In an embodiment, a method includes performing a turbine combustor diagnostic routine including operating a first turbine combustor of a plurality of turbine combustors at a substantially steady state of combustion; adjusting an operational parameter of the first turbine combustor to cause a change in combustion products produced by the first turbine combustor; identifying a first sensor response of a first subset of a plurality of sensors disposed within or downstream from a turbine fluidly coupled to the turbine combustor, the first sensor response being indicative of the change in the combustion products, and wherein the first subset comprises one or more first sensors; correlating the first subset of sensors with the first turbine combustor; and diagnosing a condition of the first subset of the plurality of sensors, the first turbine combustor, or a combination thereof, based on the first sensor response.

A control device is a control device for a gas turbine including a plurality of combustors and is configured to select combustors to ignite in accordance with a target load on the basis of a predictor which defines a relationship between a load and the number and arrangement of combustors to ignite and a combustion temperature.

A non-transitory computer readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions executable by one or more processors for selecting infrequent or frequent autotuning of a combustor; and determining the health of a combustor. Also, a method of monitoring a combustor within a gas turbine engine system, comprising providing a gas turbine engine system, wherein the gas turbine engine includes an autotuning system; selecting infrequent or frequent autotuning of the combustor; and determining the health of the combustor; wherein said determining the health of a combustor comprises receiving real-time fuel gas temperature data from at least one thermocouple.

Provided is a method for starting and stopping a gas turbine in a combined cycle power plan, wherein the gas turbine includes a compressor having adjustable guide vanes and the gas turbine power can also be controlled by opening the guide vanes. When the gas turbine is started, it is driven up to a base load or up to an emission-compliant load point, and the guide vanes are opened before the base load or the emission-compliant load point is reached.

Provided herein is a method for automated control of the gas turbine fuel composition through automated modification of the ratio of fuel gas from multiple sources. The method includes providing first and second fuel sources. The method further includes sensing the operational parameters of a turbine and determining whether the operational parameters are within preset operational limits. The method also adjusting the ration of the first fuel source to the second fuel source, based on whether the operational parameters are within the preset operational limits.

Systems and methods to control gas turbine firing temperatures during air injection. A method of achieving a desired firing temperature of a gas turbine engine during air injection comprises injecting compressed air into the gas turbine engine using an external source. The external source includes a compressor and a recuperator. The method comprises using a controller of the gas turbine engine to: (a) determine an air injection exhaust bias gain using an inlet temperature of the gas turbine engine; (b) calculate, based on the determined air injection exhaust bias gain and a flow rate of the injected compressed air, an air injection exhaust curve bias; and (c) change a fuel flow of the gas turbine engine by adding the air injection exhaust curve bias to an existing exhaust curve of the gas turbine engine to thereby achieve the desired firing temperature during air injection.

Provided herein is a method for automated control of the gas turbine fuel composition through automated modification of the ratio of fuel gas from multiple sources. The method includes providing first and second fuel sources. The method further includes sensing the operational parameters of a turbine and determining whether the operational parameters are within preset operational limits. The method also adjusting the ration of the first fuel source to the second fuel source, based on whether the operational parameters are within the preset operational limits.

A system is provided for an aircraft. This aircraft system includes an aircraft powerplant, a powerplant sensor system, an environment sensor system and a monitoring system. The aircraft powerplant includes a heat engine. The powerplant sensor system is configured to provide engine data indicative of one or more operating parameters of the heat engine. The environment sensor system is configured to provide environment data indicative of one or more environmental parameters of an environment in which the heat engine is operating. The monitoring system is configured to determine formation of a contrail and quantify an impact of the contrail when formed based on the engine data and the environment data.

A method for determining an emission behaviour of a gas turbine engine. In order to provide a reliable operation of the gas turbine engine the method includes: parameterising the emission behaviour of the gas turbine engine for at least one selected first state variable of the gas turbine engine by using a model, which reflects a state behaviour of the gas turbine engine, and determining the emission behaviour of the gas turbine engine by using the parameterisation.

A method for operating a gas turbine below the nominal power includes: determining a lower power threshold value of the gas turbine which causes the gas turbine to leave a CO-emission-compliant partial load range of the gas turbine; providing a specified threshold value for output gas turbine power, wherein the specified threshold value is less than the nominal power of the gas turbine; and operating the gas turbine at an output gas turbine power above the specified threshold value at a constant exhaust gas temperature, wherein the inlet guide blades of a compressor of the gas turbine are closed further in order to reduce the output gas turbine power. A sufficiently large valve is selected for the specified threshold value so that increases of the primary zone temperature, combustion temperature, and exhaust temperature extend over a CO-emission-compliant partial load range of the gas turbine that is as large as possible.