Thermal Energy Storage Tank for Fast Gas Turbine Start
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vaporizer systems for gas turbine engines using fuels like propane, ethanol, and methanol require extended time for vaporization and readiness, making it challenging to achieve fast start capabilities within minutes, which is essential for 'fast start' service in gas turbine engines.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a thermal energy storage tank that stores alternative liquid fuels, such as propane or ethanol, under pressure, allowing for rapid vaporization and supply to the combustor until the vaporizer is operational, utilizing a heat recovery loop and liquid bath vaporizer to accelerate the warm-up process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If current vaporizer systems are used to vaporize alternative fuels like propane, ethanol, and methanol, then the fuel can be supplied to the gas turbine engine, but the system requires hours to warm up and begin fuel conditioning, which is too slow for fast start service
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-heats the alternative liquid fuel in the thermal energy storage tank before start-up using the heat recovery loop that captures waste heat from the gas turbine exhaust. This preliminary heating action allows the fuel to be ready for immediate vaporization when start-up is required, eliminating the need to warm up the vaporizer from cold state and enabling fast start capability within minutes
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal energy storage tank acts as an intermediary between the fuel storage and the vaporizer system. It temporarily holds the pre-heated fuel and can rapidly vaporize it when needed, decoupling the long warm-up requirement from the fast start requirement. The thermal storage tank mediates between the slow heating process and the fast fuel delivery need
2Speed
If the thermal energy storage tank stores fuel at higher temperature to enable rapid vaporization, then fast start capability is achieved, but energy is consumed to maintain the thermal energy in the tank
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the waste heat from the gas turbine exhaust, which would otherwise be discarded, into useful thermal energy for pre-heating the fuel in the thermal storage tank. This transforms a harmful waste product into a beneficial resource, providing the necessary thermal energy for fast vaporization without additional energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The heat recovery loop captures and recovers thermal energy from the exhaust gases that would normally be discarded to the environment. This recovered heat is then used to pre-heat the alternative liquid fuel in the thermal storage tank, reducing the energy required for vaporization and enabling fast start capability
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 rapid start-up of gas turbine engines by providing vaporized fuel within 15 to 25 minutes, reducing the operational time of the thermal energy storage tank and subsequently transitioning to the vaporizer for continuous operation, thus meeting the fast start requirements.
Implementation Method 1
The alternative liquid fuel is stored in the thermal energy storage tank under pressure such that releasing the alternative liquid fuel from the thermal energy storage tank vaporizes the alternative fuel
Implementation Method 2
warming a heat exchange fluid in a heat recovery loop with a discharge from the compressor
Implementation Method 3
a liquid bath vaporizer for transferring heat between the alternative liquid fuel and a heat exchange liquid
Data Source
AI summary
The present application provides an alternative fuel fast start system for a gas turbine engine with a combustor and a compressor. The alternative fuel fast start system may include an alternative liquid fuel, a thermal energy storage tank, and a vaporizer. The alternative liquid fuel is stored in the thermal energy storage tank under pressure such that releasing the alternative liquid fuel from the thermal energy storage tank vaporizes the alternative fuel. Upon start-up of the gas turbine engine, the thermal energy storage tank supplies the vaporized alternative fuel to the combustor until the vaporizer is operational. The alternative liquid fuel may be propane, ethanol, or methanol.