System and related method for pre-heating gas turbine engine operating in standby mode

1. A system for pre-heating a gas turbine (GT) engine of a power generation system in a standby mode, the system comprising:

a first heated fluid manifold coupled to the GT engine;

a first conduit coupling a heated fluid supply external to the GT engine to the first heated fluid manifold;

a first plurality of valves configured to control an amount of heated fluid flow through the first conduit between the heated fluid supply and one or more fatigue-prone components of the GT engine; and

a controller in communication with the first plurality of valves, wherein the controller;

selects a position of at least one of the first plurality of valves based on a temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components, and

adjusts an open extent of at least one of the first plurality of valves to the position to control the temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components based on an operating condition of the GT engine.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fatigue-prone components is located within a compressor, a combustor, or a turbine of the GT engine.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the first sensor is within a compressor or a combustor of the GT engine to measure the temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a second sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the second sensor is within a wheel space of the compressor or a turbine of the GT engine to determine a temperature of an additional fatigue-prone component.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second plurality of valves coupling the first heated fluid manifold to the one or more fatigue-prone components within the GT engine;

wherein the controller selectively adjusts an open extent of each valve of the second plurality of valves to control a temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of valves includes:

an isolation valve configured to impede fluid flow in a selected direction through the first conduit; and

a flow control valve coupled to the isolation valve and configured to control the amount of fluid flow through the first conduit in the selected direction;

wherein the isolation valve and the flow control valve are positioned within a valve skid.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the standby mode comprises a pre-heat operating mode of the GT engine.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heated fluid supply is within a compressor of an additional GT engine operatively coupled to the GT engine, the additional GT engine being in a non-standby mode.

9. A system for pre-heating a gas turbine (GT) engine of a power generation system, the system comprising:

a first gas turbine (GT) engine in a standby mode and having one or more fatigue-prone components;

a first heated fluid manifold coupled to the first GT engine;

a second GT engine operating in a non-standby mode and having a compressor, wherein a portion of the compressor of the second GT engine provides a heated fluid supply;

a second heated fluid manifold coupled to the second GT engine;

a first conduit coupling the heated fluid supply to the first heated fluid manifold, such that the one or more fatigue-prone components are in thermal connection with a heated fluid from the first heated fluid manifold;

a first plurality of valves configured to control an amount of a heated fluid flow through the first conduit between the heated fluid supply and the one or more fatigue-prone components; and

a controller in communication with the first plurality of valves, wherein the controller adjusts an open extent of at least one of the first plurality of valves to control a temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more fatigue-prone components are within a compressor, a combustor, or a turbine of the first GT engine.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the controller determines the open extent of at least one of the first plurality of valves based on a temperature within the first GT engine monitored via the sensor.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is within a wheel space of a compressor or a turbine of the first GT engine.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:

a second plurality of valves coupling the heated fluid supply to the one or more fatigue-prone components of the first GT engine;

wherein the controller selectively adjusts an open extent of each valve of the second plurality of valves based on a temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components to control a temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of valves includes:

a first isolation valve configured to impede the heated fluid flow in a selected first direction; and

a first flow control valve coupled to the first isolation valve configured to control the amount of heated fluid flow through the first conduit in the selected first direction;

wherein the first isolation valve and the first flow control valve are positioned within a valve skid disposed between the first GT engine and the second GT engine.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the valve skid comprises a second conduit coupled to the second heated fluid manifold; a second isolation valve configured to impede the heated fluid flow in a selected second direction opposite from the selected first direction; and a second flow control valve coupled to the second isolation valve configured to control the amount of heated fluid flow through the second conduit in the selected second direction.

16. A method for pre-heating a portion of a gas turbine (GT) engine of a power generation system in a standby mode, the method comprising:

transmitting a heated fluid from a heated fluid supply external to the GT engine through a first conduit to one or more fatigue-prone components within the portion of the GT engine; and

adjusting an open extent at least one of a first plurality of valves configured to control a flow of the heated fluid through the first conduit between the heated fluid supply and the one or more fatigue-prone components based on a temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components,

wherein the heated fluid supply is provided by a compressor of an additional GT engine operatively coupled to the GT engine in standby mode, the additional GT engine being in a non-standby mode.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

monitoring the temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components via a sensor within the GT engine; and

selecting the open extent of at least one of the first valves based on the temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components, wherein the adjusting is further based on an operating condition of the GT engine.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising monitoring a wheel space temperature.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

transmitting the heated fluid from the heated fluid supply through a first heated fluid manifold to the one or more fatigue-prone components, the first heated fluid manifold comprising a second plurality of valves; and

adjusting an open extent of at least one of the second plurality of valves to control a flow of the heated fluid through the first heated fluid manifold based on the temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the standby mode includes a pre-heat operating mode of the GT engine.