# US 5,343,691 A · Reducing thermal deposits in propulsion systems

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- Number: US 5,343,691 A
- Document ID: US5343691A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/096,391
- Filed: 1993-07-26
- Granted: 1994-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 1992-07-27
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Inventors: George A. Coffinberry
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5343691A

## CPC

- F23K 5/22: Vaporising devices (in burners using a direct spraying action of liquid droplets or vaporised liquid into the combustion space F23D11/44)
- F02C 3/36: Open cycles
- F02C 6/003: {Gas-turbine plants with heaters between turbine stages}
- F05D 2240/36: Fuel vaporizer
- F23K: FEEDING FUEL TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS (fuel feeders specially adapted for fluidised bed combustion apparatus F23C10/22)
- 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)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

This invention provides a method to mix a relatively large amount of non-condensable gas with fuel prior to gasification heating thus reducing the residence time of the fuel adjacent to hot surfaces. The non-condensable gas may be air, a cryogenic such as methane, or a chemical fraction of the gasified fuel which by itself does not promote the formation of significant amounts of gums or coke deposits.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for combusting fuel in a gas turbine engine comprising the following steps:
mixing a compressed gas with liquid fuel in a first mixing means to form a liquid and gas mixture prior to heating the liquid and gas mixture,
flowing the liquid and gas mixture through a heat exchanger and gasifying all of the liquid fuel and gas thereby forming a fuel and air gaseous mixture,
flowing a first portion of the fuel and air gaseous mixture to the gas turbine engine combustion section and combusting the fuel and air gaseous mixture,
flowing a second portion of the fuel and air gaseous mixture to a second mixer, and
mixing air compressed by the compressor section of the gas turbine engine with the second portion of the fuel and air gaseous mixture in the second mixer thereby forming a relatively cool air and fuel gaseous mixture and flowing the relatively cool air and fuel gaseous mixture to the first mixing means to serve as the compressed gas for mixing with the liquid fuel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method for combusting fuel as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an intermediate step of compressing the relatively cool air and fuel gaseous mixture before flowing it to the first mixing means to mix with the liquid fuel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method for combusting fuel as claimed in claim 2 comprising an intermediate step of compressing the relatively cool air and fuel gaseous mixture with a turbo-compressor driven by compressed air from the compressor section of the gas turbine engine before flowing it to the first mixing means to mix with the liquid fuel.