Adaptive Fuel Purge Control for Gas Turbine Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power generation systems, such as gas turbines, face inefficiencies due to variations in fuel flow compensation during fuel circuit purging, leading to undesired power output fluctuations as components degrade over time, affecting fuel passage characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A processor-controlled system that generates a model of the gas turbine system to simulate outputs and adjust inputs in real-time, compensating for purged fuel by adjusting fuel flow rates through adaptive prefilling and purging methods, ensuring accurate fuel compensation and maintaining efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If fuel flow reduction is used to compensate for purged fuel, then power output stability is improved, but compensation accuracy deteriorates over system lifespan due to component degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the actual power output is measured and compared to the expected power output. The difference (error) is used to adjust the fuel flow compensation amount in real-time. This closed-loop control ensures that even as components degrade and system characteristics change, the compensation accuracy is continuously maintained by adapting to actual system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the fuel flow compensation parameter based on measured power output deviations. By changing the compensation parameter adaptively rather than using a fixed reduction amount, the system maintains accurate compensation despite component degradation and changing fuel passage characteristics over the system's operational life.
2Device complexity
If fixed fuel flow reduction is applied during purge events, then power output compensation is simplified, but accuracy deteriorates due to component degradation and changing fuel passage characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than using a fixed predetermined fuel flow reduction, the system measures actual power output during purge events and uses this feedback to determine the appropriate compensation amount. This adaptive approach maintains high accuracy despite component degradation while keeping the control logic relatively simple - essentially measuring output and adjusting fuel flow to maintain expected performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own power output measurements to automatically determine the correct compensation amount without requiring external calibration or complex pre-programming. The system self-adjusts based on its actual performance, making the control strategy both accurate and relatively simple to implement.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes instructing a purge valve of a gas turbine system to open, thereby purging a fuel circuit by filling the fuel circuit with purge gas, wherein the fuel circuit initially contains fuel. The method also includes generating a model of the gas turbine system that simulates a modeled output based on a model input corresponding to a measured input. The method further includes receiving a measured output of the gas turbine system. The method also includes adjusting the model input such that the modeled output more closely matches the measured output when the measured output is not approximately equal to the modeled output. The method further includes instructing the purge valve to open during a subsequent purge operation and a gas control valve to open more fully or at least partially close during the subsequent purge operation based at least in part on adjusting the model input.