Gas Turbine Combustor Plate-Fin Cooling and Fuel Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbine combustion systems face challenges in achieving optimal combustion gas temperature control, reducing NOx emissions, and extending component life due to inefficient fuel injection patterns, cooling air management, and thermal stress on combustor walls.
Innovation Solution
The development of an improved combustion system with a multi-functional fuel nozzle for enhanced oil and water fuel injection patterns, a plate-fin combustor design for efficient cooling, and a transition component with a smoother shape and reverse-flow effusion cooling to reduce stagnation and thermal stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cooling air is used to cool turbine components, then component temperature is reduced and reliability is improved, but the amount of cooling air required increases, reducing the air available for combustion and lowering power output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of cooling air by pre-cooling it in the combustor using heat exchange with hot combustion gases. This allows the same amount of cooling air to achieve better cooling effectiveness, or reduces the quantity of cooling air needed, thereby preserving more air for combustion and maintaining power output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a heat exchanger as an intermediary component that facilitates heat transfer from hot combustion gases to cooling air. This intermediary enables efficient thermal energy recovery and cooling air temperature reduction without directly consuming combustion air for cooling.
2Productivity
If working gas temperature is increased to improve efficiency, then power output and efficiency are improved, but component temperature increases causing thermal stress and reducing component life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful thermal energy in hot combustion gases into a beneficial resource by using it to pre-cool the cooling air through heat exchange. This transforms waste heat into a useful cooling effect, enabling higher working gas temperatures without compromising component life.
3Reliability
If more cooling air is allocated to one location in the turbine section, then cooling effectiveness at that location is improved, but less cooling air is available for other locations, reducing overall cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-cooling the cooling air in the combustor, the patent improves the temperature parameter of the cooling air before it reaches the turbine components. This enhanced cooling air can be distributed more effectively across multiple locations, improving overall cooling performance without requiring increased quantities of cooling air.
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
This solution achieves better control of combustion gas temperature, reduces NOx emissions, enhances component durability, and improves cooling efficiency, leading to increased power generation and engine performance.
Implementation Method 1
the compressed air is mixed with a fuel, such as natural gas. The combustion section includes a plurality of circumferentially disposed combustors that receive the fuel to be mixed with the air and ignited to generate a working gas
Implementation Method 2
a portion of the compressed airflow is also used to provide cooling for certain components in the turbine section, such as the vanes, blades and ring segments
Implementation Method 3
A new combustor includes a plate-fin design which provides improved cooling
Implementation Method 4
A new transition component has a smoother shape which reduces stagnation of combustion gas flow and impingement of combustion gas on transition component walls, improved materials and localized thickness increases for better durability, and improved cooling features for more efficient usage of cooling air
Data Source
AI summary
An improved combustion section for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. A fuel nozzle includes new features which provide improved injection patterns of oil fuel and cooling water, resulting in better control of combustion gas temperature and NOx emissions, and eliminated impingement of cooling water on walls of the combustor. A new combustor includes a plate-fin design which provides improved cooling, while the combustor also makes more efficient use of available cooling air and has an improved component life. A new transition component has a smoother shape which reduces stagnation of combustion gas flow and impingement of combustion gas on transition component walls, improved materials and localized thickness increases for better durability, and improved cooling features for more efficient usage of cooling air.