IP Library Granted Patent US 9,441,545
Granted Patent B2
US 9,441,545 · App. 13/728,661 · Granted Sep 13, 2016

Fuel supply apparatus, fuel-flow-rate-control unit, and gas-turbine power generating plant

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,441,545
App. No.
13/728,661
Granted
Sep 13, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A fuel supply apparatus is provided with a plurality of flow-rate regulating valves that regulate the flow rate of fuel flowing in a fuel supply line; a calculating section that calculates a required flow-rate coefficient on the basis of at least a fuel pressure in the fuel flow upstream of the flow-rate regulating valves, a pressure determined in advance as a fuel pressure downstream of the flow-rate regulating valves, and the flow rate of fuel to be supplied to one fuel nozzle among different kinds of fuel nozzles, the required flow-rate coefficient being the coefficient of the flow-rate regulating valve corresponding to the one fuel nozzle; and a valve control section that controls the degree-of-opening of the flow-rate regulating valve corresponding to the one fuel nozzle on the basis of the required flow-rate coefficient.

Claims (44)

1. A fuel supply apparatus configured to control the flow rates of fuel to be supplied to fuel nozzles provided in a combustor of a gas turbine, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of flow-rate regulating valves which are provided in fuel supply lines that supply fuel to the fuel nozzles and which regulate the flow rates of fuel flowing through the fuel supply lines;

a calculating section that calculates required flow-rate coefficients of the flow-rate regulating valves corresponding to the fuel nozzles on the basis of at least an upstream-side fuel pressure in the fuel flow upstream of the flow-rate regulating valves, a downstream-side fuel pressure obtained using a predetermined relational expression on a basis of at least an operating parameter of a gas-turbine power generating plant including an atmosphere air temperature of the gas turbine, and the flow rates of fuel to be supplied to the fuel nozzles; and

a valve control section that controls the degrees-of-opening of the flow-rate regulating valves on the basis of the required flow-rate coefficients.

2. The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a pressure measuring unit that measures a fuel pressure upstream of the flow-rate regulating valves,

wherein the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit is used as the upstream-side fuel pressure for use in calculating the required flow-rate coefficients.

3. The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the fuel nozzles are different kinds of fuel nozzles.

4. The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a pressure regulating section which is provided in a common line that supplies fuel to all of the fuel supply lines and which regulates the fuel pressure upstream of the flow-rate regulating valves to a predetermined value,

wherein a predetermined pressure is used as a set value for use in calculating the required flow-rate coefficient.

5. The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the flow rate of fuel to be supplied to the one fuel nozzle is calculated from a total flow rate of fuel to be supplied to the combustor, the total flow rate being determined on a basis of a load of the gas turbine, and a fuel distribution ratio among the different kinds of fuel nozzles; and

the upstream-side fuel pressure is a pressure determined on a basis of the total flow rate of fuel.

6. The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the flow rate of fuel to be supplied to the one fuel nozzle is calculated from a total flow rate of fuel to be supplied to the combustor, the total flow rate being determined on a basis of a load of the gas turbine, and a fuel distribution ratio among the different kinds of fuel nozzles; and

the downstream-side fuel pressure is determined on the basis of the total flow rate of fuel.

7. The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the downstream-side fuel pressure is a pressure calculated on the basis of a pressure in a casing in which the fuel nozzles are disposed; and

the pressure in the casing in which the fuel nozzles are disposed is a pressure obtained using a predetermined relational expression on a basis of an operating parameter of a gas-turbine power generating plant.

8. The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a correcting section that corrects the required flow-rate coefficients calculated by the calculating section on a basis of at least an actual measured value of the pressure in the casing.

9. A gas-turbine power generating plant comprising:

a compressor that compresses air;

a combustor that generates high-temperature combustion gas by burning a gas mixture of the compressed air and fuel;

a turbine that extracts a rotary driving force from the combustion gas; and

the fuel supply apparatus according to claim 1 that supplies the fuel to the combustor.

10. A fuel-flow-rate control unit configured to control flow rates of fuel to be supplied to fuel nozzles provided in a combustor of a gas turbine, the control unit comprising:

a calculating section that calculates required flow-rate coefficients on the basis of at least an upstream-side fuel pressure in the fuel flow upstream of flow-rate regulating valves that regulate the flow rates of fuel to be supplied to the fuel nozzles, a downstream-side fuel pressure obtained using a predetermined relational expression on a basis of at least an operating parameter of a gas-turbine power generating plant including an atmosphere air temperature of the gas turbine, and the flow rates of fuel to be supplied to the fuel nozzles, the required flow-rate coefficients being coefficients of the flow-rate regulating valves corresponding to the fuel nozzles; and

a valve control section that controls the degrees-of-opening of the flow-rate regulating valves on the basis of the required flow-rate coefficients.

11. The fuel-flow-rate control unit according to claim 10 , wherein a measured pressure is used as the upstream-side fuel pressure for use in calculating the required flow-rate coefficients.

12. The fuel-flow-rate control unit according to claim 10 , wherein

the fuel nozzles are different kinds of fuel nozzles.

13. The fuel-flow-rate control unit according to claim 12 , wherein a predetermined pressure is used as a set value for use in calculating the required flow-rate coefficient.

14. The fuel-flow-rate control unit according to claim 13 , wherein

the flow rate of fuel to be supplied to the one fuel nozzle is calculated from a total flow rate of fuel to be supplied to the combustor, the total flow rate being determined on a basis of a load of the gas turbine, and a fuel distribution ratio among the different kinds of fuel nozzles; and

the upstream-side fuel pressure is a pressure determined on a basis of the total flow rate of fuel.

15. The fuel-flow-rate control unit according to claim 12 , wherein

the flow rate of fuel to be supplied to the one fuel nozzle is calculated from a total flow rate of fuel to be supplied to the combustor, the total flow rate being determined on a basis of a load of the gas turbine, and the fuel distribution ratio among the different kinds of fuel nozzles; and

the downstream-side fuel pressure is a pressure determined on the basis of the total flow rate of fuel.

16. The fuel-flow-rate control unit according to claim 12 , wherein

the downstream-side fuel pressure is calculated on the basis of a pressure in a casing in which the fuel nozzles are disposed; and

the pressure in the casing in which the fuel nozzles are disposed is a pressure obtained using a predetermined relational expression on a basis of an operating parameter of a gas-turbine power generating plant.

17. The fuel-flow-rate control unit according to claim 16 , further comprising a correcting section that corrects the required flow-rate coefficients calculated by the calculating section on a basis of at least an actual measured value of the pressure in the casing.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVING PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 11921683 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 054975 FRAME: 0438. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded May 26, 2023
From: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
Reel/Frame 063787/0867 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 13, 2021
From: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
Reel/Frame 054975/0438 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 6, 2015
From: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 034910/0416 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2013
From: HARADA, SHOICHI
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 030125/0389 →