Gas turbine engines and methods of controlling formation of condensates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025092830-A1
Application number	US-202418922616-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2024
Priority date	Jun 28, 2023
Publication date	Mar 20, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel conditioning system includes a heater for selectively adjusting an operating temperature of the fuel and a controller communicatively coupled to the heater. The controller configured to determine a dew point temperature of the fuel and maintain the operating temperature of the fuel at least at the determined dew point temperature of the fuel.

First claim

1 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . A method of conditioning a fuel, the method comprising:
dynamically adjusting an operating temperature of the fuel; dynamically adjusting an operating pressure of the fuel; determining a first dew point temperature of the fuel at a first time; and adjusting the pressure of the fuel based on the first dew point temperature; determining a second dew point temperature of the fuel at a second time after adjusting the pressure of the fuel; and maintaining an operating temperature of the fuel to be at a temperature that is at least at the determined dew point temperature.

16 . The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
detecting a composition of the fuel; and determining a dew point temperature of the fuel based on the detected composition.

17 . The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
adjusting a pressure of the fuel using a pressure control device to selectively decrease the dew point temperature and reducing a temperature drop through a conditioning system; and maintaining the fuel temperature above the decreased dew point temperature.

18 . The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
adjusting a flow of the fuel to facilitate to maintain a desired amount of fuel to a combustor section.

19 . The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
monitoring a temperature using a temperature sensor.

20 . The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
adjusting a pressure of the fuel to decrease the dew point temperature and reduce a temperature drop though a conditioning system; and adjusting a flow parameter of the fuel using a flow control device to maintain a desired amount of fuel delivered to a combustor section.

21 . The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining a target fuel flow prior to a transient phase of a gas turbine engine; and adjusting a thermal energy supplied from a heater to the fuel prior to the transient phases of the turbine.

22 . A method for conditioning a fuel for use with a turbine, said method comprising:
controlling operation of a heater to dynamically adjust an operating temperature of a fuel; controlling operation of a pressure control device to dynamically adjust an operating pressure of the fuel; and controlling operation of a controller coupled to the heater and to the pressure control device to:
determine a first dew point temperature of the fuel at a first time;
selectively adjust the pressure of the fuel using the pressure control device to reduce the first dew point temperature to a second dew point temperature that is lower than the first dew point temperature;
predict a temperature drop over a transient phase, wherein during the transient phase the turbine changes from an initial fuel flow rate to a target flow rate;
determine, based on the predicted temperature drop, an amount of thermal energy needed to maintain the temperature of the fuel above the second dew point temperature over the transient phase; and
adjust, selectively, an operating parameter of the heater prior to the transient phase, to maintain the operating temperature of the fuel at or above the second dew point temperature during the transient phase.

23 . The method in accordance with claim 21 , further comprising monitoring the operating temperature of the fuel using a temperature sensor.

24 . The method in accordance with claim 22 , further comprising controlling operation of the controller to maintain a desired amount of fuel suppled to the turbine.

25 . The fuel conditioning system in accordance with claim 22 , further comprising controlling operation of the controller to determine at least one of the first dew point temperature and the second dew point temperature of the fuel.

26 . The fuel conditioning system in accordance with claim 22 further comprising:
detecting the operating pressure of the fuel using a pressure sensor; and
detecting at least one component of the fuel using a composition sensor; and
controlling operation of the controller to:
determine at least one of the first dew point temperature and the second dew point temperature of the fuel based on the operating pressure of the fuel detected by the pressure sensor and the detected at least one component of the fuel; and
determine a lower heating value of the fuel based on the detected component of the fuel.

27 . The method in accordance with claim 22 , further comprising adjusting a flow parameter of the fuel using a flow control device downstream from the pressure control device.

28 . A controller for use with a fuel conditioning system used with a turbine engine, the controller configured to:
couple to a heater used within the turbine engine; couple to a pressure control device coupled within the turbine engine; couple to a temperature sensor coupled within the gas turbine engine; determine a first dew point temperature of the fuel supplied to the turbine at a first time; selectively adjust the pressure of the fuel to reduce the first dew point temperature to a second dew point temperature that is lower than the first dew point temperature; predict a temperature drop over a transient phase, wherein during the transient phase the turbine engine changes from an initial fuel flow rate to a target flow rate: determine, based on the predicted temperature drop, an amount of thermal energy needed to maintain the temperature of the fuel above the second dew point temperature over the transient phase; and adjust an operating parameter of the heater prior to the transient phase, to maintain the operating temperature of the fuel at or above the second dew point temperature during the transient phase.

29 . The controller in accordance with claim 28 , wherein the controller is further configured to couple to a flow control device used to control a flow parameter of the fuel, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain a desired amount of fuel to the turbine engine.

30 . The controller in accordance with claim 28 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine at least one of the first dew point temperature and the second dew point temperature of the fuel; and determine a lower heating value of the fuel based on the determined at least one of the first dew point temperature and the second dew point temperature of the fuel.

31 . The controller in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
detect at least one component of the fuel; detect the operating pressure of the fuel; and determine at least one of the first dew point temperature and the second dew point temperature of the fuel based on at least one of the detected at least one component of the fuel and the operating pressure of the fuel.

32 . The gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the conditioning system further includes a flow control device to adjust a flow parameter of the fuel, wherein the flow control device is downstream from the pressure control device.

Assignees

• Ge Infrastructure Technology Llc

Inventors

• Castillo Campos Jesus Daniel
• Sanchez Herrera Jose Carlos
• Schornick Joe F
• Huynh Tuy C

Classifications

• F02C9/40

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

• F02C7/141

  of working fluid · CPC title

• F02C9/00 Primary

  Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants (controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05) · CPC title

• F23K5/002

  Gaseous fuel · CPC title

• F05D2270/31

  Fuel schedule for stage combustors · CPC title