Methods and apparatus to operate a gas turbine engine with hydrogen gas
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsEloise Brightwell, Douglas M. Fortuna, Gilbert Henry Badeer, Steven Keith Handelsman
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus to operate a gas turbine engine with hydrogen gas are disclosed. An example combustor nozzle apparatus of a gas turbine engine includes injecting an other combustible gas into a combustor, comparing a power output of the gas turbine to a rated power threshold, and in response to the power output of the gas turbine satisfying the rated power threshold: injecting water into the combustor, injecting hydrogen into the combustor, and terminating injections of the other combustible gas.
Claims20
A method of operating a gas turbine using a hydrogen gas as fuel, the hydrogen gas being up to 100% hydrogen gas, the method comprising:
- injecting an other combustible gas into a combustor via a fuel nozzle;
- and
- determining that the gas turbine is operating at a synchronized idle speed in response to at least one of (i) a power output of the gas turbine satisfying a rated power threshold or (ii) an operating frequency of the gas turbine satisfying an operating frequency threshold;
- injecting water into the combustor via the fuel nozzle and increasing a volumetric flow rate of the water from the fuel nozzle after injecting the other combustible gas, when the gas turbine is operating at the synchronized idle speed, and before injecting the hydrogen gas into the combustor;
- injecting the hydrogen gas into the combustor via the fuel nozzle directly after increasing the volumetric flow rate of the water injected into the combustor;
- and
- reducing a volumetric flow rate of the other combustible gas after injecting the hydrogen gas into the combustor,
- wherein the water injected into the combustor to provide a thermal barrier between the hydrogen gas injected into the combustor and hardware associated with the combustor.
A method to operate a gas turbine with using a hydrogen gas as fuel, the hydrogen gas being up to 100% hydrogen gas, the method comprising:
- adjusting an other combustible gas valve to a gas valve open position to inject an other combustible gas into a combustor via a fuel nozzle, the other combustible gas to be utilized as a combusting fuel;
- determining whether the gas turbine is operating at a synchronized idle speed;
- adjusting a water valve from a water valve closed position to a water valve open position to inject water into the combustor via the fuel nozzle at a first volumetric flow rate after injecting the other combustible gas, when the gas turbine is operating at the synchronized idle speed, and before initiating injecting the hydrogen gas into the combustor;
- adjusting a hydrogen valve to a hydrogen valve open position to inject the hydrogen gas into the combustor via the fuel nozzle directly after injecting the water into the combustor, the hydrogen gas to be utilized as a component of the combusting fuel;
- and
- gradually adjusting the other combustible gas valve to a gas valve closed position to terminate injections of the other combustible gas into the combustor, and reduce a percent composition of the other combustible gas in the combusting fuel,
- wherein the water injected into the combustor to provide a thermal barrier between the hydrogen gas injected into the combustor and hardware associated with the combustor.
A method of operating a gas turbine with a hydrogen gas as fuel, the hydrogen gas being up to 100% hydrogen gas, the method comprising:
- injecting an other combustible gas into a combustor via a fuel nozzle, the other combustible gas to be utilized as a combusting fuel;
- and
- determining that the gas turbine is operating at a synchronized idle speed in response to at least one of (i) a power output of the gas turbine satisfying a rated power threshold or (ii) an operating frequency of the gas turbine satisfying an operating frequency threshold;
- injecting water into the combustor, via the fuel nozzle after supplying the other combustible gas, when the gas turbine is operating at the synchronized idle speed, and before initiating injecting the hydrogen gas into the combustor;
- initiating injecting the hydrogen gas into the combustor, via the fuel nozzle, directly after the water is injected into the combustor, the hydrogen gas to be utilized as a component of the combusting fuel;
- increasing a percent composition of the hydrogen gas in the combusting fuel, after initiating injecting the hydrogen gas into the combustor;
- and
- increasing a volumetric flow rate of the water into the combustor as the percent composition of the hydrogen gas in the combusting fuel increases,
- wherein the water injected into the combustor to provide a thermal barrier between the hydrogen gas injected into the combustor and hardware associated with the combustor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.