary axial positions of combustion within a turbine stage expansion of the turbine stage to reduce temperature variations over the turbine stage expansion. The flame stabilizers are disposed in different axial positions over an axial length between leading and trailing edges of the turbine blades, wherein at least one flame stabilizer is coupled to a plurality of the turbine blades.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of turbine blades configured to mount in a turbine stage of a gas turbine;
a plurality of flame stabilizers configured to stabilize flames relative to the plurality of turbine blades, wherein each turbine blade of the plurality of turbine blades comprises a set of flame stabilizers of the plurality of flame stabilizers at a plurality of different axial positions over a range of at least 10 percent of an axial length between leading and trailing edges of the respective turbine blade,
wherein the respective set of flame stabilizers of a first turbine blade of the plurality of turbine blades has a different arrangement than the respective set of flame stabilizers of a second turbine blade of the plurality of turbine blades.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein an average axial position of the plurality of different axial positions of the set of flame stabilizers varies from the first turbine blade to the second turbine blade in the plurality of turbine blades.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first turbine blade is one of a first set of one or more first turbine blades, the second turbine blade is one of a second set of one or more second turbine blades, and a third turbine blade is one of a third set of one or more third turbine blades; and wherein the average axial position of the plurality of different axial positions of the set of flame stabilizers is disposed at two or more of:
a leading edge portion of the first set of one or more turbine blades of the plurality of turbine blades;
an intermediate portion of the second set of one or more turbine blades of the plurality of turbine blades; or
a trailing edge portion of the third set of one or more turbine blades of the plurality of turbine blades.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the average axial position of the plurality of different axial positions of the set of flame stabilizers is disposed at each of the leading edge portion of the first set, the intermediate portion of the second set, and the trailing edge portion of the third set.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different axial positions comprises at least three different axial positions on a common side of the plurality of turbine blades.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different axial positions over the range of at least 10 percent of the axial length extends at least over a leading edge portion of the respective turbine blade.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of axial positions of the set of flame stabilizers varies along a non-linear centerline in a radial direction along each respective turbine blade of the plurality of turbine blades.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of flame stabilizers of the plurality of flame stabilizers is disposed on a pressure side of each respective turbine blade of the plurality of turbine blades.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more flame stabilizers of the plurality of flame stabilizers comprise a recess, a protrusion, or a combination thereof.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more flame stabilizers of the plurality of flame stabilizers comprise the protrusion disposed in the recess.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more flame stabilizers of the plurality of flame stabilizers comprise a C-shaped protrusion facing in an upstream direction.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more flame stabilizers of the plurality of flame stabilizers comprise a rectangular protrusion.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more flame stabilizers of the plurality of flame stabilizers exclude fluid injection.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different axial positions are disposed over the range of at least 50 percent of the axial length between the leading and trailing edges of the respective turbine blade.

15. The system of claim 1 , comprising the gas turbine having the plurality of turbine blades.

16. A system, comprising:
a first turbine blade configured to mount in a turbine stage of a gas turbine;
a first arrangement of a plurality of flame stabilizers coupled to the first turbine blade at a plurality of different axial positions over a range of at least 10 percent of an axial length between leading and trailing edges of the first turbine blade, wherein the first arrangement of the plurality of flame stabilizers is configured to stabilize a flame relative to the first turbine blade;
a second turbine blade configured to mount in the turbine stage; and
a second arrangement of a plurality of flame stabilizers coupled to the second turbine blade and configured to stabilize a flame relative to the second turbine blade, wherein the first and second arrangements of the plurality of flame stabilizers are different from one another.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first turbine blade has the first arrangement of the plurality of flame stabilizers on a pressure side of the first turbine blade.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of flame stabilizers comprises a protrusion disposed in a recess.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of flame stabilizers comprises a C-shaped protrusion facing in an upstream direction.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of flame stabilizers excludes fluid injection, and the first turbine blade excludes fuel injection.

21. A method, comprising:
mounting a plurality of turbine blades in a turbine stage of a gas turbine, wherein each of a set of first turbine blades of the plurality of turbine blades and each of a set of second turbine blades of the plurality of turbine blades has a different arrangement of one or more flame stabilizers of a plurality of flame stabilizers on a common side of the plurality of turbine blades, and the plurality of flame stabilizers is configured to stabilize flames relative to the plurality of turbine blades at different axial positions from the first turbine blades to the second turbine blades in the plurality of turbine blades; and
arranging the set of first turbine blades of the plurality of turbine blades and the set of second turbine blades of the plurality of turbine blades to vary the different arrangement of the one or more flame stabilizers circumferentially about a rotational axis of the turbine stage.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the common side is a pressure side of the plurality of turbine blades.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the different arrangement comprises two or more flame stabilizers.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein at least one turbine blade of the set of first turbine blades of the plurality of turbine blades or the set of second turbine blades of the plurality of turbine blades has the one or more flame stabilizers at multiple axial positions varying along a non-linear centerline in a radial direction along the respective at least one turbine blade.

25. A system, comprising:
a plurality of turbine blades configured to mount in a turbine stage of a gas turbine; and
a plurality of flame stabilizers configured to stabilize flames relative to the plurality of turbine blades at different axial positions from a first turbine blade to a second turbine blade adjacent the first turbine blade in the plurality of turbine blades, wherein each of the first turbine blade of the plurality of turbine blades and the seco

Assignees

• Ge Infrastructure Technology Llc

Inventors

• Hall Joel Meador
• Woodall John Farrior

Classifications

• F05D2220/3212

  the first stage of a turbine · CPC title

• F01D5/143

  Contour of the outer or inner working fluid flow path wall, i.e. shroud or hub contour · CPC title

• F01D5/145

  Means for influencing boundary layers or secondary circulations (for compressors F04D29/68) · CPC title

• F23R3/20

  incorporating fuel injection means · CPC title

• F23R3/22 Primary

  movable, e.g. to an inoperative position; adjustable, e.g. self-adjusting · CPC title