Gaseous fuel and liquid water injection for turbine engine
A method of operation is provided during which a fuel-water mixture is directed within a first passage of a fuel injector to a first passage outlet of the fuel injector. The fuel-water mixture includes liquid water and gaseous fuel. The fuel-water mixture is injected into a combustion chamber through the first passage outlet. The combustion chamber is within a combustor of a turbine engine. A fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber is ignited. The fuel-air mixture includes the gaseous fuel.
1 . A method of operation, comprising:
directing a fuel-water mixture within a first passage of a fuel injector to a first passage outlet of the fuel injector, the fuel-water mixture including liquid water and gaseous fuel, wherein the gaseous fuel comprises hydrogen gas and methane gas, and a first ratio of quantities of the hydrogen gas to the methane gas is less than or equal to one;
injecting the fuel-water mixture into a combustion chamber through the first passage outlet, the combustion chamber within a combustor of a turbine engine;
directing additional liquid water within a second passage of the fuel injector to a second passage outlet of the fuel injector, wherein the second passage is fluidly discrete from the first passage, the additional liquid water and the liquid water of the fuel-water mixture are received from a common water source, and a second ratio of quantities of the liquid water within the fuel-water mixture to the additional liquid water is directly proportional to the first ratio;
injecting the additional liquid water into the combustion chamber through the second passage outlet; and
igniting a fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber, the fuel-air mixture comprising the gaseous fuel.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel-water mixture consists of the liquid water and the hydrogen gas.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
mixing the liquid water with the gaseous fuel outside of the fuel injector to provide the fuel-water mixture; and
directing the fuel-water mixture into the fuel injector through a first passage inlet of the fuel injector.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second ratio is less than one.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid water within the fuel-water mixture accounts for between thirty percent and fifty percent of water introduced into the combustion chamber through the fuel injector.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the additional liquid water is injected into the combustion chamber as a flow of the additional liquid water; and
the fuel-water mixture is injected into the combustion chamber as a flow of the fuel-water mixture, and the flow of the fuel-water mixture circumscribes the flow of the additional liquid water.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
directing a flow of compressed air out of the fuel injector as a flow of compressed air;
the fuel-water mixture injected into the combustion chamber as a flow of the fuel-water mixture, and the flow of the fuel-water mixture circumscribing the flow of compressed air.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
directing a flow of compressed air out of the fuel injector as a flow of compressed air;
the fuel-water mixture injected into the combustion chamber as a flow of the fuel-water mixture, and the flow of compressed air circumscribing the flow of the fuel-water mixture.
9 . A method of operation, comprising:
injecting a fuel-water mixture out of a fuel injector and into a combustion chamber, the fuel-water mixture including liquid water and gaseous fuel, the gaseous fuel comprising hydrogen gas and methane gas, and the combustion chamber within a combustor of a turbine engine, wherein a first ratio of quantities of the hydrogen gas to the methane gas is less than or equal to one;
injecting additional liquid water out of the fuel injector and into the combustion chamber, wherein the additional liquid water and the liquid water of the fuel-water mixture are received from a common water source, and a second ratio of quantities of the liquid water within the fuel-water mixture to the additional liquid water is directly proportional to the first ratio;
igniting a fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber to generate combustion products, the fuel-air mixture comprising the gaseous fuel; and
directing the combustion products across a turbine rotor of the turbine engine to drive rotation of the turbine rotor and rotation of a driven rotor of a mechanical load coupled to the turbine rotor.
10 . A method of operation, comprising:
operating a fluid system of a turbine engine in a first mode, the operating of the fluid system in the first mode comprising
directing a fuel-water mixture out of a first passage of a fuel injector and into a combustion chamber, the fuel-water mixture including liquid water and a first gaseous fuel, and the combustion chamber within a combustor of a turbine engine, wherein the first gaseous fuel comprises hydrogen gas and methane gas, and a first ratio of quantities of the hydrogen gas to the methane gas is less than or equal to one;
directing additional liquid water out of a second passage of the fuel injector, wherein the second passage is fluidly discrete from the first passage, and the additional liquid water and the liquid water of the fuel-water mixture are received from a common water source, and a second ratio of quantities of the liquid water within the fuel-water mixture to the additional liquid water is directly proportional to the first ratio; and
igniting a first fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber, the first fuel-air mixture comprising the first gaseous fuel; and
operating the fluid system in a second mode, the operating of the fluid system in the second mode comprising
directing a second gaseous fuel out of the first passage and into the combustion chamber; and
igniting a second fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber, the second fuel-air mixture comprising the second gaseous fuel.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second gaseous fuel is directed through the first passage without any liquid water during the second mode.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein
the second gaseous fuel comprises a hydrocarbon fuel.
13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising operating the fluid system in a third mode, the operating of the fluid system in the third mode comprising
directing a liquid fuel out of a second passage of the fuel injector and into the combustion chamber; and
igniting a third fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber, the third fuel-air mixture comprising the liquid fuel.