US 12,379,108 B2
Method of operating gas turbine combustor with multiple fuel stages
Michael John Hughes, State College, PA (US); and Bradley Donald Crawley, Greenville, SC (US)
Assigned to GE Vernova Infrastructure Technology LLC, Greenville, SC (US)
Filed by GE Infrastructure Technology LLC, Greenville, SC (US)
Filed on Dec. 31, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/401,572.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/437,640, filed on Jan. 6, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0230096 A1, Jul. 11, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F23R 3/34 (2006.01); F02C 9/26 (2006.01); F23R 3/28 (2006.01)
CPC F23R 3/34 (2013.01) [F02C 9/263 (2013.01); F23R 3/286 (2013.01); F23R 3/346 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a gas turbine combustor having multiple axially spaced fuel stages, the method comprising:
selectively directing fuel and a first air supply through a fuel nozzle assembly in a head end section of the gas turbine combustor to produce a first fuel/air mixture and igniting within a liner that defines a combustion chamber to produce combustion gases, the liner extending downstream from the head end section to an aft frame;
selectively directing a second fuel/air mixture through the liner from at least one of a first plurality of injectors disposed at a first axial location spaced from the head end section;
selectively directing a third fuel/air mixture through the liner from at least one of a second plurality of injectors disposed at a second axial location downstream from the first plurality of injectors; wherein each of the fuel nozzle assembly, the first plurality of injectors, and the second plurality of injectors receives a respective air supply from a compressor discharge plenum that is defined by a compressor discharge casing that at least partially surrounds the combustor, the respective air supplies being directed to only one of the fuel nozzle assembly, the first plurality of injectors, and the second plurality of injectors; wherein the second plurality of injectors receives a respective air supply that is greater than each of the respective air supplies of the fuel nozzle assembly and the first plurality of injectors; and wherein, from ignition to about 18% load, the step of selectively directing the third fuel/air mixture through the liner from at least one of the second plurality of injectors comprises not providing fuel to the second plurality of injectors.