A system for controlling the ventilation airflow to the turbine enclosure.

Abstract

A system and method for controlling ventilation to a turbine enclosure are provided. [Solution] The system 150 for controlling ventilation to the turbine enclosure 92 includes an air inlet filter system 152, a ventilation fan 154 for extracting airflow 156 from the air inlet filter system, and an air delivery system 160 including a plurality of conduits 162. Each conduit delivers airflow to one of a plurality of ventilation inlets 164 defined within the turbine enclosure. An electrically operated flow control damper 170 is operably coupled to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets and configured to control the amount of airflow entering each ventilation inlet through each conduit. A controller 180 is configured to control each electrically operated flow control damper 170 so as to distribute the airflow evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets regardless of the pressure drop ΔP between the ends of the ventilation fan.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to turbine systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system for controlling the ventilation air flow to a turbine enclosure.

Background Art

[0002] Gas turbine systems are typically disposed within a gas turbine enclosure. A positive pressure ventilation system is used to maintain desired environmental conditions such as temperature, pressure, and harmful gas levels within the turbine enclosure. The ventilation system includes an inlet filter system and a ventilation fan that delivers an air flow to different ventilation inlets within the turbine enclosure. The air flow exits the turbine enclosure by air exhaust. Ducts connect the ventilation fan to the various ventilation inlets. The ventilation system, particularly the ducts and the ventilation inlets, are designed to maintain desired environmental conditions based on the expected air flow through the inlet filter system. For example, the ventilation inlets at different locations and the ducts delivering an air flow thereto may have different physical characteristics, such as, but not limited to, cross-sectional area, set such that the air flow is evenly distributed to each of the ventilation inlets based on the expected air flow through the inlet filter system.

[0003] As the inlet filter system operates, the inlet filter system captures more debris, which may cause the pressure within the ventilation system to unexpectedly drop and the air flow to one or more ventilation inlets of the turbine enclosure to decrease. A decrease in the air flow to a particular ventilation inlet may cause the temperature, pressure, or harmful substance level not to conform to the desired range. Current approaches to address this situation include overdesigning the ventilation system by increasing the number or size of the ventilation inlets, making the ventilation fan larger, and / or increasing the number of sensors for an alarm system that notifies when certain operating environment parameters do not conform to the desired conditions. However, such approaches increase the cost and complexity of the construction, operation, and maintenance of the gas turbine system.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] All aspects, examples, and features described below can be combined in any technically possible way.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a system for controlling ventilation to a turbine enclosure, the system comprising: an air inlet filter system; a ventilation fan operably coupled to the air inlet filter system for extracting airflow from the air inlet filter system; an air delivery system operably coupled to the ventilation fan, the air delivery system comprising a plurality of conduits, each conduit delivering airflow to one of a plurality of ventilation inlets defined within the turbine enclosure; an electrically controlled flow control damper operably coupled to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets and configured to control the amount of airflow entering each ventilation inlet through each conduit; and a controller configured to control each electrically controlled flow control damper so as to distribute the airflow evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets regardless of the pressure drop between the ends of the ventilation fan.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein at least one of the plurality of ventilation inlets has a different cross-sectional area from the other ventilation inlets, and at least one of the plurality of conduits has a different cross-sectional area from the other conduits.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, further comprising: a first pressure sensor for measuring a first pressure in the airflow between the air inlet filter system and the ventilation fan; a second pressure sensor for measuring a second pressure in the airflow downstream of the ventilation fan; and a first temperature sensor for measuring a first temperature in the airflow between the air inlet filter system and the ventilation fan, wherein the controller determines a pressure drop based on the difference between the first and second pressures, and controls the opening ratio of each motorized flow control damper to distribute the airflow evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets based on the pressure drop and the first temperature in the airflow upstream of the ventilation fan.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the controller determines the opening ratio of each motorized flow control damper to distribute the airflow evenly to each of the multiple ventilation inlets, based on an empirical correlation between the pressure drop at each of the multiple ventilation inlets and a first temperature of the airflow upstream of the ventilation fan and the opening ratio of each motorized flow control damper.

[0009] Another aspect of this disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, wherein the empirical correlation differs for at least two of the multiple ventilation inlets.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, further comprising a third pressure sensor for measuring a third pressure of the exhaust air leaving the turbine enclosure and a second temperature sensor for measuring a second temperature of the exhaust air leaving the turbine enclosure, wherein the controller modifies the overall ventilation flow based on at least one of the third pressure and the second temperature.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a gas turbine (GT) system, the GT system comprising a main unit in a turbine enclosure, the main unit comprising, in series flow order, a compressor, at least one combustor, and an expansion turbine; and a ventilation system for controlling ventilation to the turbine enclosure, the ventilation system comprising an air inlet filter system, a ventilation fan operably coupled to the air inlet filter system for extracting airflow from the air inlet filter system, and an air delivery system operably coupled to the ventilation fan, the air delivery system comprising a plurality of conduits, each conduit delivering airflow to one of a plurality of ventilation inlets defined in the turbine enclosure; an electrically operated flow control damper operably coupled to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets and configured to control the amount of airflow entering each ventilation inlet through each conduit; and a controller configured to control each electrically operated flow control damper so as to distribute the airflow evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets regardless of the pressure drop between the ends of the ventilation fan.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein at least one of the plurality of ventilation inlets has a different cross-sectional area from the other ventilation inlets, and at least one of the plurality of conduits has a different cross-sectional area from the other conduits.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, further comprising: a first pressure sensor for measuring a first pressure in the airflow between the air inlet filter system and the ventilation fan; a second pressure sensor for measuring a second pressure in the airflow downstream of the ventilation fan; and a first temperature sensor for measuring a first temperature in the airflow between the air inlet filter system and the ventilation fan, wherein the controller determines a pressure drop based on the difference between the first and second pressures, and controls the opening ratio of each motorized flow control damper to distribute the airflow evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets based on the pressure drop and the first temperature in the airflow upstream of the ventilation fan.

[0014] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the controller determines the opening ratio of each motorized flow control damper to distribute the airflow evenly to each of the multiple ventilation inlets, based on an empirical correlation between the pressure drop and the first temperature at each of the multiple ventilation inlets and the opening ratio of each motorized flow control damper.

[0015] Another aspect of this disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, wherein the empirical correlation differs for at least two of the multiple ventilation inlets.

[0016] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, further comprising a third pressure sensor for measuring a third pressure of the exhaust air leaving the turbine enclosure and a second temperature sensor for measuring a second temperature of the exhaust air leaving the turbine enclosure, wherein the controller modifies the overall ventilation flow based on at least one of the third pressure and the second temperature.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a method for operating a main unit of a gas turbine engine in a turbine enclosure, the main unit comprising, in series flow order, a compressor, at least one combustor, and an expansion turbine; and ventilating the turbine enclosure by using a ventilation fan to extract airflow from an air inlet filter system and directing the airflow through an air delivery system operably coupled to the ventilation fan, the air delivery system comprising a plurality of conduits, each conduit delivering airflow to one of a plurality of ventilation inlets defined within the turbine enclosure; and controlling an electrically controlled flow control damper operably coupled to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets and configured to control the amount of airflow entering each ventilation inlet through each conduit so as to distribute airflow evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets regardless of the pressure drop between the ends of the ventilation fan.

[0018] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein at least one of the plurality of ventilation inlets has a different cross-sectional area from the other ventilation inlets, and at least one of the plurality of conduits has a different cross-sectional area from the other conduits.

[0019] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, which includes calculating a pressure drop based on the difference between a first pressure sensor measuring a first pressure in the airflow between the air inlet filter system and a ventilation fan and a second pressure sensor measuring a second pressure in the airflow downstream of the ventilation fan, and controlling the open position ratio of each motorized flow control damper to distribute the airflow evenly to each of a plurality of ventilation inlets based on the pressure drop and the first temperature in the airflow upstream of the ventilation fan.

[0020] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein controlling the open position ratio of each motorized flow control damper to distribute airflow evenly to each of the multiple ventilation inlets is based on an empirical correlation between the pressure drop and the first temperature at each of the multiple ventilation inlets and the open position ratio of each motorized flow control damper.

[0021] Another aspect of this disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, wherein the empirical correlation differs for at least two of the multiple ventilation inlets.

[0022] Two or more embodiments described in this disclosure, including those described in this summary section, can be combined to form embodiments not specifically described herein. In other words, all embodiments described herein can be combined with one another.

[0023] Details of one or more embodiments are described in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, purposes, and advantages will become apparent from the description and drawings, as well as the claims.

[0024] These and other features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of various aspects of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a system for controlling the ventilation air flow to a turbine enclosure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an exemplary gas turbine system that can be used with the system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an exemplary look-up table of empirical correlations for a particular ventilation inlet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Note that the drawings of the present disclosure are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are intended to illustrate only typical aspects of the present disclosure and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, like reference numerals represent like elements among the drawings.

[0027] As a first issue, in order to clearly explain the subject matter of this technology, it is necessary to select certain technical terms when referring to and describing relevant mechanical components in exemplary applications of ventilation systems for turbine enclosures of gas turbine systems. When doing so, common industry terminology is used whenever possible and adopted in a manner that is consistent with the meaning it is intended to convey. Unless otherwise stated, such terminology should be given a broad interpretation that is consistent with the context of this application and the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will understand that in many cases, certain components may be referred to using several different or overlapping terms. What may be described herein as a single component may also be included in and referred to in another context as consisting of multiple components. Or, what may be described herein as consisting of multiple components may be referred elsewhere as a single component.

[0028] In addition, several descriptive terms may be used in accordance with the conventions of this specification, and it will be useful to define these terms at the beginning of this section. These terms and their definitions are as follows, unless otherwise specified: As used herein, “downstream” and “upstream” are terms indicating the direction of fluid flow, such as the working fluid through the turbomachinery, or, for example, the flow of air through the combustor, or the coolant through one of the component systems of the turbomachinery. The term “downstream” corresponds to the direction of fluid flow, and the term “upstream” refers to the direction opposite to the flow. The terms “forward” and “rear” refer to direction, unless otherwise specified, with “forward” referring to the front of the turbomachinery or the compressor end, and “rear” referring to the rear of the turbomachinery or the turbine end.

[0029] In many cases, it is necessary to describe components that are located in different radial positions with respect to the central axis. The term "axial" refers to movement or position parallel to the axis, for example, the axis of a turbomachinery. The term "radial" refers to movement or position perpendicular to the axis, for example, the axis of a turbomachinery. In such cases, if the first component is located closer to the axis than the second component, this specification states that the first component is "radially inward" or "inside" the second component. On the other hand, if the first component is located further from the axis than the second component, this specification may state that the first component is "radially outward" or "outside" the second component. Finally, the term "circumferential" refers to movement or position around the circumferential inner surface of a casing extending around the axis, for example, the axis of a turbomachinery. As described above, it will be understood that such terms may be applied with respect to the axis of a turbomachinery.

[0030] In addition, as described below, several descriptive terms may be used in accordance with the rules of this specification. The terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to indicate the location or importance of any individual component.

[0031] The technical terms used herein are intended solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural unless the context otherwise explicitly indicates. As used herein, the terms “comprise” and / or “comprising” express the existence of the described features, integers, steps, actions, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, actions, elements, components, and / or sets thereof. “Optional” or “optionally” means that the following event may or may not occur, or the following feature may or may not exist, and that the description includes cases in which the event occurs or the feature exists, and cases in which the event does not occur or the feature does not exist.

[0032] When an element or layer is referred to as “on top of,” “engaged,” “connected,” “joined,” or “attached” to another element or layer, it may be directly on top of, engaged, connected, joined, or attached to the other element or layer, or there may be an intervening element or layer. Conversely, when an element is referred to as “directly on top of,” “directly engaged,” “directly connected,” or “directly joined” to another element or layer, there is no intervening element or layer. Other words used to describe relationships between elements should be interpreted similarly (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent to” versus “directly adjacent to.”). As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any combination of one or more of the related enumerated items. The verb forms “join” and “attach” may be used interchangeably herein.

[0033] Embodiments of the present disclosure include a system for controlling ventilation to a turbine enclosure, a gas turbine system including the same, and related methods. The system includes an air inlet filter system, a ventilation fan for generating airflow through the air inlet filter system, and an air delivery system including a plurality of conduits. The conduits deliver airflow to each of a plurality of ventilation inlets defined within the turbine enclosure. Electrically controlled flow control dampers are operably coupled to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets and configured to control the amount of airflow entering each ventilation inlet from each conduit. A controller is configured to control each electrically controlled flow control damper to distribute airflow evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets regardless of the pressure drop across the ends of the ventilation fan. The system allows the ventilation system to adapt to an air inlet filter system that is not operating at full capacity, helping to maintain required environmental conditions, such as temperature, in a desired area, thereby reducing the risk of damage to other components. The system also reduces the amount of engineering work required to design a ventilation system that can cope with large fluctuations in airflow.

[0034] Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a GT system 90 having a ventilation system 150 for controlling ventilation to a turbine enclosure 92 surrounding the main unit 94 of the gas turbine (GT) system 90. Figure 2 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary GT system 90 in which the ventilation system 150 according to this disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "system 150" or "ventilation system 150") may be used. As shown, the GT system 90 generally includes an inlet section 152 which may include a series of filters, cooling coils, moisture separators, and / or other devices for purifying and otherwise conditioning a working fluid (e.g., air) 106 to generate a primary airflow 146 entering the main unit 94 of the GT system 90.

[0035] The main unit 94 of the GT system 90 includes, in series flow order, a compressor 108 in a compressor section 110, at least one combustor 100 in a combustion section 120, and an expansion turbine 128 in a turbine section 130. A working fluid 106, for example, a primary airflow 146, flows through a main air conduit 158 ​​(Figure 1) to the compressor 108 in the compressor section 110, where the compressor section 110 gradually imparts kinetic energy to the working fluid 106 to produce high-pressure (HP) air or compressed air 112 compressed in a high-energy state. The HP air 112 is typically mixed with one or more fuels 114 from a fuel source 116 to form a combustible mixture in at least one combustor 100 in the combustion section 120, which is operably coupled to the compressor section 110. The combustible mixture is burned to produce high-temperature, high-pressure combustion gases 122.

[0036] The combustion gases 122 flow through the expansion turbine 128 of the turbine section 130, which is operably coupled to the combustion section 120, generating work. For example, the turbine 128 may be connected to a shaft 132 such that the rotation of the turbine 128 drives a compressor 108 to produce HP air 112. Alternatively or additionally, the shaft 132 may connect the turbine 128 to another load, such as a generator 134 for generating electricity. The exhaust gases 136 from the turbine 128 flow through an exhaust section 138 that connects the turbine 128 to an exhaust stack 140 downstream of the turbine 128. The exhaust section 138 may include, for example, a heat recovery boiler (not shown) for purifying and extracting additional heat from the exhaust gases 136 before they are released into the environment. If multiple combustors 100 are used, they can be spaced circumferentially around the shaft 132 to deliver the combustion gases 122 together to the turbine inlet 142 of the turbine 128. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the components of the GT system 90 located within the turbine enclosure 92 (e.g., the main unit 94) are merely illustrative, and it should be emphasized that different components of the GT system 90 may be located inside or outside the turbine enclosure 92.

[0037] In one embodiment, the GT system 90 may include any engine model, such as those commercially available from GE Vernova in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This disclosure is not limited to operation with any one specific GT system and can be implemented in relation to other engines, including, for example, any HA, F, B, LM, GT, TM, and E-class engine models from GE Vernova, as well as engine models from other companies. Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to a specific turbomachinery embodiment and may be applicable to, for example, steam turbines, jet engines, compressors, turbofans, and the like.

[0038] Returning to Figure 1, the ventilation system 150 includes an air inlet filter system 152. The air inlet filter system 152 may also include any currently known or future-developed systems for filtering out any form of dust or contaminants from ambient air. For example, the air inlet filter system 152 (hereinafter, "filter system 152") may include a series of filters, cooling coils, moisture separators, and / or other devices for purifying and otherwise conditioning. The filter system 152 may also include associated filter cleaning systems, such as vibration systems, washing systems, etc. The primary airflow 146 to the compressor 108 is conditioned by the filter system 152 and then transported through the main air conduit 158.

[0039] System 150 also includes a ventilation fan 154 operably coupled to the filter system 152 to extract a secondary airflow 156 (e.g., of purified and / or otherwise conditioned air) from the filter system 152. The ventilation fan 154 may also include any currently known or future-developed industrial fan system capable of drawing in enough airflow 156 from the filter system 152 to be delivered through the air delivery system 160, as described herein. Although not shown, in some embodiments the ventilation air intake section of System 150 may include other elements, structures, systems, or devices, such as one or more motorized air intake dampers, dehumidifiers / humidifiers, air purification systems, sensors, and control mechanisms, to supply the desired airflow 156.

[0040] Continuing to refer to Figures 1 and 2, the system 150 also includes an air delivery system 160 operably coupled to a ventilation fan 154. The air delivery system 160 includes a plurality of conduits 162. The conduits 162 may also include any currently known or future-developed pipes, ducts, channels, etc., capable of transporting airflow 156 to a plurality of ventilation inlets 164 defined within the turbine enclosure 92. In this way, each conduit 162 delivers a portion of the airflow 156 to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets 164 defined within the turbine enclosure 92. For illustrative purposes, four conduits 162A-D are shown as part of the air delivery system 160, each configured to deliver airflow 156 to its respective ventilation inlet 164A-D. However, it will be recognized that the turbine enclosure 92 may have any number of ventilation inlets 164, and the air delivery system 160 may include any corresponding number of conduits 162.

[0041] The air delivery system 160 is designed to distribute an airflow 156 evenly to each of several ventilation inlets 164 under specific parameters. For this purpose, the air delivery system 160 may have various conduits 162 and ventilation inlets 164 that are molded and / or dimensionally determined to receive an appropriate amount of airflow 156. For example, at least one ventilation inlet, e.g., 164A, may have a different cross-sectional area (shown in CA1-4 of Figure 1) than the other ventilation inlets, e.g., inlets 164B-D, and at least one conduit, e.g., 162A, may have a different cross-sectional area (shown in CA5-8 of Figure 1) than the other conduits, e.g., 162B-D. Some of the cross-sectional areas may be the same, or all of them may be different. The different cross-sectional areas ensure that, initially, the desired amount of airflow 156 is supplied to the different ventilation inlets 164A-D based on the expected pressure drop and temperature of the system 150. In one non-limiting example, the conduits 162 and / or ventilation inlets 164 that are closer to the ventilation fan 154 may have a smaller cross-sectional area due to the presence of higher pressure at their locations.

[0042] As described above, as the filter system 152 operates during the operation of the GT system 90, the filter system 152 captures more debris, which may cause a decrease in pressure within the ventilation system 150 and a reduction in airflow 156 to one or more ventilation inlets 164 of the turbine enclosure 92. The pressure drop may be such that the initially configured air delivery system does not evenly distribute the airflow 156 to the desired ventilation outlets. The reduction in airflow to a particular ventilation inlet may cause the temperature, pressure, or hazardous material levels within the turbine enclosure 92 to fall outside the desired range. To address this situation, the system 150 includes an electrically operated flow control damper 170 operably coupled to each ventilation inlet 164 and configured to control the amount of air, i.e., airflow 156, entering each ventilation inlet 164 through the respective conduit 162. The electrically operated flow control damper 170 (hereinafter, "damper 170") is shown for illustrative purposes as being larger than the conduit 162, but it will be recognized that the damper usually has the same cross-sectional area and / or shape as the conduit 162 and / or ventilation inlet 164 to which the damper is coupled.

[0043] The damper 170 may be located at any position where it can physically control the amount of airflow 156 passing through it, for example, within the conduit 162 and / or openings in the turbine enclosure 92 (i.e., actual ventilation inlets). The damper 170 may include any movable vanes currently known or to be developed, which can be set to different angles to give different levels of openness to each conduit 162 or ventilation inlet 164. Different positions allow control of the amount of airflow 156 passing through them. In this way, the amount of airflow 156 entering the turbine enclosure 92 from each ventilation inlet 164 and / or the respective corresponding conduit 162 can be adjusted to address pressure drops in the airflow 156 caused by clogging or other inefficiencies in the filter system 152, in a manner other than that originally designed for the ventilation inlets 164 and / or their respective corresponding conduits 162.

[0044] The damper 170 can be set to any angular position to allow any amount of airflow 156 to pass through each ventilation inlet 164, which is delivered by each corresponding conduit 162. For example, the damper 170 can be positioned at 90° (mostly open), 85°, 80°, 75°, 70°, 65°, 60°, 55°, 50° (partially open / closed), 45°, 40°, 35°, 30°, 25°, or 20° (almost fully closed). Other angular positions are also possible. At each angular position, each ventilation inlet 164 is provided with a corresponding opening percentage, for example, 10%, 20%, 25%, 25.3%, etc. In this way, precise control of the position of the damper 170 enables precise control of the amount of airflow 156 delivered to each ventilation inlet 164.

[0045] System 150 also includes a controller 180 configured to control each damper 170 so as to distribute the airflow 156 evenly to each of the ventilation inlets 164 regardless of the pressure drop between the ends of the ventilation fan 154. For this purpose, System 150 may also include a first pressure sensor P1 for measuring a first pressure in the airflow 156 between the filter system 152 and the ventilation fan 154, and a second pressure sensor P2 for measuring a second pressure in the airflow 156 downstream of the ventilation fan 154. Any pressure sensor described herein may also include any suitable pressure sensor currently known or to be developed for gases. System 150 may also include a first temperature sensor T1 for measuring a first temperature in the airflow 156 between the filter system 152 and the ventilation fan 154. Any temperature sensor described herein may also include any suitable temperature sensor currently known or to be developed for gases, such as a thermometer or thermocouple. The controller 180 can determine (calculate) the pressure drop (ΔP) using the first and second pressures measured by the first and second pressure sensors P1 and P2, i.e., ΔP = pressure P2 - pressure P1. The controller 180 may include any industrial controller currently known or to be developed in the future, such as an industrial controller used to control the GT system 90 and capable of performing the functions described herein. Although shown as a separate entity from the GT system 90, the functions of the controller 180 can be incorporated into other control systems as part of the GT system 90.

[0046] As will be further explained, for each ventilation inlet 164, the correlation between the pressure drop ΔP between the ends of the ventilation fan 154 and the temperature (at the temperature sensor T1 upstream of the ventilation fan 154) can be identified based on empirical data to determine the angular position of the damper 170, thereby adjusting the amount of airflow 156 to each ventilation inlet 164 reduced by the pressure drop. Empirical correlations are formed for each ventilation inlet 164 based on specific characteristics of each ventilation inlet 164, including, but not limited to, the cross-sectional area, shape, size, and location of the corresponding conduit 162 and / or inlet 164, the typical back pressure experienced, and / or the thermal load of equipment in the turbine enclosure 92 adjacent to the inlet. As described above, empirical correlations can be used to control the damper 170 at each respective ventilation inlet 164 to address the pressure drop between the ends of the ventilation fan 154 caused by clogging of the filter system 152.

[0047] Figure 3 shows an exemplary lookup table 182 of empirical correlations for a particular ventilation inlet 164 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, each ventilation inlet 164 may have its own lookup table 182 which can be stored in a database 184 accessible by the controller 180. More specifically, similar ventilation inlets 164 may share the same lookup table 182, but the empirical correlations generally differ from inlet to inlet, and at least for at least two of the ventilation inlets 164. While empirical correlations are described herein by reference to the lookup table 182, it will be recognized that correlations can be formatted in a wide variety of alternative configurations. Furthermore, correlations can, where possible, be presented in an alternative algorithmic form.

[0048] To further illustrate the operation, Figure 4 shows a flowchart of the method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 1 to 4, in process P10, the gas turbine 128 and GT system 90 are operated in a conventional manner, while simultaneously, system 150 ventilates the turbine enclosure 92. More specifically, as previously stated, the combustible mixture is burned to produce high-temperature, high-pressure combustion gas 122, which flows through the expansion turbine 128 to generate work. The main unit 94 of the GT system 90 (including the compressor 108, combustor 100, and expansion turbine 128) operates within the turbine enclosure 92. Furthermore, a ventilation fan 154 draws in an airflow 156 through a filter system 152 and delivers the airflow 156 under positive pressure to the ventilation inlet 164 of the turbine enclosure 92. More specifically, the turbine enclosure 92 is ventilated by using the ventilation fan 154 to extract the airflow 156 from the filter system 152. The airflow 156 is guided through / by an air delivery system 160, which includes conduits 162 operably coupled to the ventilation fan 154. Each conduit 162 delivers a portion of the airflow 156 to each of the ventilation inlets 164 defined within the turbine enclosure 92. Over time, the filter system 152 filters out dust and / or contaminants from the air, and due to clogging or other inefficiencies (e.g., ice buildup, moisture, dirt / sand, etc.), it begins to cause a pressure drop between the ends of the ventilation fan 154.

[0049] In process P12, the controller 180 continuously determines the pressure drop ΔP based on the difference between a first pressure and a second pressure from pressure sensors P1 and P2. More specifically, the controller 180 determines the pressure drop ΔP based on the difference between a first pressure sensor P1, which measures the first pressure of the airflow 156 between the filter system 152 and the ventilation fan 154, and a second pressure sensor P2, which measures the second pressure of the airflow 156 downstream of the ventilation fan 154.

[0050] In process P14, the controller 180 also controls the open position ratio of each damper 170 to distribute the airflow 156 evenly to each of the ventilation inlets 164, based on the pressure drop ΔP and a first temperature of the airflow 156 upstream of the ventilation fan 154. More specifically, the controller 180 determines the open position ratio of each damper 170 to distribute the airflow 156 evenly to each of the ventilation inlets 164, based on an empirical correlation between the pressure drop ΔP and the first temperature at each of the ventilation inlets 164 and the open position ratio of each damper 170. As described above, the empirical correlation may be represented by a lookup table 182 (Figure 3), and the empirical correlation may differ for at least two of the multiple ventilation inlets 164. For example, as shown by the circled cells in Figure 3, for a temperature of 60°F and a pressure drop of 0.169, the controller 180 would position each damper 170 at 50° to supply the desired amount of airflow 156. Different dampers 170 are constructed together so that the airflow 156 is evenly distributed within the turbine enclosure 92. In this way, the controller 180 is configured to control the dampers 170 operably coupled to each of the ventilation inlets 164, and to control the amount of airflow 156 entering each ventilation inlet 164 through each conduit 162 so as to evenly distribute the airflow 156 to each ventilation inlet 164 regardless of the pressure drop ΔP between the ends of the ventilation fan 154.

[0051] Referring to Figure 1, in another embodiment, the system 150 may also include a third pressure sensor P3 that measures a third pressure of the exhaust air 190 exiting the turbine enclosure 92, i.e., the exhaust outlet opening 192 within the turbine enclosure. The system 150 also includes a second temperature sensor T2 that measures a second temperature of the exhaust air 190 exiting the turbine enclosure 92. The controller 180 may modify the overall ventilation flow based on the third pressure and / or the second temperature. For example, the controller 180 may use these sensors to identify the need to increase the overall ventilation flow through all ventilation inlets based on a threshold, such as flow velocity or flow rate.

[0052] Embodiments of the present disclosure also include a GT system 90, as described herein, which includes a main unit 94 in a turbine enclosure 92 and a ventilation system 150 for controlling ventilation to the turbine enclosure.

[0053] Embodiments of the present disclosure offer various technical and commercial advantages, examples of which are described herein. The system allows the ventilation system to be adapted to an inlet filter system that is not fully operational, and helps maintain required environmental conditions, such as temperature, in a desired area within the turbine enclosure 92, thereby reducing the risk of damage to other components. The system also reduces the amount of engineering work required to design a ventilation system that can cope with large fluctuations in airflow and environmental conditions in which the GT system may operate.

[0054] Throughout this specification and the claims, the approximation language used herein may be applied to modify any quantitative expression that may vary to a reasonable extent without altering the fundamental function of the subject matter. Thus, values ​​modified by terms such as “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” are not limited to the exact values ​​specified. In at least some cases, the approximation language may correspond to the precision of the instrument used to measure the value. Herein, and throughout this specification and the claims, limitations on ranges may be combined and / or replaced, and unless otherwise indicated by the context or language, such ranges are identified and include all subranges encompassed therein. “Approximately” or “about” applied to specific values ​​within a range may indicate + / - 10% of the stated value, unless applied to the values ​​at both ends and particularly dependent on the precision of the instrument used to measure the value.

[0055] All corresponding structures, materials, actions, and equivalents of all means-plus-function elements or step-plus-function elements in the following claims are intended to include any structures, materials, or actions for performing a function in combination with elements described in other claims specifically described in the claims. The descriptions in this disclosure are presented for illustrative and explanatory purposes and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The embodiments have been selected and described to best illustrate the principles of this disclosure and the practical applications of the art, and to enable those skilled in the art to understand this disclosure in order to consider various modifications to these embodiments that may be suitable for the particular use under consideration. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 90 Gas turbine (GT) system, gas turbine engine 92 Turbine Enclosure 94 Main Unit 100 Combustor 106 Working fluid 108 Compressor 110 Compressor Section 112 HP air, compressed air 114 Fuel 116 Fuel source 120 Combustion Sections 122 Combustion gases 128 Expansion turbine, gas turbine 130 Turbine Section 132 shaft 134 Generators 136 Exhaust gas 138 Exhaust Section 140 exhaust stack 142 Turbine Inlet 146 Primary airflow 150 Ventilation System 152 Air Inlet Filter System, Inlet Section 154 Ventilation fan 156 Secondary airflow 158 Main air conduit 160 Air Delivery System 162 Conduit 162A Conduit 162B Conduit 162C conduit 162D conduit 164 Ventilation Inlet 164A Ventilation Inlet 164B Ventilation Inlet 164C Ventilation Inlet 164D Ventilation Inlet 170 Electric Flow Control Damper 180 Controllers 182 Look-up Table 184 Databases 190 Air exhaust 192 Exhaust outlet opening

Claims

1. A system (150) for controlling ventilation to a turbine enclosure (92), wherein the system (150) Air inlet filter system (152), A ventilation fan (154) is operably coupled to the air inlet filter system (152) to extract an airflow (156) from the air inlet filter system (152), An air delivery system (160) operably coupled to the ventilation fan (154), wherein the air delivery system (160) includes a plurality of conduits (162), each conduit (162) delivering the airflow (156) to one of a plurality of ventilation inlets (164) defined within the turbine enclosure (92), An electrically operated flow control damper (170) is operably coupled to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164) and configured to control the amount of airflow (156) entering each ventilation inlet (164) through each conduit (162), A controller (180) is configured to control each electrically operated flow control damper (170) so as to distribute the airflow (156) evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164) regardless of the pressure drop (ΔP) between the ends of the ventilation fan (154), and A system (150) equipped with this.

2. The system (150) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is true: at least one of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164) (164A) has a different cross-sectional area from the other ventilation inlets (164B to D) of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164); and at least one of the plurality of conduits (162) (162A) has a different cross-sectional area from the other conduits (162B to D) of the plurality of conduits (162).

3. A first pressure sensor (P1) measures the first pressure of the airflow (156) between the air inlet filter system (152) and the ventilation fan (154), A second pressure sensor (P2) measures the second pressure of the airflow (156) downstream of the ventilation fan (154), A first temperature sensor (T1) measures the first temperature of the airflow (156) between the air inlet filter system (152) and the ventilation fan (154). Furthermore, The system (150) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller (180) determines the pressure drop (ΔP) based on the difference between the first pressure and the second pressure, and controls the opening ratio of each electrically operated flow control damper (170) to distribute the airflow (156) evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164).

4. The system (150) according to claim 3, wherein the controller (180) determines the opening position ratio of each electric flow control damper (170) so as to distribute the airflow (156) evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164), based on an empirical correlation between the pressure drop (ΔP) and the first temperature at each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164) and the opening position ratio of each electric flow control damper (170).

5. The system (150) according to claim 4, wherein the empirical correlation differs for at least two of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164).

6. A third pressure sensor (P3) measures the third pressure of the exhaust air (190) leaving the turbine enclosure (92), A second temperature sensor (T2) measures the second temperature of the exhaust air (190) coming out of the turbine enclosure (92) and Furthermore, The system (150) according to claim 4, wherein the controller (180) modifies the overall ventilation flow based on at least one of the third pressure and the second temperature.

7. A gas turbine (GT) system (90), wherein the GT system (90) A main unit (94) within a turbine enclosure (92), wherein the main unit (94) comprises, in series flow order, a compressor (108), at least one combustor (100), and an expansion turbine (128), A ventilation system (150) for controlling ventilation to the turbine enclosure (92), wherein the ventilation system (150) is defined according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and A gas turbine (GT) system (90) equipped with the following.

8. A method for controlling ventilation to a turbine enclosure (92), wherein the method is The operation of the main unit (94) of the gas turbine engine (90) in the turbine enclosure (92), wherein the main unit (94) comprises a compressor (108), at least one combustor (100), and an expansion turbine (128) in series flow order, Ventilation of the turbine enclosure (92) by using a ventilation fan (154) to extract an airflow (156) from an air inlet filter system (152) and directing the airflow (156) through an air delivery system (160) operably coupled to the ventilation fan (154), wherein the air delivery system (160) includes a plurality of conduits (162), each conduit (162) delivering the airflow (156) to one of a plurality of ventilation inlets (164) defined within the turbine enclosure (92), Controlling an electrically operated flow control damper (170) which is operably coupled to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164) and configured to control the amount of airflow (156) entering each ventilation inlet (164) through each conduit (162) so as to distribute the airflow (156) evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164) regardless of the pressure drop (ΔP) between the ends of the ventilation fan (154), and Methods that include...

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the following is achieved: at least one of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164) (164A) has a different cross-sectional area from the other ventilation inlets (164B to D) of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164); and at least one of the plurality of conduits (162) (162A) has a different cross-sectional area from the other conduits (162B to D) of the plurality of conduits (162).

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the control includes calculating the pressure drop (ΔP) based on the difference between a first pressure sensor (P1) that measures a first pressure of the airflow (156) between the air inlet filter system (152) and the ventilation fan (154) and a second pressure sensor (P2) that measures a second pressure of the airflow (156) downstream of the ventilation fan (154); and controlling the opening ratio of each motorized flow control damper (170) to distribute the airflow (156) evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164) based on the pressure drop (ΔP) and a first temperature of the airflow (156) upstream of the ventilation fan (154).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the open position ratio of each electrically operated flow control damper (170) is controlled to distribute the airflow (156) evenly to each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164), based on an empirical correlation between the pressure drop (ΔP) and the first temperature at each of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164) and the open position ratio of each electrically operated flow control damper (170).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the empirical correlation differs for at least two of the plurality of ventilation inlets (164).

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