# US 11,078,840 B2 · Wind funnel and gas combustion turbine systems including compression sections > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,840 B2 - Document ID: US11078840B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/861,003 - Filed: 2020-04-28 - Published: 2020-08-13 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-17 - Applicants: Sammy Kayara - Inventors: Sammy Kayara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078840B2 ## CPC - F02C 7/04: Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants - F01D 9/06: Fluid supply conduits to nozzles or the like - F01D 25/00: Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, other groups - F02C 7/057: Control or regulation (conjointly with fuel supply control F02C9/50, with nozzle area control F02K1/16) - F01D 15/10: Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators - F01D 17/085: {to temperature} - F01D 25/32: Collecting of condensation water; Drainage {; Removing solid particles} - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2220/74: a gas turbine - F05D 2250/292: tapered - F05D 2250/35: rotated - F05D 2250/511: augmenting, i.e. with intercepting fluid flow cross sectional area greater than the rest of the machine behind the inlet - 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) - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract Wind funnel and gas combustion turbine systems are disclosed. Air travels through a wind funnel where it is compressed, and then flows into a compression section of a gas combustion turbine that is fueled by a hydrocarbon fuel source such as natural gas. Compressed air from the wind funnel may enter the compression section at selected locations. The compression section may have a front relatively low compression section and a downstream relatively higher compression section, and the compressed air from the wind funnel may be selectively delivered to one or both of the lower and higher compression sections. In addition, ambient air may be introduced into the lower compression section. During periods when compressed air from the wind funnel is delivered to the downstream higher compression section, the front lower compression section may be decoupled from the downstream section. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system comprising: a wind funnel comprising an inlet opening having a cross-sectional area and an outlet opening having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of the inlet opening, wherein the wind funnel is inwardly tapered between the inlet opening and the outlet opening; and a stationary gas combustion turbine in flow communication with the wind funnel, wherein the wind funnel is structured and arranged to receive air from a wind source through the inlet opening and to discharge compressed air from the outlet opening for delivery to a gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine comprising a low compression section and a medium compression section, and wherein the compressed air from the wind funnel is introduced into the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine downstream from a first row of rotatable blades attached to a rotatable turbine shaft in the gas compression section, and the compressed air from the wind funnel is selectively introduced alternatively into the low compression section and into the medium compression section. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 1, wherein the compressed air from the wind funnel is selectively introduced into the gas compression section at multiple locations downstream from the first row of rotatable blades. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 1, wherein the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine comprises the low compression section including an output shaft, the medium compression section including an input shaft, and a turbine coupling mechanism structured and arranged to selectively engage and disengage the output and input shafts to thereby engage and disengage the low and medium compression sections from each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 1, wherein the stationary gas combustion turbine comprises a combustion section comprising a fuel inlet into which a hydrocarbon fuel is fed, and oxygen from the compressed air from the wind funnel is combined with the hydrocarbon fuel in the combustion section for combustion of the hydrocarbon fuel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 4, wherein the hydrocarbon fuel comprises natural gas. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 1, wherein the wind funnel is rotatable around a vertical axis to adjust for different prevailing wind directions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 6, further comprising a support member adjacent the inlet opening of the wind funnel structured and arranged to support the wind funnel when it is rotated around the vertical axis, wherein the support member comprises at least one wheel engageable with an arcuate track supported by ground below the wind funnel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 1, wherein the inlet opening of the wind funnel has a cross-sectional area, the outlet opening of the wind funnel has a cross-sectional area, and a cross-sectional area ratio of the cross-sectional area of the inlet opening to the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening is from 5:1 to 10,000:1, and wherein the wind funnel has an internal volume FV of 1,000 to 15,000,000 m3. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 1, further comprising a transfer pipe extending from the outlet opening of the wind funnel in flow communication between the wind funnel and the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 1, further comprising a compressed air handler-filter in flow communication between the wind funnel and the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 1, further comprising an ambient air inlet in flow communication with the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 11, wherein the ambient air inlet is structured and arranged to introduce ambient air into the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine upstream from a location of introduction of the compressed air from the wind funnel into the gas compression section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 11, further comprising an ambient air handler-filter in flow communication between a source of ambient air separate from the air received from the wind source through the inlet opening of the wind funnel and the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine. ### Claim 14 A wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system comprising: a wind funnel comprising an inlet opening having a cross-sectional area and an outlet opening having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of the inlet opening, wherein the wind funnel is inwardly tapered between the inlet opening and the outlet opening; and a stationary gas combustion turbine in flow communication with the wind funnel, wherein the wind funnel is structured and arranged to receive air from a wind source through the inlet opening and to discharge compressed air from the outlet opening for delivery to a compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine, and wherein the compression section comprises a low compression section and a medium compression section, and the compressed air from the wind funnel is selectively introduced alternatively into the low compression section and into the medium compression section. ### Claim 15 A wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system comprising: a wind funnel comprising an inlet opening having a cross-sectional area and an outlet opening having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of the inlet opening, wherein the wind funnel is inwardly tapered between the inlet opening and the outlet opening; and a stationary gas combustion turbine in flow communication with the wind funnel, wherein the wind funnel is structured and arranged to receive air from a wind source through the inlet opening and to discharge compressed air from the outlet opening for delivery to a gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine, wherein the gas compression section comprises a low compression section including an output shaft, a medium compression section including an input shaft, and a turbine coupling mechanism structured and arranged to selectively engage and disengage the output and input shafts to thereby engage and disengage the low and medium compression sections from each other, and wherein the compressed air from the wind funnel is selectively introduced alternatively into the low compression section and into the medium compression section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 15, wherein the low and medium compression sections are engaged with each other by the turbine coupling mechanism when the compressed air from the outlet opening of the wind funnel is delivered to the low compression section, and the low and medium compression sections are disengaged from each other by the turbine coupling mechanism when the compressed air from the outlet opening of the wind funnel is only delivered to the medium compression section. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 15, further comprising an actuator connected to the input shaft structured and arranged to move the input shaft toward the output shaft to thereby drivingly engage the input and output shafts through the turbine coupling mechanism, and to move the input shaft away from the output shaft to thereby drivingly disengage the input and output shafts. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 17, wherein the actuator drivingly disengages the input and output shafts when the compressed air from the outlet opening of the wind funnel is only delivered to the medium compression section. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 15, comprising a plurality of the air inlets located at different positions around a circumference of the compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 15, comprising a plurality of the air inlets located at different axial positions along an axis of rotation of the rotatable turbine shaft in the gas compression section. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of air inlets is located in the low compression section, and at least another one of the plurality of air inlets is located in the medium compression section. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system of claim 15, further comprising at least one air sensor structured and arranged to detect an air parameter at the inlet opening of the wind funnel, at the outlet opening of the wind funnel, or at an inlet of the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine, wherein the air parameter comprises air flow, air pressure, air temperature or air humidity. ### Claim 23 A method of operating a wind funnel and gas combustion turbine system comprising: feeding compressed air from a wind funnel to a gas compression section of a stationary gas combustion turbine comprising a low compression section and a medium compression section; and combusting fuel in the stationary gas combustion turbine in the presence of oxygen supplied from the compressed air, wherein the wind funnel comprises: an inlet opening having a cross-sectional area; an outlet opening having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of the inlet opening; and a sidewall tapered inwardly from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, wherein the compressed air from the wind funnel is introduced into the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine downstream from a first row of rotatable blades attached to a rotatable turbine shaft in the gas compression section, and the compressed air from the wind funnel is selectively introduced alternatively into the low compression section and into the medium compression section. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the gas compression section of the stationary gas combustion turbine comprises the low compression section including an output shaft, the medium compression section including an input shaft, and a turbine coupling mechanism structured and arranged to selectively engage and disengage the output and input shafts to thereby engage and disengage the low and medium compression sections from each other. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, further comprising adjusting an orientation of the wind funnel based upon wind direction.