US 9,810,156 B2Granted

Systems and methods for controlling mode transfers of a combustor

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsJason Charles Terry, Timothy Andrew Healy

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Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling mode transfers of a turbine combustor are provided. According to one embodiment, a system may include a controller to control a combustor, and a processor communicatively coupled to the controller. The processor may be configured to receive current operating conditions, target operating limits, and combustor transfer functions. The combustor transfer functions may be evaluated to estimate operating limits associated with one or more combustion modes under the current operating conditions. The estimated operating limits associated with the one or more combustor modes may be compared to the target operating limits, and, based on the comparison, at least one of the combustion modes may be selected. The combustor may then be selectively transferred to the selected combustion mode.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for controlling mode transfers of a combustor, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, one or more current operating conditions associated with a current combustion mode;
receiving, by the processor, one or more target operating limits;
receiving, by the processor, one or more combustor transfer functions;
evaluating, by the processor, the one or more combustor transfer functions to estimate one or more operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and one or more operating limits associated with a plurality of combustion modes under the one or more current operating conditions to obtain one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and one or more estimated operating limits associated with the plurality of combustion modes, wherein the current combustion mode is not included in the plurality of combustion modes;
comparing, by the processor, the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the plurality of combustion modes to the one or more target operating limits to determine similarity of the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the plurality of combustion modes to the one or more target operating limits;
based on the comparing, scoring the current combustion mode and each of the plurality of combustion modes to determine a combustion mode with a desired performance for the one or more current operating conditions, wherein the combustion mode with the desired performance has a highest similarity of one or more estimated operating limits associated with the combustion mode with the desired performance to the one or more target operating limits;
based at least in part on the scoring, selecting, by the processor, from the current combustion mode and the plurality of combustion modes, the combustion mode with the desired performance for the one or more current operating conditions;
determining that the combustion mode with the desired performance selected from the current combustion mode and the plurality of combustion modes includes one of the plurality of combustion modes;
based on the determining that the combustion mode with the desired performance includes one of the plurality of combustion modes, determining whether one or more differences between the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the combustion mode with the desired performance and the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode exceed one or more predetermined threshold values;
and
when the one or more differences exceed the one or more predetermined threshold values, transferring the combustor to the combustion mode with the desired performance.

8 more elements

A system for controlling mode transfers of a combustor, the system comprising:

a controller configured to control the combustor;
and
a processor communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to:
receive one or more current operating conditions associated with a current combustion mode;
receive one or more target operating limits;
receive one or more combustor transfer functions;
evaluate the one or more combustor transfer functions to estimate one or more operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and one or more operating limits associated with a plurality of combustion modes under the one or more current operating conditions to obtain one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and one or more estimated operating limits associated with the plurality of combustion modes, wherein the current combustion mode is not included in the plurality of combustion modes;
compare the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the plurality of combustion modes to the one or more target operating limits to determine similarity of the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the plurality of combustion modes to the one or more target operating limits;
score the current combustion mode and each of the plurality of combustion modes to determine a combustion mode with a desired performance for the one or more current operating conditions, wherein the combustion mode with the desired performance has a highest similarity of one or more estimated operating limits associated with the combustion mode with the desired performance to the one or more target operating limits;
select, from the current combustion mode and the plurality of combustion modes, the combustion mode with the desired performance for the one or more current operating conditions;
determine that the combustion mode with the desired performance selected from the current combustion mode and the plurality of combustion modes includes one of the plurality of combustion modes;
determine whether one or more differences between the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the combustion mode with the desired performance and the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode exceed one or more predetermined threshold values;
and
when the one or more differences exceed the one or more predetermined threshold values, transfer the combustor to the combustion mode with the desired performance.

11 more elements

A system for controlling mode transfers of a combustor, the system comprising:

a gas turbine having a combustor;
a controller configured to control the combustor;
and
a processor communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to:
receive one or more current operating conditions associated with a current combustion mode;
receive one or more target operating limits;
receive one or more combustor transfer functions;
evaluate the one or more combustor transfer functions to estimate one or more operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and one or more operating limits associated with a plurality of combustion modes under the one or more current operating conditions to obtain one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and one or more estimated operating limits associated with the plurality of combustion modes, wherein the current combustion mode is not included in the plurality of combustion modes;
compare the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the plurality of combustion modes to the one or more target operating limits to determine similarity of the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode and the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the plurality of combustion modes to the one or more target operating limits;
based on the comparing, score the current combustion mode and each of the plurality of combustion modes to determine a combustion mode with a desired performance for the one or more current operating conditions, wherein the combustion mode with the desired performance has a highest similarity of one or more estimated operating limits associated with the combustion mode with the desired performance to the one or more target operating limits;
based at least in part on the scoring, select, from the current combustion mode and the plurality of combustion modes, the combustion mode with the desired performance for the one or more current operating conditions;
determine that the combustion mode with the desired performance selected from the current combustion mode and the plurality of combustion modes includes one of the plurality of combustion modes;
determine whether one or more differences between the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the combustion mode with the desired performance and the one or more estimated operating limits associated with the current combustion mode exceed one or more predetermined threshold values;
and
when the one or more differences exceed the one or more predetermined threshold values, transfer the combustor to the combustion mode with the desired performance.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/718,588Filed 18 Dec 2012
Published: US 2014/0165581 A119 Jun 2014
Granted: 7 Nov 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

F02C 9/00
Controlling gas-turbine plants
F02C 9/28
Control of fuel supply: regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed
F23N 5/203
With a time program acting through electrical means, e.g. using time-delay relays: using electronic means
F23N 2241/20
Applications: gas turbines