Patent ID: 7140186
Filing Date: 2006-11-28
Classification: F01D,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method for monitoring performance of a gas turbine system, said method comprising: providing a plurality of combustor cans; placing a plurality of temperature sensors circumferentially around an exhaust plane of said plurality of combustor cans; operating said plurality of combustor cans while varying a plurality of gas turbine operating parameters, wherein exhaust gas issues from each combustor can of said plurality of combustor cans during operation; measuring temperature of said exhaust gas in said exhaust plane using said plurality of temperature sensors to obtain a plurality of individual temperature measurements; determining a correlation of said individual temperature measurements of exhaust gas temperature with corresponding individual combustor cans of said plurality of combustor cans issuing said exhaust gas; developing a swirl model, wherein said model uses said correlation to predict swirl values in said exhaust plane as a function of said gas turbine operating parameters; setting said plurality of combustor cans to operate at a selected set of predetermined operating conditions; measuring real-time exhaust gas temperature data during operation of said plurality of combustor cans at said selected set of operating conditions using said plurality of temperature sensors; calculating at least one actual swirl value based upon said real-time exhaust gas temperature data; calculating at least one predicted swirl value for said selected set of operating conditions using said model; comparing said actual swirl value and said predicted swirl value and calculating at least one failure test statistic; comparing said failure statistic to a standard; and generating at least one failure flag signal when said failure test statistic exceeds said standard, wherein said at least one failure flag signal indicates a presence of a failed combustor can in said plurality of combustor cans.