Patent ID: 8584467

Claim:
A method of controlling a combustor of a gas turbine, comprising: operatively disposing a combustor can in a combustor of a gas turbine, the combustor can comprising a plurality of combustor fuel nozzles, each having a fuel injector and configured to selectively provide a liquid fuel, a liquid fluid or liquid fuel and liquid fluid to a fuel injector nozzle that is configured to provide, respectively, a plurality of liquid fuel jets, a plurality of liquid fluid jets or a combination thereof, that are in turn configured to provide an atomized liquid fuel stream, an atomized liquid fluid stream, or an atomized and emulsified liquid fuel-liquid fluid stream, respectively; and selectively providing an amount of liquid fuel, liquid fluid or a combination thereof to the fuel injector nozzle to produce a predetermined atomized liquid fuel stream, atomized liquid fluid stream, or an atomized and emulsified liquid fuel-liquid fluid stream, respectively, wherein during a high load condition of the combustor, at least one combustor fuel nozzle is configured to provide liquid fluid only and the corresponding plurality of liquid fluid jets provide an atomized liquid fluid stream for cooling within the combustor, and wherein during a low load condition of the combustor, at least one combustor fuel nozzle is configured to provide liquid fuel only and the corresponding liquid fuel jets provide an atomized liquid fuel stream for combustion in the combustor.