Patent ID: 8484981

Claim:
A method of operating a gas turbine engine during a dynamic fuel event, comprising: providing an integrated fuel gas characterization system including a device for measuring a Wobbe Index and for adjusting at least one operating parameter of the gas turbine engine; measuring, at a sampling point, the Wobbe Index of fuel gas flowing through a fuel gas feed system; mixing the fuel gas in a buffer tank, wherein the buffer tank is positioned between the sampling point and a nozzle in a combustion stage of a turbine; adjusting the at least one operating parameter of the gas turbine engine based on a rate of change of the Wobbe Index as determined by the integrated fuel gas characterization system, wherein the integrated fuel gas characterization system proactively adjusts the at least one operating parameter of the gas turbine engine during the dynamic fuel event; determining a heating value of the fuel gas; adjusting a heating value operating parameter to account for the heating value of the fuel gas to maintain a design fuel-to-air ratio; wherein adjusting a heating value operating parameter to account for the heating value of the fuel gas comprises adjusting inlet guide vanes to change air flow into a compressor; and wherein mixing the fuel gas in the buffer tank provides delay time such that the at least one operating parameter of the gas turbine engine may be adjusted before sampled fuel that caused the rate of change of the Wobbe Index as determined by the integrated fuel gas characterization system is passed from the buffer tank to the nozzle in the combustion stage of the turbine.