Water fuel emulsion system and method for gas turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023050114-A1
Application number	US-202217817675-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 5, 2022
Priority date	Aug 12, 2021
Publication date	Feb 16, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a first combustor having a first fuel nozzle, wherein the first fuel nozzle is configured to supply a water fuel emulsion into the first combustor. The water fuel emulsion includes a water-in-fuel (WIF) emulsion having a plurality of water droplets dispersed in a fuel, wherein the plurality of water droplets is configured to vaporize within the fuel to cause micro-explosions to atomize the fuel, and the atomized fuel is configured to combust to generate a combustion gas. The gas turbine engine further includes a turbine driven by the combustion gas from the first combustor.

First claim

1 . A system, comprising:
a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first combustor comprising a first fuel nozzle, wherein the first fuel nozzle is configured to supply a water fuel emulsion into the first combustor, the water fuel emulsion comprises a water-in-fuel (WIF) emulsion having a plurality of water droplets dispersed in a fuel, wherein the plurality of water droplets is configured to vaporize within the fuel to cause micro-explosions to atomize the fuel, and the atomized fuel is configured to combust to generate a combustion gas; and
a turbine driven by the combustion gas from the first combustor.

2 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a controller configured to control generation of the water fuel emulsion to generate the WIF emulsion.

3 . The system of claim 2 , comprising an emulsifier configured to emulsify water and fuel to generate the water fuel emulsion, wherein the controller is configured to control a ratio between the water and the fuel to control generation of the water fuel emulsion to generate the WIF emulsion.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the emulsifier comprises an acoustic agitator, a vibrational agitator, a rotary agitator, a fluid impingement agitator, a stationary agitator, or a combination thereof.

5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to control relative amounts of the water, the fuel, and an emulsifying agent supplied to the emulsifier to generate the WIF emulsion with a first composition and, optionally, to generate the WIF emulsion with a second composition; wherein the first composition has a first percentage of the water, a first percentage of the fuel greater than the first percentage of the water, and a first percentage of the emulsifying agent equal to zero; and wherein the second composition has a second percentage of the water greater than the first percentage of the water, a second percentage of the fuel greater than the second percentage of the water and less than the first percentage of the fuel, and a second percentage of the emulsifying agent greater than zero.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to control the relative amounts supplied to the emulsifier to generate a fuel-in-water (FIW) emulsion with a third composition having a third percentage of the water greater than the first percentage of the water, a third percentage of the fuel greater than the third percentage of the water and less than the first percentage of the fuel, and a third percentage of the emulsifying agent equal to zero.

7 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to control generation of the water fuel emulsion to generate the WIF emulsion with an average diameter of each water droplet of the plurality of water droplets being less than 15 microns.

8 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to control generation of the water fuel emulsion to generate a plurality of different water fuel emulsions, including the WIF emulsion.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of different water fuel emulsions comprises different fuels or fuel percentages, different emulsifying agents or emulsifying agent percentages, different water percentages, or a combination thereof.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of different water fuel emulsions comprises different sizes of the plurality of water droplets dispersed in the fuel.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to control a distribution of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions to a plurality of different fuel nozzles, including the first fuel nozzle.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of different fuel nozzles is disposed in the first combustor.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of different fuel nozzles is disposed in a plurality of different combustors including the first combustor.

14 . A system, comprising:
a controller configured to control a supply of a water fuel emulsion into a first combustor of a gas turbine engine via a first fuel nozzle, wherein the water fuel emulsion comprises a water-in-fuel (WIF) emulsion having a plurality of water droplets dispersed in a fuel, wherein the plurality of water droplets is configured to vaporize within the fuel to cause micro-explosions to atomize the fuel, and the atomized fuel is configured to combust to generate a combustion gas to drive a turbine of the gas turbine engine.

15 . The system of claim 14 , comprising an emulsifier configured to emulsify water and fuel to generate the water fuel emulsion, wherein the controller is configured to control a ratio between the water and the fuel to control generation of the water fuel emulsion to generate the WIF emulsion.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the emulsifier comprises an acoustic agitator, and the acoustic agitator comprises an ultrasonic agitator.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control generation of the water fuel emulsion to generate a fuel-in-water (FIW) emulsion for supply into the first combustor or a second combustor.

18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control generation of the water fuel emulsion to generate a plurality of different water fuel emulsions, including the WIF emulsion, wherein the controller is configured to control a distribution of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions to a plurality of different fuel nozzles, including the first fuel nozzle.

19 . A method, comprising:
supplying a water fuel emulsion into a first combustor of a gas turbine engine via a first fuel nozzle, wherein the water fuel emulsion comprises a water-in-fuel (WIF) emulsion having a plurality of water droplets dispersed in a fuel; vaporizing the plurality of water droplets within the fuel to cause micro-explosions to atomize the fuel; and combusting the atomized fuel to generate a combustion gas to drive a turbine of the gas turbine engine.

20 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:
controlling generation of the water fuel emulsion to generate a plurality of different water fuel emulsions, including the WIF emulsion; and controlling a distribution of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions to a plurality of different fuel nozzles, including the first fuel nozzle.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Suleiman Baha
• Selim Hatem

Classifications

• F02C3/30 Primary

  Adding water, steam or other fluids {for influencing combustion, e.g. to obtain cleaner exhaust gases (F02C7/141, F02C7/30, F01D21/00, F01K21/04, F23D11/10 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F23R3/36 Primary

  Supply of different fuels · CPC title

• F23K2300/103

  Mixing with other fluids · CPC title

• F02C9/40

  specially adapted to the use of a special fuel or a plurality of fuels · CPC title

• F02C3/305

  Increasing the power, speed, torque or efficiency of a gas turbine or the thrust of a turbojet engine by injecting or adding water, steam or other fluids (F01K21/04 takes precedence) · CPC title