Biofuel Injection Skids with Shared Common Skids for Gas Turbines
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dual liquid fuel designs for gas turbines require separate mixing chambers for each unit, leading to inflexible blend ratios and issues with biofuel gelling in cold temperatures due to stagnant fuel in lines, which results in inefficiencies and potential fuel waste.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for injecting biofuel into a gas turbine that uses shared common skids for heating, filtration, and pumping, allowing for real-time blend ratio adjustments and biofuel injection without premixing, with a splitter panel to control and transfer operations between units, and a distillate purge process to prevent gelling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate mixing chambers are used for each gas turbine unit, then each unit can operate independently, but the system complexity increases and the blend ratio cannot be varied between units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mixing chamber into a single common component shared by multiple gas turbine units. The biofuel injection system uses a single mixing chamber where biofuel is injected and mixed with distillate fuel, and this mixed fuel is then distributed to multiple units through common skids, eliminating the need for separate mixing chambers for each unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The common skids serve multiple functions: they distribute mixed fuel to multiple gas turbine units, provide heating to prevent biofuel gelling, and enable independent blend ratio control for each unit through individual biofuel injection points. This multi-functional design reduces system complexity while maintaining adaptability.
2Productivity
If a large storage tank is used for fuel blending, then sufficient fuel supply is ensured, but the time required to change blend ratio increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the blending function from a large storage tank and performs it dynamically at the point of use through biofuel injection into the mixing chamber. Instead of pre-blending fuel in large quantities and storing it, the system injects biofuel directly into the distillate stream, allowing rapid blend ratio changes without the inertia of large fuel volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic biofuel injection control to adjust blend ratios in real-time. The biofuel injection rate can be varied independently for each gas turbine unit, allowing rapid response to changing operational requirements without the time delays associated with draining and refilling large storage tanks.
3Reliability
If biofuel is stored in lines downstream of pumps, then the system is simpler, but the biofuel can gel in cold temperatures causing fuel waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies heating to the biofuel and mixed fuel in the common skids before distribution to prevent gelling. By maintaining the fuel temperature above the gel point through proactive heating, the system ensures reliable fuel flow without the need for complex insulation or active circulation systems downstream.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces distillate fuel as an intermediary carrier. Biofuel is injected into the distillate stream in the mixing chamber, creating a mixed fuel that is then distributed through the common skids. The distillate acts as a carrier that prevents biofuel from stagnating in lines, reducing the risk of gelling while maintaining system simplicity.
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
Enables flexible biofuel blend ratios, reduces the need for mixing tanks, prevents fuel waste, and maintains system efficiency by allowing online adjustment of biofuel injection rates and purging of biofuel during shutdowns to avoid gelling.
Implementation Method 1
A first unit human machine interface is coupled to the first unit controller... A plurality of common skids is operable to provide biofuel to a plurality of injection skids. The plurality of common skids may comprise a heating skid
Implementation Method 2
The plurality of common skids may comprise a heating skid, a filtration skid, and a pumping skid shared by the first gas turbine and the second gas turbine
Implementation Method 3
The plurality of common skids may comprise a heating skid, a filtration skid, and a pumping skid shared by the first gas turbine and the second gas turbine
Data Source
AI summary
Certain embodiments may include systems and methods that comprise a first unit controller associated with a first gas turbine and a second unit controller associated with a second gas turbine. A first unit human machine interface is coupled to the first unit controller and is operable to provide first blend information to the first unit controller. Additionally, a second unit human machine interface is coupled to the second unit controller and is operable to provide second blend information to the second unit controller. A splitter panel, coupled to the first unit controller and the second unit controller, is operable to transfer control of a plurality of common skids between the first unit controller and the second unit controller. The transfer of control may occur by toggling a plurality of relays housed in the splitter panel. A plurality of common skids is operable to provide biofuel to a plurality of injection skids. The plurality of common skids may comprise a heating skid, a filtration skid, and a pumping skid shared by the first gas turbine and the second gas turbine.