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US 9,541,008 B2Granted
Method and apparatus to control part-load performance of a turbine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorRobert Joseph Reed
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of controlling the part-load performance of a turbine includes generating a bypass flow in the turbine by removing a portion of a compressed fluid from a compressor of the turbine, determining an operating load of the turbine, transmitting the bypass flow to a turbine section of the turbine; and selectively heating the bypass flow according to the determined operating load of the turbine.
Claims17
A turbine, comprising:
- a compressor to intake a fluid and compress the fluid;
- a combustion section to combust a fuel to generate heated fluid by heating the fluid from the compressor;
- a turbine section to convert the heated fluid to work, wherein the turbine section receives heated compressed air directly from the combustion section;
- and
- a bypass circuit to generate a bypass flow by taking in compressed fluid from the compressor, the bypass circuit including:
- a valve to direct the bypass flow to a heat exchanger to heat the bypass flow and from the heat exchanger directly to the turbine section according to one operation mode of the turbine, and to direct the bypass flow directly to the turbine in another operation mode of the turbine, wherein the bypass flow flows from a portion of the compressor between a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet directly to the valve;
- a first conduit to transmit the bypass flow from the compressor to the valve;
- a second conduit to transmit the bypass flow from the valve to a first inlet on the turbine section, the first inlet being coupled to a first vane;
- a third conduit to transmit the bypass flow from the valve to the heat exchanger;
- a fourth conduit to transmit the bypass flow from the heat exchanger to a second inlet on the turbine section, the second inlet being coupled to a second vane;
- and
- wherein the second and fourth conduits are connected to each other by a connection conduit extending axially along the turbine section, and the first and second inlets are located along the connection conduit.
9 more elements
A power generation system, comprising:
- a compressor section having a compressor to take in and compress a fluid, a combustion section to heat the fluid from the compressor, a turbine section that receives fluid directly from the combustion section to drive a shaft with the fluid heated by the combustion section, an exhaust section to eject the fluid from the turbine section, a bypass circuit to generate a bypass flow by taking in a portion of the fluid compressed by the compressor, and a valve to direct the bypass flow to a heat exchanger to heat the bypass flow and from the heat exchanger directly to a second inlet on the turbine section according to one operation mode of the turbine, the second inlet being coupled to a second vane, and to direct the bypass flow directly to a first inlet on the turbine in another operation mode of the turbine, the first inlet being coupled to a first vane, wherein the bypass flow flows from a portion of the compressor between a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet directly to the valve;
- wherein the first and second inlets are located along a connection conduit that extends axially along the turbine section;
- and
- a turbine control unit to determine an operating mode of the turbine, and to control the bypass circuit to transmit the bypass flow to one of the turbine section and the heat exchanger according to a determined operating mode.
1 more element
A method to control part-load performance of a turbine, the method comprising:
- generating a bypass flow in a turbine by removing a portion of a compressed fluid from a compressor of the turbine;
- determining an operating load of the turbine;
- transmitting the bypass flow to a heat exchanger to heat the bypass flow and from the heat exchanger directly to a second inlet on a turbine section according to one operation mode of the turbine, the second inlet being coupled to a second vane;
- and
- transmitting the bypass flow to a first inlet on the turbine section of the turbine, the turbine section receiving heated compressed air directly from a combustion section according to another operation mode of the turbine, the first inlet being coupled to a first vane;
- wherein the first and second inlets are located along a connection conduit that extends axially along the turbine section;
- and
- wherein the bypass flow flows from a portion of the compressor between a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet directly to a valve that directs the bypass flow to either the heat exchanger or directly to the turbine section.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.