Patent ID: 8731797
Filing Date: 2014-05-20
Classification: F02C

Abstract:
1. A computerized method, implemented by a processing unit, for automatically tuning a combustor of a gas turbine (GT) engine for changes in fuel properties, the method comprising: accessing baseline readings taken from the GT engine when consuming a first gaseous fuel during a reference calibration; utilizing the baseline readings to calculate a corrected-pressure-drop reference value, wherein the corrected-pressure-drop reference value serves as a surrogate parameter to a heating value of the first gaseous fuel; receiving post-calibration readings from the GT engine when consuming a second gaseous fuel during commercial operation; utilizing the post-calibration readings to calculate a fuel property parameter via a process comprising: (a) reading a pressure drop across one or more fuel nozzles that introduce the second gaseous fuel into a combustor of the GT engine; (b) reading a pressure of the second gaseous fuel at a location upstream of the combustor; (c) calculating a product of the pressure drop and the upstream pressure of the second gaseous fuel; (d) deriving a corrected-pressure-drop dynamic value by dividing the product by an upstream temperature of the second gaseous fuel; and (e) solving a ratio of the dynamic value and the reference value to arrive upon the fuel property parameter; and employing the fuel property parameter to detect whether a corrective action is appropriate.