Systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel

• US 8,589,087 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Martin, Paul Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Armand, Marc
• Assistant Examiner(s): DALBO, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/844,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 702/34, 60/390.91, 3 3/4
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/20 Devices dealing with sensing elements or final actuators or transmitting means between them, e.g. power-assisted sensing elements alone F01D17/02; final actuators alone F01D17/10
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/82 Forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 17/02 Electrochemical measuring systems for weathering, corrosion or corrosion-protection measurement

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for monitoring and predicting corrosion. The method can include monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel in a fuel supply system of a gas turbine, predicting, based at least in part on the monitoring, a cumulative level of corrosion of one or more components associated with a gas turbine, and outputting information associated with the monitoring.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel in a fuel supply system of a gas turbine using one or more sensors positioned in the fuel supply system;

predicting, based at least in part on the monitoring, a cumulative level of corrosion of one or more hot gas path (HGP) components associated with the gas turbine; and

outputting information associated with the monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein predicting the cumulative level of corrosion comprises estimating a remaining lifetime associated with the one or more HGP components.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing preventive maintenance on the one or more HGP components associated with the gas turbine based at least in part on the monitoring.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising injecting one or more corrosion inhibitors into the fuel supply system based at least in part on the monitoring.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring comprises conducting at least one of online, continuous, or in-situ measurements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring comprises measuring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with the liquid fuel using one or more linear polarization resistance (LPR) sensors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring comprises measuring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel using the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of linear polarization resistance (LPR) sensors, sacrificial electrodes, water sensors, density sensors, or viscosity sensors.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing at least a portion of the information associated with the monitoring, and determining a corrosive event trend based at least in part on the stored information.

9. A system comprising:

a gas turbine;

at least one fuel supply line for delivering liquid fuel to the gas turbine, the at least one fuel supply line being in communication with one or more sensors;

the one or more sensors positioned in the at least one fuel supply line;

at least one memory for storing data and computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions for;

monitoring, with the one or more sensors, corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with the liquid fuel;

predicting, based at least in part on the monitoring, a cumulative level of corrosion of one or more hot gas path (HGP) components associated with the gas turbine; and

outputting a signal associated with the monitoring.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a fuel supply tank and one or more fuel supply sensors for monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with the liquid fuel in the fuel supply tank, wherein the one or more fuel supply sensors comprise at least one of linear polarization resistance (LPR) sensors, sacrificial electrodes, water sensors, density sensors, or viscosity sensors.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for estimating a remaining lifetime associated with the one or more HGP components.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising a corrosion inhibition injector for injecting one or more corrosion inhibitors into the fuel supply system based at least in part on the monitoring.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for modifying a maintenance schedule associated with the gas turbine based at least in part on the monitoring.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors are configured for monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with the liquid fuel by at least one of online, continuous, or in-situ measurements.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of linear polarization resistance (LPR) sensors, sacrificial electrodes, water sensors, density sensors, or viscosity sensors.

16. An apparatus comprising:

at least one memory for storing data and computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions for;

monitoring, with one or more sensors, corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel in a fuel supply system of a gas turbine using one or more sensors positioned in the fuel supply system;

predicting, based at least in part on the monitoring, a cumulative level of corrosion of one or more hot gas path (HGP) components associated with the gas turbine; and

outputting information associated with the monitoring.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for estimating a remaining lifetime associated with the one or more HGP components.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for controlling a flow of corrosion inhibitor into the fuel supply system based at least in part on the monitoring.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for modifying a maintenance schedule associated with the gas turbine based at least in part on the monitoring.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for storing at least a portion of the information associated with the monitoring, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured for determining at least one corrosive event trend based at least in part on the stored information.