US2004148942A1PendingUtilityA1

Method for catalytic combustion in a gas- turbine engine, and applications thereof

37
Assignee: CAPSTONE TURBINE CORPPriority: Jan 31, 2003Filed: Jan 31, 2003Published: Aug 5, 2004
Est. expiryJan 31, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Guillermo PontDouglas HamrinGregory C. Rouse
F23N 2223/08F23N 2223/04F23N 2241/20F23N 1/02F23N 5/003F23R 3/40F23L 15/04F02C 9/28F23R 2900/00002Y02T50/60Y02E20/34
37
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for sustained catalytic combustion of low BTU fuels in a gas-turbine engine, and applications thereof. The method comprises ingesting fuel and combustion air into a catalytic reactor to produce thermal energy and converting the thermal energy to mechanical energy with a turbine. The fuel and the combustion air are mixed to form a fuel-air mixture. The ingested combustion air is used to oxidize the ingested fuel. Fuels having a higher heating value in a range of between 1000 and 5 BTU/scf are mixed with the combustion air and oxidized using the catalytic reactor.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for catalytic combustion, comprising: 
 ingesting fuel and combustion air in a catalytic reactor, the amount of the ingested combustion air being sufficient to substantially fully oxidize the ingested fuel;    oxidizing substantially all of the ingested fuel with the catalytic reactor to produce thermal energy; and    converting at least a portion of the thermal energy to mechanical energy with a turbine.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 prior to said ingesting step, mixing the ingested fuel and the ingested combustion air to form a fuel-air mixture having a substantially-predetermined fuel-air ratio.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said mixing step comprises mixing fuel having a higher heating value of less than 750 BTU/scf.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said mixing step comprises mixing fuel having a higher heating value of less than 100 BTU/scf.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said mixing step comprises mixing fuel having a higher heating value of less than 30 BTU/scf.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 increasing the pressure of the fuel-air mixture.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 prior to said mixing step, increasing the pressure of the fuel.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 prior to said oxidizing step, transferring energy to the fuel-air mixture to increase the temperature of the fuel-air mixture.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said transferring step comprises transferring thermal energy from turbine exhaust gasses to the fuel-air mixture.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said transferring step further comprises heating the turbine exhaust gasses with a pre-heater disposed downstream of the turbine.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said transferring step further comprises heating the turbine exhaust gasses with an electrical heating element disposed downstream of the turbine.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said transferring step further comprises oxidizing a fuel injected into the turbine exhaust gasses to heat the turbine exhaust gasses.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 prior to said ingesting step, mixing the ingested fuel and the ingested combustion air so as to prevent no more than an insubstantial amount of fuel from entering a bleed air flow streamline.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 reducing unburned fuel in bleed air extracted from the bleed air flow streamline prior to exhausting the bleed air to the environment.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said reducing step comprises: 
 oxidizing unburned fuel with a catalyst.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said reducing step comprises: 
 recirculating bleed air so that it mixes with the ingested fuel and the ingested combustion air.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 adjusting a rate of fuel supply to control the fuel-air ratio.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 adjusting a rate of combustion air supply to control the fuel-air ratio.    
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 adjusting a rate of fuel supply to control the operating temperature of the catalytic reactor.    
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 adjusting turbine speed to control the operating temperature of the catalytic reactor.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 obtaining data related to the functionality of the catalytic reactor; and    storing the data in a memory.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data includes information about the total operating time of the catalytic reactor.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data includes information about a temperature rise time following a change in the fuel-air mixture being oxidized by the catalytic reactor.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 performing a diagnostic test to obtain the data.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data includes information about unburned hydrocarbon levels in exhaust gasses from the catalytic reactor.  
     
     
         26 . A method for catalytic combustion, comprising: 
 mixing fuel and combustion air to form a fuel-air mixture having a substantially-predetermined fuel-air ratio, the amount of combustion air mixed with the fuel being sufficient to substantially fully oxidize the fuel;    transferring energy to the fuel-air mixture to increase the temperature of the fuel-air mixture;    ingesting at least a portion of the fuel-air mixture in a catalytic reactor;    oxidizing substantially all of the ingested fuel-air mixture with the catalytic reactor to produce thermal energy; and    converting at least a portion of the thermal energy to mechanical energy with a variable speed turbine.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said mixing step comprises mixing fuel having a higher heating value of less than 750 BTU/scf.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said mixing step comprises mixing fuel having a higher heating value of less than 100 BTU/scf.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said mixing step comprises mixing fuel having a higher heating value of less than 30 BTU/scf.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 prior to said mixing step, increasing the pressure of the fuel.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said transferring step comprises transferring thermal energy from turbine exhaust gasses to the fuel-air mixture.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said transferring step further comprises heating the turbine exhaust gasses with a pre-heater disposed downstream of the turbine.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said mixing step comprises: 
 mixing the fuel and the combustion air so as to prevent no more than an insubstantial amount of fuel from entering a bleed air flow streamline.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 reducing unburned fuel in bleed air extracted from the bleed air flow streamline prior to exhausting the bleed air to the environment.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said reducing step comprises: 
 oxidizing unburned fuel with a catalyst.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 adjusting the rate of fuel supply to control the fuel-air ratio.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 adjusting the rate of combustion air supply to control the fuel-air ratio.    
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 adjusting the rate of fuel supply to control an operating temperature of the catalytic reactor.    
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 adjusting turbine speed to control an operating temperature of the catalytic reactor.    
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 performing a diagnostic test to obtain data about the functionality of the catalytic reactor; and    storing the data in a memory.

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US2004148942A1 — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.