Gas turbine efficiency and regulation speed improvements using supplementary air system continuous and storage systems and methods of using the same

A power augmentation and exhaust cooling system for a gas turbine engine comprising:

• a supplemental compressor coupled to a fueled engine;
• a first conduit fluidly connecting a non-final stage of the supplemental compressor to an exhaust region of the gas turbine engine;
• a second conduit fluidly connecting a final stage of the supplemental compressor to a compressor discharge case of the gas turbine engine;
• one or more valves regulating flow between the supplemental compressor and the exhaust region;
• wherein air flowing through the first conduit bypasses the final stage.

A method of selectively operating a gas turbine engine in each of a power augmentation mode and an exhaust tempering mode, the gas turbine engine comprising a compressor fluidly coupled to a compressor discharge case, a combustor, and a turbine, the method comprising:

• locating a manifold in an exhaust region of the turbine;
• using a fueled engine to drive a supplemental compressor;
• the supplemental compressor having at least a first stage, an inner stage downstream from the first stage, and a last stage downstream from the inner stage;
• fluidly coupling the supplemental compressor to an intercooler;
• operating the gas turbine engine in the exhaust tempering mode by:
• closing a valve between the inner stage and the intercooler to preclude substantially all air compressed by the first stage and cooled by the intercooler from reaching the inner stage, and opening a gas tempering valve between the intercooler and the manifold to route air compressed by the first stage and cooled by the intercooler to the manifold;
• then operating the gas turbine engine in the power augmentation mode by opening the valve and closing the gas tempering valve to route air compressed by each of the first, the inner, and the last stage and cooled by the intercooler to the compressor discharge case.

A method of operating a gas turbine engine having power augmentation and exhaust gas tempering capability comprising:

• operating a gas turbine engine comprising a compressor, a compressor discharge case, at least one combustor, and a turbine, fluidly connected to each other;
• pressurizing air using a supplemental compressor which is driven by a fueled engine, the supplemental compressor having a downstream stage and an upstream stage, the downstream stage being downstream of the upstream stage;
• bypassing the downstream stage and directing a portion of an air supply from the upstream stage of the supplemental compressor to an exhaust region of the gas turbine engine when reduced power from the gas turbine engine is desired so as to reduce exhaust temperature from the gas turbine engine;
• and
• directing air compressed by each of the upstream stage and the downstream stage to the compressor discharge case for injection into the gas turbine engine upstream of the one or more combustors so as to increase power from the gas turbine engine.