System and method for controlling a fuel supply associated with a turbomachine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRobert Joseph Loeven, II, Fabien Thibault Codron, Michael John Mariani, Erhan Karaca
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention incorporate a relatively slow acting valve to throttle the fuel flow through the compressor. Embodiments of the present invention seek to reduce the need for recirculating compressed fuel that is not needed by the turbomachine. This may increase the net power output and efficiency of a turbomachine-fuel gas compressor system.
Claims20
A system for controlling fuel flowing through a fuel supply system to an operatively combined turbomachine and fuel gas compressor unit, the system comprising:
- a compressor comprising at least one stage, a recirculation circuit associated with the at least one stage, wherein the recirculation circuit is equipped with an anti-surge valve;
- and a flow path that allows a fuel to fluidly communicate through the compressor;
- and
- a throttling valve that controls conditions of the fuel at the inlet of the compressor stage within the flow path;
- wherein the throttling valve reduces a need to recirculate additional fuel through the compressor via the recirculation circuit;
- wherein the throttling valve assists the compressor with operating within design conditions.
A method of controlling fuel flowing through a fuel supply system to an operatively combined turbomachine and fuel gas compressor unit, the method comprising:
- providing a compressor comprising at least one stage, a recirculation circuit associated with the at least one stage, wherein the recirculation circuit is equipped with an anti-surge valve;
- and a flow path that allows a fuel to fluidly communicate through the compressor;
- and
- modulating a throttling valve that controls conditions of the fuel at the inlet of the compressor stage within the flow path;
- wherein the throttling valve reduces a need to recirculate additional fuel through the compressor via the recirculation circuit;
- wherein the throttling valve assists the compressor with operating within design conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.