Acoustic Pyrometry for Gas Turbine Combustor Temperature Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbine engine monitoring and control systems require separate sensors and systems to detect various combustion anomalies, leading to increased installation costs and response lags, and lack real-time active temperature monitoring capabilities without reference temperatures from other engine locations.
Innovation Solution
An integrated monitoring and control system utilizing a pair of thermoacoustic dynamic pressure sensors and acoustic pyrometry for real-time active temperature monitoring and anomaly detection, sharing sensors and a common controller to identify and classify combustion anomalies and control the combustion process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate sensors and systems are used to detect various combustion anomalies, then detection coverage is improved, but installation cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional sensor system where a single integrated system performs multiple combustion monitoring functions including temperature monitoring, anomaly detection, and combustion control. The system can detect various combustion anomalies (flashback, blowout, misfire) and measure temperature simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate dedicated sensors for each function while maintaining comprehensive detection coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines previously separate temperature monitoring and anomaly detection systems into a single integrated combustor monitoring system. By merging the sensor array, signal processing, and control functions into one unified system, the patent reduces installation complexity and cost while maintaining the ability to detect multiple combustion anomalies and monitor temperature simultaneously
2Reliability
If separate sensors and systems are used for combustion monitoring, then detection capability is improved, but response time increases due to multiple systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple monitoring functions into a single integrated system with a unified sensor array and centralized signal processing. This merging eliminates the time delays associated with data transfer and coordination between multiple separate systems, enabling real-time detection and response to combustion anomalies while maintaining comprehensive detection capability
3Reliability
If bulk turbine exhaust temperature is monitored, then operating condition monitoring is improved, but real-time combustor temperature measurement capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces indirect temperature inference methods with direct acoustic-based temperature measurement. By using the speed of sound in the combustion gases (which is directly related to temperature) as the measurement mechanism, the system obtains real-time combustor temperature data without the time delays and inaccuracies associated with monitoring exhaust temperature and back-calculating combustor conditions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively detects a broad range of combustor failures and anomalies in real-time, reducing installation costs and response delays, while providing accurate and continuous active temperature monitoring for optimized engine control and performance.
Implementation Method 1
An acoustic pyrometry system utilizes a known relationship between the speed of sound in a gas and the temperature of the gas to determine an active temperature of a combustion process
Implementation Method 2
At least one sensor is capable of generating sensor output signals indicative of thermoacoustic oscillations, including combustion thermoacoustic oscillations
Data Source
AI summary
Acoustic pyrometry-based active temperature monitoring of gas turbine combustors, including industrial gas turbine (IGT) combustors is incorporated into the combustion monitoring and control system by addition of an acoustic transmitter or acoustic transceiver that transmits a sound wave in a line-of-sight with a plurality of thermoacoustic sensors, such as dynamic pressure sensors. Sound transmission time-of-flight is measured by the controller and correlated with path temperature along the line-of-sight. Path(s) of acoustic transmission serve as absolute temperature measurement that optionally is used for calibrating dominant mode passive bulk temperature measurement. In an integrated thermoacoustic pressure-based sensor and monitoring/control system embodiment, the controller correlates performance of an combustion thermoacoustic properties in order to identify combustion anomalies by wavelet or Fourier analysis techniques, determine bulk temperature characteristics within the combustor with dominant mode frequency analysis techniques and determines absolute active path temperatures within the combustor with acoustic transmission and time-of-flight analysis techniques.