Fuel Delivery Regulator for Gas Turbine Emission Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbine engines face challenges in efficiently managing emissions, particularly non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM), due to limitations in fuel flexibility and combustion efficiency when transitioning between operation modes, which can lead to increased emissions and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
A staged combustion system with pilot and main fuel injectors, utilizing a fuel delivery regulator to switch between two fuel sources with different characteristics, optimizing fuel delivery to minimize nvPM production across various operation ranges, including pilot-only, pilot-and-main, and transition modes, while maintaining combustion efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a single fuel source is used in the staged combustion system, then the system structure is simple, but the ability to optimize nvPM emissions across different operation ranges is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel supply system is segmented into multiple sources (first fuel source and second fuel source) with different characteristics, allowing each fuel source to be selectively used for specific combustion modes. The pilot fuel injectors can receive fuel from either source, while main fuel injectors receive fuel from the second source, enabling optimized nvPM emissions across different operation ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
Different fuel qualities are supplied to different parts of the combustion system based on operational requirements. The first fuel source (with lower nvPM production characteristics) is specifically directed to the pilot fuel injectors during pilot-only mode, while the second fuel source is used for main combustion, creating locally optimized combustion conditions for emission reduction.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If fuel characteristics are optimized for low nvPM production, then emissions are reduced, but combustion efficiency in certain operation ranges may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel delivery regulator dynamically switches between different fuel sources based on the operational mode and power setting. During pilot-only mode (lower power settings), the system uses fuel from the first source optimized for low nvPM. During pilot-and-main mode (higher power settings), the system transitions to using fuel from the second source that maintains combustion efficiency, thus adapting fuel selection to operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fuel characteristic parameter (nvPM production level) based on the operational state. By switching fuel sources according to the combustion mode, the system adjusts the fuel's nvPM production parameter to match the operational requirements, reducing emissions when possible while maintaining efficiency when needed.
3Power
If the staged combustion system operates in pilot-and-main mode, then power output is increased, but nvPM emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary combustion in the pilot burners using fuel from the first source (optimized for low nvPM) to establish stable combustion before introducing main fuel. This preliminary action ensures that the combustion process is already established with low-emission characteristics before the higher-power main combustion phase begins, helping to maintain lower nvPM emissions even at higher power outputs.
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 approach reduces nvPM emissions and improves combustion efficiency by selectively using fuels with favorable properties in different operation ranges, thereby minimizing environmental impact and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel delivery regulator arranged to control delivery of fuel to the pilot and main fuel injectors
Implementation Method 2
a staged combustion system having pilot fuel injectors and main fuel injectors, the staged combustion system being operable in a pilot-only range of operation and a pilot-and-main range of operation
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine includes a staged combustion system having pilot fuel injectors and main fuel injectors. A fuel delivery regulator controls delivery of fuel to the pilot and main fuel injectors, receives fuel from a first fuel source containing a first fuel having a first fuel characteristic and a second fuel source containing a second fuel having a second fuel characteristic. In a transition range of operation between the pilot-only and the pilot-and-main ranges of operation, fuel is delivered to both the pilot and main fuel injectors at a transition staging ratio different from the pilot-and-main staging ratio. The fuel delivery regulator delivers fuel to one or both the pilot and main fuel injectors during the transition range of operation having a different fuel characteristic from fuel delivered to one or both the pilot and main fuel injectors during at least part of the pilot-and-main range of operation.