Gas Turbine Fluid Accelerator Combustor Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbines face challenges in precisely controlling the combustor chamber temperature, which affects the combustion temperature and NOx emission control.
Innovation Solution
A gas turbine system that includes a compressor, combustor, main turbine, heat recovery boiler, and fluid accelerator, where the fluid accelerator uses a combination of compressed air and high-pressure steam to pressurize and accelerate the air, mixing it with steam to cool the combustor efficiently, thereby controlling the temperature and reducing NOx emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the combustion temperature is increased to improve power generation efficiency, then the power output increases, but the NOx emissions increase and combustor temperature control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fluid accelerator as an intermediary device between the compressor and combustor. This accelerator uses high-pressure steam from the heat recovery boiler to compress and accelerate the combustion air, enabling precise temperature control in the combustor chamber. The mediator allows the system to maintain optimal combustion temperature for power generation while preventing excessive temperatures that would cause NOx formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the combustion air by using the fluid accelerator to compress and heat the air before it enters the combustor. By controlling the pressure and temperature of the combustion air through the accelerator, the system can maintain the combustor chamber temperature within the optimal range (850-950°C), thereby preventing NOx formation while ensuring efficient power generation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the combustor chamber temperature is reduced to control NOx emissions, then NOx emissions decrease, but the combustion efficiency and power output are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid accelerator serves as a mediator that enables the system to maintain the combustor temperature at the optimal lower range (850-950°C) for NOx control, while still achieving high combustion efficiency. The accelerator's ability to precisely control the temperature and pressure of combustion air ensures that power generation is not compromised despite the lower temperature operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional direct combustion air supply system with a fluid accelerator-based system. This substitution allows for more precise control of combustion parameters, enabling the system to maintain efficient combustion at lower temperatures. The fluid accelerator uses steam energy to achieve this control, replacing less efficient mechanical compression methods.
3Temperature
If additional cooling systems are added to the combustor to control temperature, then temperature control improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the heat recovery boiler's steam serve multiple functions: it generates power through the steam turbine and simultaneously provides thermal energy to the fluid accelerator for combustion air compression and heating. This multi-functionality allows the system to control combustor temperature without adding dedicated cooling equipment, thereby avoiding increased system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own waste heat from the exhaust gas (via the heat recovery boiler) to power the fluid accelerator, which in turn controls the combustor temperature. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external cooling systems, as the system uses its own thermal energy to regulate its operating temperature.
4Productivity
If high-pressure steam is used to compress air in the fluid accelerator, then air compression efficiency improves, but the steam pressure requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The heat recovery boiler generates high-pressure steam that serves dual purposes: driving the steam turbine for power generation and providing compression power for the fluid accelerator. By using the same steam source for both functions, the system achieves high air compression efficiency without requiring a separate steam generation system, thereby avoiding additional complexity.
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 pressurizes and cools the air without using additional power, improving the overall efficiency of the gas turbine by 3% and reducing NOx emissions by maintaining the combustor temperature within a predetermined range.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid accelerator supplied with a first fluid compressed in the compressor to compress the first fluid and supply the compressed first fluid to the combustor
Implementation Method 2
a heat recovery boiler to produce steam by heat exchange with the combustion gas discharged from the main turbine
Implementation Method 3
cooling a combustor by supplying the combustor with a mixture of the steam and air discharged from the fluid accelerator
Data Source
AI summary
The gas turbine includes a compressor to compress air introduced thereinto, a combustor to mix the compressed air with fuel for combustion, a main turbine having a plurality of turbine blades rotated by an energy produced by combustion gas in the combustor, a heat recovery boiler to produce steam by heat exchange with the combustion gas, and a fluid accelerator supplied with a first fluid compressed in the compressor to compress the first fluid and supply the compressed first fluid to the combustor, where the fluid accelerator includes a first inlet through which the first fluid is introduced, a second inlet through which a second fluid having a higher pressure than the first fluid is introduced, and an outlet through which the first and second fluids are mixed and discharged.