Patent ID: 9291098
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: F02C,F23R

Claim Text:
1. A turbomachine, comprising: a combustor in which fuel is combustible to produce a working fluid; a turbine section, which is receptive of the working fluid for power generation operations; a transition piece in which additional fuel is combustible, the transition piece being disposed to transport the working fluid from the combustor to the turbine section; and a staged combustion system coupled to the combustor and the transition piece, the staged combustion system being configured to blend components of the fuel and the additional fuel in multiple modes, wherein the staged combustion system comprises: head end injectors disposable to deliver the fuel to a head end of the combustor; and axially staged injectors disposable to deliver the additional fuel to downstream sections of the combustor and the transition piece; and wherein the multiple modes comprise one or more of: a first mode in which the head end injectors deliver natural gas as the fuel to the head end of the combustor and the axially staged injectors deliver syngas or a low heating value gas as the additional fuel to the downstream sections of the combustor and the transition piece; a second mode in which the head end injectors deliver natural gas and syngas as the fuel to the head end of the combustor and the axially staged injectors deliver a low heating value gas as the additional fuel to the downstream sections of the combustor and the transition piece; a third mode in which the head end injectors deliver a low heating value gas as the fuel to the head end of the combustor and the axially staged injectors deliver natural gas or a low heating value gas as the additional fuel to the downstream sections of the combustor and the transition piece; and a fourth mode in which the head end injectors deliver natural gas and a low heating value gas as the fuel to the head end of the combustor and the axially staged injectors deliver natural gas and a low heating value gas as the additional fuel to the downstream sections of the combustor and the transition piece, wherein the head end injectors comprise: a central fuel nozzle, which includes a center burner and outer annulus burners arrayed around the center burner; and outer fuel nozzles arrayed around the central fuel nozzle, each outer fuel nozzle including a center burner and outer annulus burners array around the center burner.