Patent ID: 8839628

Claim:
A method for operating a gas turbine engine including a combustor assembly, said method comprising: channeling a first fluid through a plurality of first nozzles into the combustor assembly; igniting the first fluid within the combustor assembly downstream from the plurality of first nozzles; increasing the operating speed of the gas turbine engine and attaining a first predetermined percentage of a baseload by channeling the first fluid only through the plurality of first nozzles; channeling a second fluid through a second nozzle into the combustor assembly when the gas turbine engine attains the first predetermined percentage of the baseload; igniting the second fluid within the combustor assembly downstream from the second nozzle; channeling the second fluid to the plurality of first nozzles when the gas turbine engine attains a second predetermined percentage of the baseload, wherein the second predetermined percentage of the baseload is greater than the first predetermined percentage of the baseload; terminating a flow of the first fluid through the plurality of first nozzles; and channeling the second fluid to a plurality of third nozzles when the gas turbine engine attains a third predetermined percentage of the baseload, wherein each of the plurality of third nozzles extends radially inward from a combustor assembly casing.