Method and system for combustion control between multiple combustors of gas turbine engine

Abstract

A system includes a first combustor having a first combustion chamber, a first head end with a first plurality of fuel nozzles, and a first effusion plate. The first effusion plate has a first plurality of openings for the first plurality of fuel nozzles, and the first effusion plate has a first plurality of openings configured to enable air flow into the first combustion chamber. The system includes a second combustor having a second combustion chamber, a second head end with a second plurality of fuel nozzles, and a second effusion plate. The second effusion plate comprises a second plurality of air ports configured to enable air flow into the second combustion chamber, such that the first plurality of air ports in the first effusion plate have differences relative to the second plurality of air ports in the second effusion plate.

1 . A system, comprising:
 a first combustor comprising:
 a first combustion chamber; 
 a first head end chamber having a first plurality of fuel nozzles; 
 a first effusion plate disposed between the first combustion chamber and the first head end chamber, wherein the first effusion plate has a first plurality of openings for the first plurality of fuel nozzles, and the first effusion plate comprises a first plurality of air ports configured to enable air flow into the first combustion chamber; and 
   a second combustor comprising:
 a second combustion chamber; 
 a second head end chamber having a second plurality of fuel nozzles; 
 a second effusion plate disposed between the second combustion chamber and the second head end chamber, wherein the second effusion plate has a second plurality of openings for the second plurality of fuel nozzles, and the second effusion plate comprises a second plurality of air ports configured to enable air flow into the second combustion chamber; 
   wherein the first plurality of air ports in the first effusion plate have differences relative to the second plurality of air ports in the second effusion plate.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the differences comprise a different number of air ports in the first plurality of air ports relative to the second plurality of air ports. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the differences comprise different geometrical arrangements of air ports in the first plurality of air ports relative to the second plurality of air ports. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the differences comprise different diameters of air ports in the first plurality of air ports relative to the second plurality of air ports. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the differences comprise different distances between adjacent air ports in the first plurality of air ports relative to the second plurality of air ports. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a gas turbine engine having the first and second combustors. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the gas turbine engine includes a plurality of combustors each having an effusion plate, wherein an effusion hole pattern varies from one effusion plate to another in the plurality of combustors. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first effusion plate comprises a plurality of sectors with air ports, and at least two sectors of the plurality of sectors have differences in the air ports. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein first and second effusion plates have the differences in the first and second plurality of air ports to help avoid resonant behavior associated with combustion dynamics in the first and second combustors. 
     
     
         10 . A system, comprising:
 a first effusion plate having a first plurality of openings for a first plurality of fuel nozzles, wherein the first effusion plate is configured to mount between a first head end chamber and a first combustion chamber of a first gas turbine combustor, wherein the first effusion plate comprises:
 a plurality of first sectors, wherein each first sector has one of the first plurality of openings for one of the first plurality of fuel nozzles, each first sector comprises a first plurality of air ports configured to direct a first air flow from the first head end chamber into the first combustion chamber, and at least two first sectors of the plurality of first sectors comprise first differences between the respective first plurality of air ports. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first differences comprise a different number of the air ports in the at least two first sectors. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first differences comprise different arrangements of the air ports in the at least two first sectors. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first differences comprise different diameters of the air ports in the at least two first sectors. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first differences comprise different distances between the air ports in the at least two first sectors. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first differences comprises a different number of the air ports in the at least two first sectors, different arrangements of the air ports in the at least two first sectors, different diameters of the air ports in the at least two first sectors, different distances between the air ports in the at least two first sectors, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , comprising the first gas turbine combustor or a gas turbine engine having the first effusion plate. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first effusion plate is configured to help avoid resonant behavior within the first gas turbine combustor, or between the first gas turbine combustor and a second gas turbine combustor, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , comprising:
 a second effusion plate having a second plurality of openings for a second plurality of fuel nozzles, wherein the second effusion plate is configured to mount between a second head end chamber and a second combustion chamber of a second gas turbine combustor, wherein the second effusion plate comprises:
 a plurality of second sectors, wherein each second sector has one of the second plurality of openings for one of the second plurality of fuel nozzles, each second sector comprises a second plurality of air ports configured to direct a second air flow from the second head end chamber into the second combustion chamber, and at least two second sectors of the plurality of second sectors comprise second differences between the respective second plurality of air ports. 
   
     
     
         19 . A method, comprising:
 routing a first air flow through a first effusion plate from a first head end chamber to a first combustor, wherein the first head end chamber has a first plurality of fuel nozzles, the first effusion plate is disposed between the first combustion chamber and the first head end chamber, the first effusion plate has a first plurality of openings for the first plurality of fuel nozzles, and the first effusion plate comprises a first plurality of air ports configured to enable the first air flow into the first combustion chamber;   routing a second air flow through a second effusion plate from a second head end chamber to a second combustor, wherein the second head end chamber has a second plurality of fuel nozzles, the second effusion plate is disposed between the second combustion chamber and the second head end chamber, the second effusion plate has a second plurality of openings for the second plurality of fuel nozzles, and the second effusion plate comprises a second plurality of air ports configured to enable the second air flow into the second combustion chamber; and   reducing a possibility of resonant behavior via differences in the first plurality of air ports in the first effusion plate relative to the second plurality of air ports in the second effusion plate.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the differences comprises a different number of air ports in the first plurality of air ports relative to the second plurality of air ports, different geometrical arrangements of air ports in the first plurality of air ports relative to the second plurality of air ports, different diameters of air ports in the first plurality of air ports relative to the second plurality of air ports, different distances between adjacent air ports in the first plurality of air ports relative to the second plurality of air ports, or a combination thereof.