System for combining flow from compressor bleeds of an industrial gas turbine for gas turbine performance optimization

A method for bleeding air from plural ports in a multi-stage compressor to provide cooling and/or sealing air to an associated turbine for optimizing gas turbine performance comprising:

• selectively extracting bleed air from a lower pressure stage of the compressor and flowing said low pressure extraction through a first extraction flow path from said lower pressure stage of said compressor toward a first target portion of said turbine;
• selectively extracting mid pressure bleed air from a mid pressure stage of compressor and selectively flowing said mid pressure bleed air along a second extraction flow path from said mid pressure stage of said compressor toward a second target portion of said turbine;
• and
• selectively communicating said first extraction flow path and said second extraction flow path through a first cross over flow path via an ejector in flow communication with said first cross over flow path and said second extraction flow path at a junction therebetween, so as to selectively mix air flowing through said second and first extraction flow paths to control pressure of air supplied to at least one of said target portions of said turbine, so that the lower pressure, first extraction flow path can be communicated to a said target portion at a higher pressure than said low pressure extraction.

A system for bleeding air from plural ports in a multi-stage compressor to provide cooling and/or sealing air to an associated turbine for optimizing gas turbine performance, comprising:

• a first casing portion surrounding a lower pressure stage of the compressor, said first casing portion having at least one bleed aperture defined therethrough;
• a first extraction flow path for conducting bleed air from said first casing portion to the turbine;
• a second casing portion surrounding a mid pressure stage of the compressor, said second casing portion having at least one bleed aperture defined therethrough;
• a second extraction flow path for conducting bleed air from said second casing portion to the turbine;
• a first cross over flow path interconnecting said first extraction flow path and said second extraction flow path for selective cross over flow therebetween;
• a first control valve provided in said first extraction flow path, upstream of said first cross over path;
• a second control valve provided in said second extraction flow path, upstream of said first cross over path;
• a first cross over control valve provided in said first cross over flow path for selectively controlling flow between said first extraction flow path and said second extraction flow path, whereby flow through and between said first and second extraction flow paths can be selectively controlled to supply air to the turbine at a proper pressure with an economic mixture of bleed air;
• a third, high-pressure extraction flow path for conducting high pressure bleed air from a compressor discharge extraction manifold to the turbine;
• and
• a second cross over flow path defined between said second extraction flow path and said third extraction flow path, and a second cross over control valve provided in said second cross over flow path for selectively controlling flow between said third extraction flow path and said second extraction flow path,
• wherein said second extraction flow path includes first and second parallel flow paths, said first parallel flow path being in selective flow communication with said first extraction flow path via said first cross over flow path, said third extraction flow path being in selective flow communication with said second parallel flow path via said second cross over flow path, and
• wherein said third extraction flow path includes first and second parallel flow paths, said first flow path of said third extraction flow path being in selective flow communication with said second parallel flow path of said second extraction flow path via said second cross over flow path.

A method for bleeding air from plural ports in a multi-stage compressor to provide cooling and/or sealing air to an associated turbine for optimizing gas turbine performance comprising:

• selectively extracting bleed air from a lower pressure stage of the compressor and flowing said low pressure extraction through a first extraction flow path from said lower pressure stage of said compressor toward a first target portion of said turbine;
• selectively extracting mid pressure bleed air from a mid pressure stage of compressor and selectively flowing said mid pressure bleed air along a second extraction flow path from said mid pressure stage of said compressor toward a second target portion of said turbine;
• selectively communicating said first extraction flow path and said second extraction flow path through a first cross over flow path so as to selectively mix air flowing through said second and first extraction flow paths to control pressure of air supplied to at least one of said target portions of said turbine;
• selectively extracting high pressure bleed air from a high pressure section of the compressor and flowing said high pressure bleed air along a third extraction flow path from said high pressure section of said compressor toward a third target portion of said turbine;
• selectively communicating said third extraction flow path and said second extraction flow path through a second cross over flow path so as to selectively mix air flowing through said third and second extraction flow paths to control pressure of air supplied to at least one of said target portions of said turbine;
• and
• splitting said flow in said second extraction flow path for selective flow through one of at least first and second parallel flow paths, said first parallel flow path being in selective flow communication with said first extraction flow path via said first cross over path and said third extraction flow path being in selective flow communication with said second parallel flow path of said second parallel flow path via said second cross over path;
• splitting said flow in said third extraction flow path for selective flow through one of at least first and second parallel flow paths, said first parallel flow path of said third extraction flow path being in selective flow communication with said second extraction flow path via said second cross over path.