Methods for operating gas turbine engines
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMark Stephen Rocklin, Nicholas Damlis, Curtis Lee Brown, Robert Paul Coleman, James William Stegmaier
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Abstract
A method is provided for operating a gas turbine engine that includes a high pressure compressor and a water injection apparatus for injecting water into a flow of the engine upstream from the high pressure compressor. The method includes the steps of operating the engine without injecting water into the gas flow of the engine, injecting water at a first flow rate into the gas flow for power augmentation once engine full power is about reached, and injecting water into the engine at an increased second flow rate for evaporative cooling of engine components downstream from the high pressure compressor.
Claims17
A method for operating a gas turbine engine including a high pressure compressor and a water injection apparatus for injecting water into a flow of the engine upstream from the high pressure compressor, said method comprising the steps of:
- operating the engine without injecting water into the gas flow of the engine;
- injecting water into the gas flow at a first flow rate for power augmentation once engine full power is about reached;
- and
- injecting water at an increased second flow rate into the engine to evaporative cool engine components downstream from the high pressure compressor;
- wherein said method further includes the step of injecting water through a circumferential manifold having a plurality of alternating radially-inward extending long and short nozzles, each of said short nozzles being positioned substantially in-between two long nozzles.
A method for operating a gas turbine engine, said method comprising the steps of:
- injecting water into the gas flow at a first flow rate for power augmentation once engine full power is about reached;
- accelerating the engine to full power while water is injected at the first flow rate;
- and
- injecting water at a second flow rate into the engine for evaporative cooling of engine components while the engine is maintained at a substantially constant operating power;
- wherein said method further includes the step of injecting water through a circumferential manifold having a plurality of alternating radially-inward extending long and short nozzles, each of said short nozzles being positioned substantially in-between two long nozzles.
A method for operating an engine including a high pressure compressor and a water injection system including a plurality of nozzles, said method comprising the steps of:
- operating the engine at full power without injecting water into the gas flow of the engine;
- injecting water through the nozzles into the gas flow at a first flow rate for power augmentation once engine full power is about reached;
- accelerating the engine to full power while water is injected at the first flow rate;
- and
- injecting water at a second flow rate through the nozzles into the engine for evaporative cooling of engine components while the engine is maintained at a substantially constant operating power, wherein the second flow rate is at least approximately five percent greater than a corresponding water injection first flow rate used for power augmentation;
- wherein said method further includes the step of injecting water through a circumferential manifold having a plurality of alternating radially-inward extending long and short nozzles, each of said short nozzles being positioned substantially in-between two long nozzles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.