US 11,939,912 B2
Water fuel emulsion system and method for gas turbine
Baha Suleiman, Schenectady, NY (US); and Hatem Selim, Schenectady, NY (US)
Assigned to GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC, Greenville, SC (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Aug. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/817,675.
Claims priority of application No. 21191157 (EP), filed on Aug. 12, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0050114 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. F02C 3/30 (2006.01); F02C 7/22 (2006.01); F02C 9/40 (2006.01); F23K 5/12 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 3/30 (2013.01) [F02C 7/22 (2013.01); F02C 9/40 (2013.01); F23K 5/12 (2013.01); F05D 2240/36 (2013.01); F05D 2260/99 (2013.01); F23K 2300/103 (2020.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of emulsifier stages arranged in series with one another;
a plurality of fuel nozzles coupled to different respective stages of the plurality of emulsifier stages via a respective plurality of conduits, wherein the plurality of emulsifier stages is configured to supply a plurality of different water fuel emulsions to the plurality of fuel nozzles, wherein a first fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles is configured to receive a water fuel emulsion of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions and provide the water fuel emulsion to a combustor section of a gas turbine engine, wherein the water fuel emulsion comprises a water-in-fuel (WIF) emulsion having a plurality of water droplets dispersed in a fuel, wherein the plurality of water droplets is configured to vaporize within the fuel to cause micro-explosions to atomize the fuel, wherein the atomized fuel is configured to combust to generate a combustion gas to drive a turbine of the gas turbine engine;
a gas turbine controller configured to control the supply of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions from the different respective stages of the plurality of emulsifier stages through the respective plurality of fuel nozzles into the combustor section, wherein the gas turbine controller is configured to change characteristics of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions, including the WIF emulsion, based on one or more of: an operational mode of the gas turbine engine, a load state of the gas turbine engine, or load demands of the gas turbine engine, wherein the gas turbine controller is configured to selectively control flows from each of the plurality of emulsifier stages to the plurality of fuel nozzles to change the characteristics of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions in the combustor section.
 
19. A method of operating a system, the system comprising a gas turbine engine comprising a plurality of emulsifier stages arranged in series with one another, a plurality of fuel nozzles coupled to different respective stages of the plurality of emulsifier stages via a respective plurality of conduits, the plurality of emulsifier stages being configured to supply a plurality of different water fuel emulsions to the plurality of fuel nozzles, the gas turbine engine further comprising a combustor section having the plurality of fuel nozzles, wherein the combustor section comprises a first combustor comprising at least a first fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles, wherein the first fuel nozzle is configured to supply a water fuel emulsion of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions into the first combustor, the water fuel emulsion comprises a water-in-fuel (WIF) emulsion having a plurality of water droplets dispersed in a fuel, wherein the plurality of water droplets is configured to vaporize within the fuel to cause micro-explosions to atomize the fuel, and the atomized fuel is configured to combust to generate a combustion gas, and the gas turbine engine further comprising a turbine driven by the combustion gas from the first combustor, and a controller configured to change characteristics of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions, including the WIF emulsion, based on one or more of: an operational mode of the gas turbine engine, a load state of the pas turbine engine, environmental conditions, emissions requirements, or load demands, wherein the controller is configured to selectively control flows from each of the plurality of emulsifier stages to the plurality of fuel nozzles to change the characteristics of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions in the combustor section, the method comprising:
supplying the plurality of different water fuel emulsions from the plurality of emulsifier stages through the plurality of fuel nozzles into the combustor section of the gas turbine engine;
changing the characteristics of the plurality of different water fuel emulsions, via commands from the controller;
selectively controlling, via commands from the controller, the flows from each of the plurality of emulsifier stages to the plurality of fuel nozzles;
vaporizing the plurality of water droplets within the fuel of the WIF emulsion to cause micro-explosions to atomize the fuel; and
combusting the atomized fuel to generate the combustion gas to drive the turbine.