# US 11,028,783 B2 · Automated tuning of gas turbine combustion systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,028,783 B2 - Document ID: US11028783B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/282,645 - Filed: 2019-02-22 - Published: 2019-06-20 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2009-05-08 - Assignees: Gas Turbine Efficiency Sweden AB - Applicants: Gas Turbine Efficiency Sweden AB - Inventors: Christopher Chandler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028783B2 ## CPC - F02C 9/28: Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed (F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence) - F23N 1/002: {using electronic means (F23N1/04 - F23N1/10 take precedence)} - F23N 5/003: {using detectors sensitive to combustion gas properties (F23N5/02, F23N5/18 - F23N5/26 take precedence)} - F23N 5/242: {using electronic means} - F23R 3/34: Feeding into different combustion zones - G05B 13/021: {in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance} - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2260/80: Diagnostics - F05D 2270/082: with as little NOx as possible - F05D 2270/083: by monitoring combustion conditions - F05D 2270/20: to optimize the performance of a machine - F05D 2270/303: Temperature - F05D 2270/31: Fuel schedule for stage combustors - F23N 2241/20: Gas turbines - F23R 2900/00013: Reducing thermo-acoustic vibrations by active means - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F23N: REGULATING OR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION (control devices specially adapted for combustion apparatus in which combustion takes place in a fluidised bed of fuel or other particles F23C10/28; condition responsive controls for regulating combustion in domestic stoves with open fires for solid fuel F24B1/187) - F23R: GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS (fluidised bed combustion apparatus specially adapted for operation at superatmospheric pressures F23C10/16) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract The present disclosure provides a tuning system for tuning the operation of a gas turbine. The system comprises operational turbine controls for controlling operational control elements of the turbine, including at least one of turbine fuel distribution or the fuel temperature. The system also has a tuning controller communicating with the turbine controls. The tuning controller is configured to tune the operation of the turbine in accordance with the following steps: receiving operational data about the turbine, providing a hierarchy of tuning issues, determining whether sensed operational data is within predetermined operational limits and producing one or more indicators. If the operational data is not within predetermined operational limits, the tuning controller will rank the one or more indicators to determine dominant tuning concern, and tune the operation of the turbine based on dominant tuning concern. Also provided herein are a method and computer readable medium for tuning. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tuning system for tuning the operation of a gas turbine, the system comprising: operational turbine controls for controlling operational control elements of the turbine, the operational control elements producing a change in operational parameter data of the gas turbine; a tuning controller communicating with the operational turbine controls to adjust one or more operational control element, the tuning controller configured to tune the operation of the turbine in accordance with the following: receiving real-time or near real-time operational parameter data about the turbine, adjusting one or more tuning priorities within a range to change stored operational standards, the stored operational standards in the form of tuning alarm levels, determining whether sensed operational parameter data is within the stored operational standards and producing one or more indicators if said operational data is not within the stored operational standards, ranking the one or more indicators based on the hierarchy of tuning priorities to determine the dominant tuning concern, determining whether the one or more indicators has continued for a predetermined period of time; and tuning the operation of the turbine by causing an adjustment in one of the operational control element, wherein the operational control element being adjusted is selected based on the dominant tuning concern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tuning system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor for sensing the operational parameters of the turbine, wherein the operational parameters include at least one of combustor dynamics or turbine exhaust emissions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tuning system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more indicators are ranked based on the severity of each indicator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The tuning system according to claim 3, wherein the one or more indicators are further ranked based on the tuning priorities, such that indicators of the same magnitude are ranked based on the tuning priorities. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tuning system according to claim 1, wherein tuning the operation of the turbine based on dominant tuning concern comprises making incremental adjustments in one or more operational control elements of the turbine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tuning system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more indicators comprises one or more alarm levels indicating that the operational data of the turbine is outside of allowable limits of the turbine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The tuning system according to claim 1, wherein the tuning priorities for the turbine comprise one or more selected from the group comprising NOx levels, power level, and combustion dynamics. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The tuning system according to claim 1, wherein the tuning controller communicates indirectly with the turbine controller through a distribution control system (DCS) or similar control system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The tuning system according to claim 1, wherein the tuning controller communicates directly with the turbine controller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The tuning system according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface operable to adjust tuning parameter limits during operation of the tuning system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The tuning system according to claim 1, wherein the operational control elements comprise one or more of turbine fuel distribution splits of the fuel circuits of the combustors, fuel gas inlet temperature, and fuel/air ratio within the turbine. ### Claim 12 A method of tuning the operation of a gas turbine, the turbine having turbine controls for controlling operational control elements of the turbine, the operational control elements producing a change in operational parameter data of the gas turbine, the method comprising: receiving real-time or near real-time operational parameter data about the turbine, adjusting one or more tuning priorities within a range to change stored operational standards, the stored operational standards in the form of tuning alarm levels, determining whether sensed operational parameter data is within the stored operational standards and producing one or more indicators if said operational data is not within the stored operational standards, ranking the one or more indicators based on the hierarchy of tuning priorities to determine the dominant tuning concern, determining whether the one or more indicators has continued for a predetermined period of time; and tuning the operation of the turbine by causing an adjustment in one of the operational control element, wherein the operational control element being adjusted is selected based on the dominant tuning concern. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the one or more indicators are ranked based on the severity of the indicator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more indicators are further ranked based on the tuning priorities, such that indicators of the same magnitude are ranked based on the tuning priorities. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein step of tuning the operation of the turbine based on dominant tuning concern comprises making incremental adjustments in one or more operational control elements of the turbine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the tuning priorities comprise one or more selected from the group comprising NOx levels, power level and combustion dynamics. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein real-time adjustment of tuning limits is achieved through the use of a graphical user interface during operation of the turbine. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the operational control elements comprise one or more of turbine fuel distribution splits of the fuel circuits of the combustors, fuel gas inlet temperature, and fuel/air ratio within the turbine. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable medium having embodied therein a computer program for tuning the operation of a combustion turbine comprising code segments for: controlling operational control elements of the turbine, the operational control elements producing a change in operational parameter data of the gas turbine, receiving real-time or near real-time operational parameter data about the turbine, adjusting one or more tuning priorities within a range to change stored operational standards, the stored operational standards in the form of tuning alarm levels, determining whether sensed operational parameter data is within the stored operational standards and producing one or more indicators if said operational data is not within the stored operational standards, ranking the one or more indicators based on the hierarchy of tuning priorities to determine the dominant tuning concern, determining whether the one or more indicators has continued for a predetermined period of time; and tuning the operation of the turbine by causing an adjustment in one of the operational control element, wherein the operational control element being adjusted is selected based on the dominant tuning concern. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the tuning priorities comprise one or more selected from the group comprising NOx levels, power level and combustion dynamics. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the one or more indicators are ranked based on the severity of the indicator and wherein the indicators are further ranked based on the tuning priorities, such that indicators of the same magnitude are ranked based on the tuning priorities. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein tuning the operation of the turbine comprises making incremental adjustments of at least one operational control element of the turbine. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein real-time adjustment of tuning limits is achieved through the use of a graphical user interface. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the operational control elements comprise one or more of turbine fuel distribution splits of the fuel circuits of the combustors, fuel gas inlet temperature, and fuel/air ratio within the turbine.