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US 12,006,878 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus to operate gas turbines with hydrogen as the combusting fuel
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorDavid Justin Brady
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus to operate gas turbines with hydrogen as the combusting fuel are disclosed. An example gas turbine system includes an intercooler disposed between at a fan and at least a portion of a compressor, and at least one conduit to define a flow path to convey fluid, the flow path including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the flow path to carry the fluid to or through the intercooler, the second portion of the flow path to carry the fluid at least partially around at least one of a low-pressure turbine or an exhaust section downstream of a combustor.
Claims18
A gas turbine system comprising:
- an intercooler disposed between a fan and at least a portion of a compressor;
- at least one first conduit to define a first flow path to convey a heat exchange fluid, the at least one first conduit including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the at least one first conduit in connection with the intercooler and positioned at least partially around at least one of i) a low-pressure turbine or ii) an exhaust section downstream of a combustor, the first portion of the at least one first conduit to carry the heat exchange fluid from the intercooler to at least partially around the at least one of i) the low-pressure turbine or ii) the exhaust section, the second portion of the at least one first conduit in connection with the intercooler and positioned at least partially around the at least one of i) the low-pressure turbine or ii) the exhaust section, the second portion of the at least one first conduit to carry the heat exchange fluid from the at least one of i) the low-pressure turbine or ii) the exhaust section to the intercooler, the first portion of the at least one first conduit defining a first section of the first flow path, the second portion of the at least one first conduit defining a second section of the first flow path that does not overlap with the first section of the first flow path;
- at least one combustor nozzle to inject hydrogen into the combustor;
- and
- at least one second conduit to define a second flow path to convey the hydrogen to the at least one combustor nozzle, the second flow path fluidly separate from the first flow path.
2 more elements
A method to operate a gas turbine with hydrogen, the method comprising:
- causing a first fluid to flow axially through the gas turbine;
- causing a second fluid to receive first thermal energy from the first fluid as the first fluid flows through a first portion of the gas turbine and the second fluid flows through a first portion of at least one conduit, the first portion of the gas turbine upstream of at least a portion of a compressor of the gas turbine;
- causing the second fluid to receive second thermal energy from the first fluid as the first fluid flows through a second portion of the gas turbine and the second fluid flows through a second portion of the at least one conduit downstream of the first portion of the at least one conduit, the second portion of the gas turbine downstream of a combustor of the gas turbine;
- causing the second fluid to transport from the second portion of the at least one conduit to the first portion of the at least one conduit through a third portion of the at least one conduit, the third portion of the at least one conduit uninvolved in transportation of the second fluid from the first portion to the second portion of the at least one conduit;
- and
- causing a third fluid to receive third thermal energy from the second fluid and to inject the third fluid into the combustor.
3 more elements
An apparatus to operate a gas turbine with hydrogen, the apparatus comprising:
- means for compressing a first fluid;
- first means for exchanging thermal energy to transfer heat between the first fluid and a second fluid, the first means for exchanging thermal energy positioned forward of at least a portion of the means for compressing;
- means for combusting positioned aft of the means for compressing;
- second means for exchanging thermal energy to transfer heat between the first fluid and the second fluid, the second means for exchanging thermal energy positioned aft of the means for combusting;
- and
- means for conveying the second fluid including a first portion and a second portion that define a closed-loop flow path, the first portion of the means for conveying to convey the second fluid from the first means for exchanging thermal energy to the second means for exchanging thermal energy after the second fluid passes through the first means for exchanging thermal energy, the second portion of the means for conveying to convey the second fluid from the second means for exchanging thermal energy to the first means for exchanging thermal energy, the second portion of the means for conveying distinct from the first portion.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.