Fluidic buffer volume device with reduced mixedness

• US 9,494,174 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Pastecki, Patrick Edward, Ponnuraj, Balakrishnan, Simmons, James Arthur, Yerram, Ravinder
• Primary Examiner(s): Hook, James
• Application Number:
  US14/201,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20150252823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 138/30, 138/42, 138/38
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/22 Fuel supply systems
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/40 specially adapted to the use of a special fuel or a plurality of fuels
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0224 Secondary gaseous fuel storages
• CPC Class Codes: F15D 1/025 by means of orifice or throttle elements
• CPC Class Codes: F23K 5/007 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F23K 5/14 Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 1/00 Regulating fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2221/10 Analysing fuel properties, e.g. density, calorific
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2241/20 Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/28 characterised by the fuel supply burners F23D
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/36 Supply of different fuels

Abstract

A system includes an inlet pipe configured to convey a fluid and a buffer volume configured to buffer the fluid. The buffer volume includes a smallest diameter tube having a smallest diameter, a first inlet end, and a first outlet end. The first inlet end is configured to receive the fluid from the inlet pipe. The buffer volume also includes an intermediate tube surrounding the smallest diameter tube having a first capped end and a second outlet end. The first capped end is positioned next to the outlet end of the smallest diameter tube. The buffer volume also includes a largest diameter tube surrounding the intermediate tube second capped end and a third outlet end. The second capped end is positioned next to the second outlet end of the intermediate tube. The system also includes an outlet pipe configured to convey the fluid from the buffer volume.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a fluidic buffer volume device, comprising;

an inlet defined by an inlet wall;

a plurality of nested tubes defining annular flow paths between walls of adjacent tubes, wherein a portion of the inlet wall is centrally disposed within the plurality of nested tubes in a concentric arrangement;

an outlet; and

a fluid flow path through the inlet, the plurality of nested tubes, and the outlet, wherein the fluid flow path extends from the inlet to the outlet via a tortuous path through the annular flow paths between the walls of adjacent tubes of the plurality of nested tubes in a first direction from the inlet towards the outlet and in a second direction from the outlet towards the inlet;

wherein the fluidic buffer volume device is configured to reproduce a transient event occurring upstream of the inlet in a fluid downstream of the outlet after the fluid travels along the fluid flow path, and wherein a respective radial offset between the walls of the adjacent tubes of the plurality of nested tubes decreases from an innermost pair of adjacent tubes to an outermost pair of adjacent tubes to minimize a pressure drop of the fluid within the fluidic buffer volume device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a fuel and the transient event comprises a change in a composition of the fuel.

3. The system of claim 2, comprising a gas turbine, and a fuel flow path from a fuel source to the gas turbine, wherein the fluidic buffer volume device is located along the fuel flow path upstream of the gas turbine.

4. The system of claim 3, comprising instrumentation to analyze the composition of the fuel upstream of the inlet of the fluidic buffer volume device, and the fluidic buffer volume device is configured to provide a residence time for the fuel within the fluidic buffer volume device to enable a signal from the instrumentation representative of the analysis of the fuel to be communicated to enable adjustment of operating conditions of the gas turbine as the fuel is provided to the gas turbine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each tube of the plurality of nested tubes defines a tube volume within the respective tube, and the tube volume increases from an innermost tube to an outermost tube of the plurality of nested tubes, and the fluidic buffer volume device is configured to lower a flow velocity of the fluid as it travels along the fluid flow path by repeatedly dispersing the fluid from a smaller tube volume to a larger tube volume while minimizing mixing of the fluid.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the walls between adjacent tubes of the plurality of nested tubes define a working volume, and the working volume for each pair of walls between adjacent tubes is between approximately 70 to 120 percent of a mean working volume for all of the pairs of walls between adjacent tubes.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising a fluidic buffer volume assembly comprising at least two fluidic buffer volume devices coupled via a pipe.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the tortuous path comprises at least a first path portion that extends in the first direction, a second path portion that extends in the second direction, and a third path portion that extends in the first direction, wherein the second path portion is disposed between the first and third path portions.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluidic buffer volume device comprises a first end adjacent the inlet and a second end adjacent the outlet, the first end comprises a first external end plate and an internal end plate, the second end comprises a second external end plate, the first and second external end plates extend across the first and second ends respectively between an inner surface of an outer wall tube, the outer wall tube is an outermost tube of the plurality of nested tubes, the internal end plate is disposed between the first and second external end plates, and the internal end plate extends across an end of a second tube, wherein the second tube is adjacent the outer wall tube.

10. A system, comprising:

a fluidic buffer volume device, comprising;

a first plurality of nested tubes, wherein each tube in the first plurality of nested tubes comprises a first inlet end coupled to a first end plate of the fluidic buffer volume device and a first outlet end; and

a second plurality of nested tubes, wherein each tube in the second plurality of tubes comprises a second inlet end coupled to a second end plate of the fluidic buffer volume device and a second outlet end;

wherein each of the tubes in the first plurality of nested tubes is disposed between two of the tubes in the second plurality of nested tubes, and the first end plate and the second end plate are disposed at opposite ends of the fluidic buffer volume device along a longitudinal axis of the fluidic buffer volume device;

a first transport pipe configured to convey a fluid through the second end plate to a first tube in the second plurality of tubes with a smallest diameter, wherein the first tube is centrally disposed within both the first and second pluralities of nested tubes in a concentric arrangement; and

a second transport pipe configured to convey the fluid from a second tube in the second plurality of tubes with a largest diameter, wherein the second tube is an outermost tube of both the first and second pluralities of nested tubes;

wherein a respective radial offset between walls of adjacent tubes of the first and second pluralities of nested tubes decreases from an innermost pair of adjacent tubes to an outermost pair of adjacent tubes to minimize a pressure drop of the fluid within the fluidic buffer volume device.

11. The system of claim 10, comprising an anchor rod attached to one of the tubes in the first plurality of nested tubes or the second plurality of nested tubes, wherein the anchor rod is configured to stabilize the respective tube attached to the anchor rod.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the anchor rod is positioned at an end of the tube and is configured to maintain an offset height of the tube between an open end of the tube and the first end plate or the second end plate.

13. The system of claim 10, comprising two or more sources configured to convey the fluid to the first transport pipe.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein each pair of adjacent tubes in the fluidic buffer volume device defines a working volume, and each working volume is substantially equivalent.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein a tube in the second plurality of tubes with a largest diameter is configured to maintain a pressure differential between an interior of the fluidic buffer volume device and an exterior of the fluidic buffer volume device.

16. A method, comprising:

conveying a fluid through a first pipe to a first tube in a plurality of nested tubes of a fluidic buffer volume device, wherein the first tube is centrally disposed within the plurality of nested tubes in a concentric arrangement and forms an inlet into the fluidic buffer volume device, and wherein a respective radial offset between walls of adjacent tubes of the plurality of nested tubes decreases from an innermost pair of adjacent tubes to an outermost pair of adjacent tubes to minimize a pressure drop of the fluid within the fluidic buffer volume device;

conveying the fluid through the first tube in a first direction to a first outlet end;

radially dispersing the fluid from the first tube to a second tube in the plurality of nested tubes, the second tube surrounding the first tube;

conveying the fluid through the second tube in a second direction opposite the first direction along an annular flow path; and

conveying the fluid from the fluidic buffer volume device through a second pipe.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising conveying the fluid through the first pipe from at least two alternating sources of the fluid.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising radially dispersing the fluid from the second tube and conveying the fluid through additional tubes of the plurality of nested tubes along additional annular flow paths.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein conveying the fluid through a second pipe comprises conveying the fluid in the first direction.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein conveying the fluid through a second pipe comprises conveying the fluid in the second direction.