Control systems and methods for water injection in a turbine engine

• US 6,553,753 B1
• Filed: 07/15/1999
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Brown, Curtis L., Coleman, Robert P., Payling, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg, Ehud
• Application Number:
  US09/354,273
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 60/393, 60/395.3, 60/390.7, 607/85
• US Class Current: 60/39.53
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 21/047 having at least one combustion gas turbine
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/305 Increasing the power, speed, torque or efficiency of a gas turbine or the thrust of a turbojet engine by injecting or adding water, steam or other fluids F01K21/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/1435 by water injection
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/224 Heating fuel before feeding to the burner
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5846 cooling by injection
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/705 Adding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/303 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/303 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Control systems and methods for controlling injection of water into a turbine engine are described. In an exemplary embodiment, the water injection system includes a plurality of nozzles for injecting water into a gas flow through the engine, a water source, a water manifold, a water supply line extending from the water source to the water manifold, a water metering valve for controlling flow through the water supply line, an air manifold, an air flow pipe coupled to the high pressure compressor and to the air manifold, a plurality of air feeder tubes extending from the air manifold to the nozzles, and a plurality of water feeder tubes extending from the water manifold to the nozzles.

Claims

1. A turbine engine comprising:

a low pressure compressor comprising an inlet and an outlet;

a high pressure compressor comprising an inlet and an outlet, said high pressure compressor in axial flow relationship with, and downstream from, said low pressure compressor, said high pressure compressor is a multi-stage compressor;

a combustor downstream from said high pressure compressor;

a high pressure turbine downstream from said combustor;

a low pressure turbine in axial flow relationship with, and downstream from, said high pressure turbine;

a water injection system comprising;

a plurality of nozzles for injecting water into a gas flow through said engine, said nozzles comprising a plurality of long nozzles and short nozzles, said nozzles arranged in alternating configuration such that at least one of said short nozzles is circumferentially intermediate each pair of long nozzles;

a water source;

a water manifold;

a water supply line extending from said water source to said water manifold;

a water metering valve for controlling flow through said water supply line;

an air manifold;

an air flow pipe coupled to all intermediate stage of said high pressure compressor and to said air manifold;

a plurality of air feeder tubes extending from said air manifold to said nozzles;

an air bleed valve for controlling a size of water droplets discharged from said nozzle;

a plurality of water feeder tubes extending from said water manifold to said nozzles.

2. An engine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said low pressure compressor is a five stage compressor and said high pressure compressor is a fourteen stage compressor.

3. An engine in accordance with claim 2 wherein said air bleed valve is proximate an eighth stage of said high pressure compressor, said bleed valve positioned for controlling air flow to said air manifold.

4. An engine in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a heat exchanger coupled to said air flow pipe.

5. An engine in accordance with claim 1 wherein water and air flow to said nozzles is controlled so that the water is atomized into droplets.

6. An engine in accordance with claim 5 wherein the droplets have a diameter of about 20 microns.

7. An engine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said nozzles are upstream from said high pressure compressor inlet.

8. An engine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said nozzles are upstream from said low pressure compressor inlet.

9. An engine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said nozzles are downstream from said low pressure compressor inlet.

10. An engine in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an intercooler in series flow relationship with said low pressure compressor and said high pressure compressor, said intercooler comprising an inlet coupled to said low pressure compressor outlet for receiving at least a portion of gas flowing from said low pressure compressor outlet, and an outlet coupled to said high pressure compressor inlet.

11. An engine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said high pressure compressor and said high pressure turbine are coupled via a first shaft, and said low pressure compressor and said low pressure turbine are coupled via a second shaft.

12. An engine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said high pressure compressor comprises a plurality of stators, said stators electrically grounded.