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Stabilizing a gas turbine engine via incremental tuning

  • US 9,097,185 B2
  • Filed: 05/24/2010
  • Issued: 08/04/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A computerized method, implemented by a processing unit, for automatically tuning a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

  • monitoring at least one operating condition of the gas turbine engine;

    determining that the at least one operating condition overcomes a threshold value associated with the at least one operating condition; and

    based on determining that the at least one operating condition overcomes the threshold value, performing a tuning process comprising;

    (a) comparing an identity of the at least one operating condition against a schedule, the schedule providing, for the at least one operating condition, an identity of a predefined fuel flow split for adjustment and a predefined manner of adjustment for the predefined fuel flow split;

    (b) selecting the predefined fuel flow split corresponding to the at least one operating condition from the schedule to target for adjustment, wherein selecting the predefined fuel flow split is based on (1) the identity of the at least one operating condition, (2) a predefined preferential guideline, and (3) a look-up table comprising an operating curve that corresponds to an ambient temperature parameter and a gas parameter;

    (c) adjusting the selected predefined fuel flow split by a predefined increment according to the predefined manner of adjustment, wherein the selected predefined fuel flow split governs a portion of a total fuel flow that is directed to two or more fuel nozzles of the combustor'"'"'s fuel circuit, and wherein adjusting the selected predefined fuel flow split by the predefined increment comprises consistently applying a uniform amount of adjustment to the selected predefined fuel flow split;

    obtaining a result of the tuning process; and

    updating the look-up table based on the result of the tuning process, wherein the updated look-up table increases an efficiency of a future tuning process.

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