# US 11,994,289 B2 · Method for determining the flow rate of combustible fluid injected into a combustion chamber without an additional orifice plate

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- Number: US 11,994,289 B2
- Document ID: US11994289B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/278,382
- Filed: 2019-09-16
- Published: 2021-11-11
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-21
- Assignees: GE Energy Products France SNC
- Applicants: Ge Energy Products France Snc
- Inventors: Sébastien Cagne; Christian-Anghel Solacolu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994289B2

## CPC

- F23N 5/18: using detectors sensitive to rate of flow of air or fuel
- F02C 7/222: {Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds}
- F02C 9/263: {by means of fuel metering valves}
- F23N 1/002: {using electronic means (F23N1/04 - F23N1/10 take precedence)}
- F23R 3/28: characterised by the fuel supply (burners F23D)
- G01F 1/42: Orifices or nozzles
- F05D 2270/3015: differential pressure
- F05D 2270/306: Mass flow
- F23N 2005/185: {using detectors sensitive to rate of flow of fuel}
- F23N 2225/06: for determining flow
- F23N 2241/20: Gas turbines
- G01F 15/002: {for gases}
- G01F 15/003: {using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means (G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence)}
- G01F 15/005: {Valves (valves in general F16K)}
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A method for determining the flow rate of combustible fluid injected into a combustion chamber (120) of a turbine (100) includes determining the cross section of the orifice of the at least one injector (112, 113, 114, 115) through which the combustible fluid is injected into the combustion chamber (120). The pressure of the combustible fluid upstream of the orifice of the injector (112, 113, 114, 115) is determined. The pressure downstream of the orifice of the injector (112, 113, 114, 115) is determined. The flow rate of combustible fluid flowing through the orifice of the at least one injector (112, 113, 114, 115) is determined.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for determining a flow rate of combustible fluid injected into a combustion chamber of a turbine, the combustible fluid being a gas mixture and injected into the combustion chamber through an orifice of at least one injector, said orifice being arranged inside the combustion chamber, the method comprising the following steps:
injecting the combustible fluid into the combustion chamber through the orifice of the at least one injector,
determining a cross section of the orifice of said at least one injector through which the combustible fluid is injected into the combustion chamber,
determining a pressure of the combustible fluid upstream of the orifice of the at least one injector,
determining a pressure downstream of the orifice of the at least one injector,
determining the flow rate of combustible fluid flowing through the orifice of said at least one injector as a function of the determined cross section of the orifice of said at least one injector, of the determined pressure of the combustible fluid upstream of the orifice of the at least one injector, and of the determined pressure downstream of the orifice of the at least one injector,
determining the flow rate of combustible fluid injected into the combustion chamber as a function of the pressure difference between the pressure of the combustible fluid upstream of the orifice and the pressure of the combustible fluid downstream of the orifice, across said at least one injector,
wherein the pressure of the combustible fluid upstream of the orifice of the at least one injector is determined indirectly by measuring the difference in pressure between a combustible-fluid line and the pressure of the compressed air leaving a compressor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for determining according to claim 1, where the combustion chamber further comprises a plurality of injectors, wherein the flow rate of combustible fluid injected into the combustion chamber is determined as being the sum of the flow rates of combustible fluid flowing through the plurality of injectors.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for determining according to claim 1, wherein the pressure of the combustible fluid downstream of the orifice of the injector is the pressure inside the combustion chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method for determining according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the flow rate of combustible fluid injected into the combustion chamber is performed before the ignition in the combustion chamber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method for determining according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the flow rate of combustible fluid is performed when the pressure upstream of a space into which said at least one injector opens is strictly higher than the pressure in said space.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method for determining according to claim 1, wherein the turbine further comprises a plurality of combustion chambers each comprising at least one injector of combustible fluid, the determining of the flow rate of combustible fluid injected into each of the plurality of combustion chambers being performed up until the point of ignition in all the combustion chambers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method for determining according to claim 1, the turbine comprising at least one combustible-fluid supply circuit supplying combustible fluid to said combustion chamber, said at least one combustible-fluid supply circuit being connected to one or more distribution devices providing a supply to said at least one injector, wherein the determining of the flow rate of combustible fluid injected into the combustion chamber is performed as a function of the pressure measured at a single one of said one or more distribution devices.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method for triggering the determining of the flow rate of combustible fluid injected into a combustion chamber, wherein
if the pressure of the combustible fluid upstream of the orifice of the injector is higher than the pressure downstream of the orifice of the injector, then implementing the method for determining according to claim 1.