UTILIZING HEAT DISCARDED FROM A GAS TURBINE ENGINE
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- one or more turbo-compressor spools in fluid communication with one another, each of the one or more turbo-compressor spools comprising a compressor in mechanical communication with a turbine;
a fuel source comprising a fuel;
one of a heat exchanger and heat jacket to transfer heat from a fluid associated with operation of the one or more turbo-compressor spools to a portion of the fuel to substantially heat the portion of the fuel to form a heated fuel; and
a combustor operable to combust the heated fuel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments are disclosed to utilize various fuels, including liquid natural gas fuels, to improve engine efficiency in gas turbine engines. In one configuration, a fuel is heated by a heat exchanger utilizing waste exhaust heat of a gas turbine engine. In another configuration, LNG fuel is heated using a pre-cooler for the inlet air stream of a gas turbine engine. In another configuration, fuel is injected into the pressurized air, downstream of the air-to-air intercooler. In yet another configuration, fuel is pumped through the engine'"'"'s intercooler or a secondary heat exchanger exchanging heat with the compressed air stream between the low-pressure compressor and high-pressure compressor. In another configuration, the fuel is first heated by the intercooler and then further heated by a heat exchanger utilizing waste exhaust heat of the gas turbine engine.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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one or more turbo-compressor spools in fluid communication with one another, each of the one or more turbo-compressor spools comprising a compressor in mechanical communication with a turbine; a fuel source comprising a fuel; one of a heat exchanger and heat jacket to transfer heat from a fluid associated with operation of the one or more turbo-compressor spools to a portion of the fuel to substantially heat the portion of the fuel to form a heated fuel; and a combustor operable to combust the heated fuel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23)
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15. A method, comprising:
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compressing, by a compressor in a first turbo-compressor spool, an inlet gas to form a first working fluid; compressing, by a compressor in a second turbo-compressor spool, the first working fluid to form a second working fluid; substantially heating a fuel comprising at least one of liquid natural gas, liquid natural gas vapor, gaseous methane, diesel, kerosene, gasoline, bio-diesel, methanol, ethanol, butanol, ammonia, and hydrogen to form a heated gas; combusting the fuel and the second working fluid to form a combusted working fluid; driving, by the combusted working fluid, a turbine of the second turbo-compressor spool; and driving, by the combusted working fluid, a turbine of the first turbo-compressor spool. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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24. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least first and second turbo-compressor spools in fluid communication with one another, each of the at least first and second turbo-compressor spools comprising a compressor in mechanical communication with a turbine; a fuel source comprising at least one of liquid natural gas, liquid natural gas vapor, gaseous methane, diesel, kerosene, gasoline, bio-diesel, methanol, ethanol, butanol, ammonia, and hydrogen; a fuel path to introduce fuel into a working fluid path to substantially heat the fuel to form a gas; and a combustor operable to combust the gas. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification