GAS TURBINE WITH SEQUENTIAL COMBUSTION ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

The present disclosure refers to a method for operating a gas turbine with sequential combustors having a first-burner, a first combustion chamber, and a second combustor arranged sequentially in a fluid flow connection. To minimize emissions and combustion stability problems during transient changes when the fuel flow to a second combustor is initiated the method includes the steps of increasing the second fuel flow to a minimum flow, and reducing the first fuel flow to the first-burner of the same sequential combustor and/or the fuel flow to at least one other sequential combustor of the sequential combustor arrangement in order keep the total fuel mass flow to the gas turbine substantially constant. Besides the method a gas turbine with a fuel distribution system configured to carry out such a method is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for operating a gas turbine having at least a compressor, a sequential combustor arrangement with a plurality of sequential combustors, and a turbine downstream of the sequential combustor arrangement, each sequential combustor having a first-burner, a first combustion chamber, and a second combustor arranged sequentially in a fluid flow connection, the method comprising: compressing an inlet gas in the compressor, admixing a first fuel in the first-burners of the sequential combustor, burning a mixture of first fuel and compressed gas in the first combustion chamber to obtain first combustion products, wherein at low relative load no further fuel is injected into the sequential combustor downstream of the first-burner, and at high relative load a second fuel is injected into the sequential combustor downstream of the first combustion chamber, and burning a mixture of first combustion products, and the second fuel to obtain second combustor combustion products, and expanding the combustion products in the turbine, wherein during part load operation of the gas turbine, when initiating fuel admittance of the second fuel, a second fuel flow is increased to a minimum flow, and a first fuel flow to the first-burner of the same sequential combustor and/or a fuel flow to at least one other sequential combustor of the sequential combustor arrangement is reduced to keep a total fuel mass flow to the gas turbine substantially constant.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein dilution gas is admixed to the first combustor combustion products, before burning the mixture of first combustor combustion products and second fuel.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first fuel flow to the first-burner upstream in the same sequential combustor, in which the second fuel flow is initiated, is reduced.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first fuel flow to at least one neighboring sequential combustor of the sequential combustor, into which a second fuel flow is initiated, is reduced.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fuel flow is initiated at the same time to a plurality of sequential combustors.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fuel flow to all the sequential combustors of the sequential combustor arrangement is initiated at the same time and that the first fuel flow to all the first-burners of the sequential combustor arrangement is reduced at the same time.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fuel flow to the sequential combustors initiated sequentially for individual sequential combustors or initiated for groups of sequential combustors as a function of at least one of: the gas turbine load, a temperature indicative of the load, and a pressure indicative of the load.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first fuel flow to the first-burner of the same sequential combustor and/or the fuel flow to at least one other sequential combustor which was reduced upon initiation of the second fuel flow is increased back to the fuel flow before initiation of the second fuel flow, and then initiate the second fuel flow to the next sequential combustor or next group of sequential combustors.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second fuel flow is increased above a minimum flow after the fuel flow to the first-burner of the same sequential combustor arrangement and/or the fuel flow to the at least one other sequential combustor which was reduced upon initiation of the second fuel flow is increased back to the fuel flow before initiation of the second fuel flow to control the load of the gas turbine.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching off of the second fuel is carried out in reverse order.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein after ail first-burners and second fuel injections are brought into operation the fuel flow to at least one first-burner is increased over the fuel flow to at least another first-burner of the sequential combustor arrangement and that the fuel flow to the second fuel injection of the sequential combustor with increased fuel flow to its first-burner is reduced compared to the fuel flow to at least another second fuel injection of the sequential combustor arrangement such that the total fuel flow to the sequential combustor remains unchanged.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] The disclosure, its nature as well as its advantages, shall be described in more detail below with the aid of the accompanying schematic drawings.

[0046] Referring to the drawings:

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a gas turbine with a compressor, a sequential combustion arrangement, and a turbine;

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a sequential combustion arrangement with a first burner, first combustion chamber, a second combustor with fuel injection and dilution gas injection as well as a second combustion zone;

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a sequential combustion arrangement with a first burner, first combustion chamber, a second combustor with a dilution gas admixer, second fuel injection and a second combustion zone;

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a gas turbine with a sequential combustion arrangement with a first burner, first combustion chamber, a second burner with dilution gas admixer and a fuel injection followed by a second combustion chamber with a second combustion zone;

[0051] FIGS. 5A-E show different fuel and dilution gas injection devices for the second combustor.

[0052] FIG. 6 shows a cut through of the section A-A of the first burner and section B-B of the second combustor with a fuel gas distribution system for two burner groups in which the fuel distribution can be shifted between the first burner and second fuel injection of the sequential combustor of the same group;

[0053] FIG. 7 shows a cut through the section A-A of the first burner and section B-B of the second combustor with a fuel gas distribution system for two burner groups of equal size in which the fuel distribution can be shifted between the first burner of a group of first burners and the second fuel injection of the sequential combustors of the neighboring group;

[0054] FIG. 8 shows a cut through the section A-A of the first burner and section B-B of the second combustor with a fuel gas distribution system individual fuel gas control valves for all first burners and all second fuel injections; and

[0055] FIG. 9A shows a cut through the section A-A of the first burner and FIG. 9B shows a section B-B of the second combustor with a fuel gas distribution system individual fuel gas control valves for all first burners and all second fuel injections arranged to shift fuel gas between the first burner and the second fuel injection of each sequential combustor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a gas turbine 1 with a sequential combustor arrangement 4. It comprises a compressor 3, a sequential combustor arrangement 4, and a turbine 5.

[0057] Intake air 2 is compressed to compressed gas 11 by the compressor 3. Fuel 8 is burned with the compressed gas in the sequential combustor arrangement 4 to generate combustion products 19. These are expended in the turbine 6 generating mechanical work.

[0058] Typically, the gas turbine system includes a generator 38 which is coupled to a shaft 6 of the gas turbine 1. The gas turbine 1 further comprises a cooling system for the turbine 5 and sequential combustor arrangement 4, which is not shown as they are not the subject of this disclosure.

[0059] Exhaust gases 22 leave the turbine 5. The remaining heat is typically used in a subsequent water steam cycle, which is also not shown here.

[0060] A first example of a sequential combustor arrangement 4 is shown in FIG. 2. This sequential combustor arrangement 4 comprises a first burner 9 into which the compressed gas 11 and the first fuel 12 is admitted. The mixture of compressed gas 11 and first fuel 12 is burned in the first combustion chamber generating first combustion products 39. These flow into the second combustor 14 arranged downstream of the first combustion chamber.

[0061] In this embodiment with a can architecture the first combustion chamber 15 has a smooth cylindrical flow path. The transition from a circular cross section of the first combustion chamber 15 to a cross section with a shape of a section of an annulus or practically rectangular flow cross section at the outlet, i.e. at the turbine inlet, is integrated into the second combustor 14.

[0062] The second combustor 14 comprises a dilution gas injection 17 and a second fuel injection 13. The mixture of first combustion products 39, dilution gas 17 and second fuel 13 react in the second reaction zone 21 of the second combustor 14 2 5 forming combustion products 19 which leave the second combustor 14 and are admitted to the turbine.

[0063] In this example the first fuel 12 and second fuel 13 have a common fuel 8 supply. However, they can also have separate fuel sources using different fuel types. The embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4 are based on FIG. 2. In the example shown in FIG. 3 the dilution gas 17 and first combustion products 39 are mixed in a dilution gas mixer 16 before the second fuel 13 is injected.

[0064] In the example shown in FIG. 4 the second combustor comprises a second burner 20. The first combustion products 39 are admitted to the second burner 20 at an upstream end. Dilution gas 17 is admixed in a mixer 16, which is integrated into the second burner 20 and second fuel 13 is injected into the second burner 20 and mixed with the first combustion products 39, dilution gas 17 and second fuel 13. The second fuel 13 can also be admitted to the mixer 16 and mixed with the first combustion products 39 and dilution gas 17 in the mixer 16 (not shown here).

[0065] In this example the cross section of the flow path of the second burner 20 at the outlet is smaller than the cross section of the subsequent second reaction zone 21 for flame stabilization.

[0066] Different exemplary embodiments of fuel and dilution gas injection devices for the second combustor are shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D.

[0067] FIG. 5A shows an example of a second fuel-admixing into the second combustor 14 with a fuel lance 40 for second fuel injection 13.

[0068] FIG. 5B shows an example of a second fuel-admixing into the second combustor 14 with a flute arrangement 41 for second fuel injection 13.

[0069] FIG. 5C shows an example of a second fuel-admixing into the second combustor 14 with a lobed mixer 42 for second fuel injection 13.

[0070] FIG. 5D shows an example of a second fuel-admixing into the second combustor 14 with circumferentially distributed side wall holes 43 for second fuel injection 13.

[0071] FIG. 5E shows an example of a second fuel-admixing into the second combustor 14 with circumferentially distributed side wall injection pipes 44 for second fuel injection 13.

[0072] In all examples dilution gas 17 (not shown) can be injected together with the second fuel 13.

[0073] Details of different exemplary embodiments of the fuel gas distribution system are shown in FIGS. 6 to 10.

[0074] FIG. 6 shows the section A-A of FIG. 2 cut through the first burner and section B-B of FIG. 2 cut through the second combustor with an exemplary fuel distribution system.

[0075] The fuel 8 is supplied via a main fuel line and branched into a supply line for the first first-burner group fuel ring main 25 and a supply line for the second first-burner group fuel ring main 26. A first first-burner group fuel control valve 23 is arranged in the fuel line to the first first-burner group fuel ring main 25 and a second first-burner group fuel control valve 24 is arranged in the fuel line to the second first-burner group fuel ring main 26. Each first burner 9 is supplied with fuel from a fuel ring main 25, 26 via a fuel feed 10. In the shown example half the burners 9 are connected to the first first-burner group fuel ring main 25 and the other half of the burners 9 are connected to the second first-burner group fuel ring main 26. The burners can alternatingly be connected to the first, respectively second first-burner group fuel ring main 25, 26. In this example some burners are alternatingly connected to the two fuel ring mains 25, 26 and some are connected in pair arrangements, which can be advantageous to mitigate pulsations.

[0076] Downstream of the first first-burner group fuel control valve 23 a fuel line is branched off to the first sequential-group fuel ring main 31, and downstream of the second first-burner group fuel control valve 24 a fuel line is branched off to the second sequential-group fuel ring main 32.

[0077] A first sequential-group fuel control valve 33 is arranged in the fuel line to the first sequential-group fuel ring main 31 and a second sequential-group control valve 34 is arranged in the fuel line to the second sequential-group fuel ring main 32. Each second combustor 14 is supplied with fuel from a sequential-group fuel ring 5 main 31, 32 via a fuel feed 10.

[0078] The second combustors 14 of first sequential-group are arranged downstream of the first combustors 9 of the first first-burner group in the sequential combustor arrangement. When opening the second sequential-group control valve 34 fuel is shifted from the first first-burner group to the second combustors 14 of the first sequential-group. Analogously fuel is shifted from the second first-burner group to the second combustors of the second sequential-group when the first sequential-group fuel control valve 33 is opened.

[0079] FIG. 7 is based on the FIG. 6 but the first first-burner group fuel control valve 23 is arranged upstream of the branch off of the fuel line to the second first-burner group fuel ring main 26; thus the first first-burner group fuel control valve 23 is effectively controlling the total fuel 8 flow.

[0080] In addition, the example of FIG. 7 is different in that the fuel line to the first sequential-group fuel ring main 31 is branched off downstream of the second first-burner group fuel control valve 24, and in that the fuel line to the second sequential-group fuel ring main 32 is branched off between first first-burner group fuel control valve 23 and the second first-burner group fuel control valve 24.

[0081] When opening the second sequential-group control valve 34 fuel is shifted from the first first-burner group to the second combustors of the second sequential-group. Analogously fuel is shifted from the second first-burner group to the second combustors of the first sequential-group when the first sequential-group fuel control valve 33 is opened.

[0082] FIG. 8 shows another example for a fuel distribution system in the section A-A of FIG. 2 cut through the first burner and section B-B cut through the second combustor of FIG. 2.

[0083] The fuel 8 is supplied via a main fuel line and the total fuel flow is controlled by a main fuel control valve 27. The fuel line is branched into a supply line to the first-burner fuel ring main 30 and a supply line to a second fuel injection fuel ring main 35.

[0084] From the first-burner fuel ring main 30 each first burner 9 is supplied via a fuel feed 10 and a single first-burner fuel control valve 36 with fuel.

[0085] From the second fuel injection fuel ring main 35 each second combustor 14 is supplied via a fuel feed 10 and a single injector fuel control valve 37 with fuel.

[0086] This arrangement allows individual flow control to each first burner 9 and each second combustor 14. Thereby flow can be shifted according to any desired operating concept from first burners 9 to second combustors and between first burners 9 and between second combustors 14.

[0087] As shown a second fuel control valve 28 can be arranged in the fuel line to the supply line to the second fuel injection fuel ring main 35 to control the overall fuel split between the first burners 9 and second combustors 14. However, it can also be omitted in another embodiment.

[0088] FIGS. 9A93 are based on the FIG. 8 but there is no second fuel injection fuel ring main 35, and there is no supply line branched off to it and no second fuel control valve 28.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 9B, in this example each second combustor 14 is supplied by a separate fuel supply line a, b, c, t, which is branched off from the fuel feeds 10 of the first burners 9 downstream of the single first-burner fuel control valves 26 shown in FIG. 9A.

[0090] This arrangement allows individual flow control to each first burner 9 and each second combustor 14. Thereby flow can be shifted according to any desired operating concept from first burners 9 to second combustors and between first burners 9 and between second combustors 14. Since each second combustor's 14 fuel supply is branched off from the fuel feed 10 of an upstream burner 9 downstream of the respective single first-burner fuel control valve 36 the fuel flow can be shifted any first burners 9 to a second combustor 14 downstream practically without impact on the total fuel 8 flow.

[0091] For all shown arrangements can or annular architectures or any combination of the two is possible.

[0092] All the explained advantages are not limited to the specified combinations but can also be used in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Other possibilities are optionally conceivable, for example, for deactivating individual sequential combustors 7, i.e. first burner 9 and second combustor 14 or groups of sequential combustors 7 at part load operation. Further, the dilution gas 17 can be re-cooled in a cooling gas cooler before use as dilution gas.