Control system for a land-based simple cycle hybrid engine for power generation

• US 20100154380A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kevin Michael, Rasheed, Adam, Tangirala, Venkat Eswarlu, Joshi, Narendra Digamber
• Application Number:
  US12/317,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20100154380A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/39.270
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 5/10 the working fluid forming a resonating or oscillating gas column, i.e. the combustion chambers having no positively actuated valves, e.g. using Helmholtz effect
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/28 Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/16 Fluid modulation at a certain frequency
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/05 to affect the output of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/304 Spool rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 7/00 Intermittent or explosive combustion chambers

Abstract

A pulse detonation combustor (PDC)-based hybrid engine control system includes a programmable controller directed by algorithmic software to control a rotational shaft speed of the PDC-based hybrid engine, an air inlet valve rotational speed for the PDC, and a fuel fill time period for the PDC in response to a corresponding low pressure turbine (LPT) shaft speed signal or a power difference signal based on a difference between desired power and actual power produced by the PDC-based hybrid engine and further in response to a fuel fill time signal for the PDC, such that a desired fuel fill fraction and stoichiometric ratio are maintained and further such that a mass air flowrate from an air compressor matches a mass air flowrate ingested via the PDC while the PDC-based hybrid engine is operating in an acceleration mode or a deceleration mode.

Claims

1. A pulse detonation combustor (PDC)-based hybrid engine control system comprising a programmable controller directed by algorithmic software to control a rotational shaft speed of a PDC-based hybrid engine, an air inlet valve rotational speed for the PDC, and a fuel fill time period for the PDC in response to a power difference signal based on a difference between desired power and actual power produced by the PDC-based hybrid engine and further in response to a fuel fill time signal for the PDC, such that a desired fuel fill fraction and stoichiometric ratio are maintained and further such that a mass air flowrate from an air compressor matches a mass air flowrate ingested via the PDC while the PDC-based hybrid engine is operating in an acceleration mode or a deceleration mode.

2. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 1, further comprising a shaft speed sensor configured to generate a rotational shaft speed signal for the PDC-based hybrid engine such that the algorithmic software controls the rotational shaft speed of the PDC-based hybrid engine further based on the rotational shaft speed signal.

3. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 1, further comprising a fuel inlet valve sensor configured to generate the fuel fill time signal.

4. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the PDC-based hybrid engine comprises a plurality of multitube pulse discharge combustors configured to provide a temporally uniform load balance and a spatially uniform load balance on a corresponding turbine.

5. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel fill time period is independent of the air inlet valve rotational speed.

6. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet valve rotational speed is uniform and continuous in the azimuthal direction at a given load on a corresponding turbine.

7. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the programmable controller is further directed by algorithmic software to control initiation of a spark in response to closing of a PDC fuel inlet valve.

8. A pulse detonation combustor (PDC)-based hybrid engine control system comprising a programmable controller directed by algorithmic software to control a rotational shaft speed of a PDC-based hybrid engine, an air inlet valve rotational speed for the PDC, and a fuel fill time period for the PDC in response to a corresponding low pressure turbine (LPT) shaft speed and further in response to a fuel fill time signal for the PDC, such that a desired fuel fill fraction and stoichiometric ratio are maintained and further such that a mass air flowrate from an air compressor matches a mass air flowrate ingested via the PDC while the PDC-based hybrid engine is operating in an acceleration mode or a deceleration mode.

9. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 8, wherein the PDC-based hybrid engine comprises a plurality of multitube pulse discharge combustors configured to provide a temporally uniform load balance and a spatially uniform load balance on a high pressure turbine.

10. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 8, wherein the fuel fill time period is independent of the air inlet valve rotational speed.

11. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 8, wherein the air inlet valve rotational speed is uniform and continuous in the azimuthal direction at a given load on a corresponding turbine.

12. The PDC-based hybrid engine control system according to claim 8, wherein the programmable controller is further directed by algorithmic software to control initiation of a spark in response to closing of a PDC fuel inlet valve.

13. A pulse detonation combustor (PDC)-based hybrid engine comprising:

a turbine and a compressor configured together as a single spool engine with a common rotational shaft;

a PDC comprising a plurality of multitube pulse discharge combustors configured to provide a temporally uniform load balance and a spatially uniform load balance on the turbine; and

a control system comprising a programmable controller directed by algorithmic software to control the rotational shaft speed, an air inlet valve rotational speed for the PDC, and a fuel fill time period for the PDC in response to a power difference signal based on a difference between desired power and actual power produced by the PDC-based hybrid engine and further in response to a fuel fill time signal for the PDC, such that a desired fuel fill fraction and stoichiometric ratio are maintained and further such that a mass air flowrate from an air compressor matches a mass air flowrate ingested via the PDC while the PDC-based hybrid engine is operating in an acceleration mode or a deceleration mode.

14. The PDC-based hybrid engine according to claim 13, wherein the fuel fill time period is independent of the air inlet valve rotational speed.

15. The PDC-based hybrid engine according to claim 13, wherein the air inlet valve rotational speed is uniform and continuous in the azimuthal direction at a given load on a corresponding turbine.

16. A pulse detonation combustor (PDC)-based hybrid engine comprising:

a turbine and a compressor configured together as a single spool engine with a common rotational shaft;

a PDC comprising a plurality of multitube pulse discharge combustors configured to provide a temporally uniform load balance and a spatially uniform load balance on the turbine; and

a control system comprising a programmable controller directed by algorithmic software to control the rotational shaft speed, an air inlet valve rotational speed for the PDC, and a fuel fill time period for the PDC in response to a corresponding low pressure turbine (LPT) shaft speed and further in response to a fuel fill time signal for the PDC, such that a desired fuel fill fraction and stoichiometric ratio are maintained and further such that a mass air flowrate from an air compressor matches a mass air flowrate ingested via the PDC while the PDC-based hybrid engine is operating in an acceleration mode or a deceleration mode.

17. The PDC-based hybrid engine according to claim 16, wherein the fuel fill time period is independent of the air inlet valve rotational speed.

18. The PDC-based hybrid engine according to claim 16, wherein the air inlet valve rotational speed is uniform and continuous in the azimuthal direction at a given load on a corresponding turbine.

19. A method of controlling a pulse detonation combustor (PDC)-based hybrid engine, the method comprising:

generating a power difference signal based on a difference between desired power and actual power produced by a PDC-based hybrid engine;

generating a fuel fill time signal for the PDC; and

controlling a rotational shaft speed of the PDC-based hybrid engine, an air inlet valve rotational speed for the PDC, and a fuel fill time period for the PDC in response to the power difference signal and the fuel fill time signal for the PDC, such that a desired fuel fill fraction and stoichiometric ratio are maintained and further such that a mass air flowrate from an air compressor matches a mass air flowrate ingested via the PDC while the PDC-based hybrid engine is operating in an acceleration mode or a deceleration mode.

20. The method of controlling a PDC-based hybrid engine according to claim 19, further comprising determining the actual power produced by the PDC-based hybrid engine in response to a control limit selected from a temperature limit, a pressure limit, a speed limit, or a mass flow rate limit.

21. A method of controlling a pulse detonation combustor (PDC)-based hybrid engine, the method comprising:

generating a corresponding low pressure turbine (LPT) shaft speed signal for the PDC-based hybrid engine;

generating a fuel fill time signal for the PDC; and

controlling a rotational shaft speed of the PDC-based hybrid engine, an air inlet valve rotational speed for the PDC, and a fuel fill time period for the PDC in response to the the corresponding LPT shaft speed signal and the fuel fill time signal for the PDC, such that a desired fuel fill fraction and stoichiometric ratio are maintained and further such that a mass air flowrate from an air compressor matches a mass air flowrate ingested via the PDC while the PDC-based hybrid engine is operating in an acceleration mode or a deceleration mode.

22. The method of controlling a PDC-based hybrid engine according to claim 21, further comprising determining the actual power produced by the PDC-based hybrid engine in response to a control limit selected from a temperature limit, a pressure limit, a speed limit, or a mass flow rate limit.