Apparatus and system for compressor clearance control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9708980-B2
Application number	US-201414296846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Jun 5, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

Various embodiments include apparatuses and systems for controlling compressor clearances. In one case, an apparatus includes: a material layer sized to fit a case of a gas turbine (GT) compressor in a GT system, the material layer including a heating element for applying heat to the case of the GT compressor; and a control system coupled with the material layer, the control system configured to: determine whether a shutdown sequence is occurring in the GT system; and actuate the heating element to apply heat to the case of the GT compressor in response to determining that the shutdown sequence is occurring.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a material layer sized to fit a case of a gas turbine (GT) compressor in a GT system, the material layer including a heating element for applying heat to the case of the GT compressor, wherein the material layer includes a ceramic material, the ceramic material having a thermal conductivity equal to a thermal conductivity of the case, plus-or-minus ten percent; and
a control system coupled with the material layer, the control system configured to:
determine whether a shutdown sequence is occurring in the GT system; and
actuate the heating element to apply heat to the case of the GT compressor in response to determining that the shutdown sequence is occurring.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control system determines that the shutdown sequence is occurring by detecting operating instructions for shutting down the GT system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating element includes a conductive coil.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material layer is sized to fit a portion of the case spanning from an inlet bellmouth of the case to a compressor discharge case (CDC) section.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the material layer further extends around an aft end of the case.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material layer is shaped to mount on an outer surface of the case.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material layer has a thermal conductivity below approximately 200 (Btu*in)/(ft 2 *hr*degF).

8. A system comprising:
a gas turbine (GT) system including a GT compressor, the GT compressor having a case and a rotor section within the case;
a material layer fitted around the case and coupled to the case, the material layer including a heating element for applying heat to the case, wherein the material layer includes a ceramic material, the ceramic material having a thermal conductivity equal to a thermal conductivity of the case, plus-or-minus ten percent; and
a control system coupled with the material layer, the control system configured to:
determine whether a shutdown sequence is occurring in the GT system; and
actuate the heating element to apply heat to the case of the GT compressor in response to determining that the shutdown sequence is occurring.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control system determines that the shutdown sequence is occurring by detecting operating instructions for shutting down the GT system.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the heating element includes a conductive coil.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the material layer is sized to fit a portion of the case spanning from an inlet bellmouth of the case to a compressor discharge case (CDC) section.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the material layer further extends around an aft end of the case.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the applying of the heat to the case mitigates a differential thermal expansion between the case and the rotor section.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the material layer has a thermal conductivity below approximately 200 (Btu*in)/(ft 2 *hr*degF).

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Farley Nicholas Robert
• Cloninger Ii Joel Russell
• Lawler John Fitzgerald

Classifications

• F01D11/24 Primary

  by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components · CPC title

• F01D21/00

  Shutting-down of machines or engines, e.g. in emergency; Regulating, controlling, or safety means not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F02C7/057 Primary

  Control or regulation (conjointly with fuel supply control F02C9/50, with nozzle area control F02K1/16) · CPC title