Patent ID: 6901761

Claim:
A pilot air system for providing pilot air to a combustor of a gas turbine wherein the system comprises: an inlet to receive a portion of compressed air discharged by a compressor of the gas turbine, wherein the portion of the compressed air is pilot air; a main passageway coupled to the inlet and providing a flow passage for the pilot air; an inline throttling valve coupled to the main passageway and metering a pressure of the compressed air in the main passageway; a pilot air compressor in series with the main passageway; a by-pass passageway for the pilot air and arranged in parallel to the main passageway and pilot air compressor, wherein said by-pass passageway receives pilot air from the main passageway downstream of the pilot air compressor and passes a portion of the compressed pilot air to the main passageway upstream of the pilot air compressor; a by-pass throttling valve inline with said by-pass passageway to meter pilot air flowing through said by-pass passageway; and said main passageway having an outlet connectable to said combustor.