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EP-4168661-B1 - IGNITION SYSTEM FOR POWER GENERATION ENGINE

EP4168661B1EP 4168661 B1EP4168661 B1EP 4168661B1EP-4168661-B1

Inventors

  • DAM, BIDHAN
  • OONK, Logan
  • HUBER, DAN
  • PRASAD, VINAY
  • SARKER, Sudipa

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20210623

Claims (15)

  1. A turbine combustor assembly, comprising: a primary combustion chamber (106) in fluid communication with a primary fuel injector and a primary air inlet (12); an igniter (300) carried by the primary combustion chamber, comprising an igniter stage (350) comprising i) an auxiliary combustion chamber housing (305) comprising a mixing chamber (308) and a tubular throat (310) converging downstream of the mixing chamber; and ii) an ignition source (306) projecting into the mixing chamber of the auxiliary combustion chamber housing, and a pressure sensor (1260) configured to sense pressure within the primary combustion chamber; and a controller (1220) configured to receive pressure feedback signals, from the pressure sensor, representative of pressure fluctuations due to combustion in the primary combustion chamber, identify dynamic pressures due to the combustion based on the received pressure feedback signals, control operation of the igniter stage by controlling a flow of fuel to the igniter stage during the combustion based on the identification, modify the dynamic pressures due to the combustion based on the controlled operation of the igniter stage during the combustion, and reduce audible emissions of the combustion based on the modification of the dynamic pressures during the combustion.
  2. The turbine combustor assembly of claim 1, wherein the tubular throat extends into the primary combustion chamber, and the mixing chamber is arranged within the tubular throat.
  3. The turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a fluid conduit configured to fluidically connect the pressure sensor to the primary combustion chamber.
  4. The turbine combustor assembly of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a fluid conduit configured to fluidically connect the pressure sensor to the auxiliary combustion chamber.
  5. The turbine combustor assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine ignition of fuel in the primary combustion chamber based on the received pressure feedback signals.
  6. The turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 or 5, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an absence of combustion in the primary combustion chamber, and initiate an ignition process during absence of combustion based on the determined absence of combustion.
  7. The turbine combustor assembly of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a temperature sensor arranged within a temperature sensor conduit proximal the auxiliary combustion chamber and configured to sense a temperature of the auxiliary combustion chamber.
  8. The turbine combustor assembly of claim 7, further comprising a controller configured to receive temperature signals from the temperature sensor, wherein, optionally, the controller is further configured to determine ignition of fuel in the primary combustion chamber based on the received temperature signals.
  9. The turbine combustor assembly of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an absence of combustion in the primary combustion chamber, and initiate an ignition process during absence of combustion based on the determined absence of combustion.
  10. The turbine combustor assembly of claim 8 or 9, wherein the controller is further configured to control a fuel flow to the igniter based on the received temperature signals.
  11. A method, comprising: igniting an igniter stage (350) ; igniting, by the ignited igniter stage, combustion in a primary combustion chamber (106) of a turbine combustor assembly; receiving pressure feedback signals from a pressure sensor (1260) configured to sense pressure fluctuations due to the combustion in the primary combustion chamber of the turbine combustor assembly; identifying dynamic pressures due to the combustion based on the received pressure feedback signals; controlling operation of the igniter stage by controlling a flow of fuel to the igniter stage during the combustion based on the identification; modifying the dynamic pressures due to the combustion based on the controlled operation of the igniter stage during the combustion; and reducing audible emissions of the combustion based on the modification of the dynamic pressures during the combustion.
  12. The method of claim 11, wherein igniting an igniter stage comprises: receiving fuel into an auxiliary combustion chamber (302) of the igniter stage of the turbine combustor assembly; mixing air incoming into the auxiliary combustion chamber with the fuel to provide a first air and fuel mixture; and igniting the first air and fuel mixture in the auxiliary combustion chamber.
  13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving additional fuel into an auxiliary fuel outlet manifold (360) of a second igniter stage (350) arranged proximal to an outlet of the auxiliary combustion chamber; providing, by the auxiliary fuel outlet manifold, additional igniter fuel to the ignited air and fuel mixture proximal the outlet; and igniting, by the ignited first air and fuel mixture, the additional igniter fuel provided by the auxiliary fuel outlet manifold to provide a combusting air and fuel mixture.
  14. The method of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein igniting combustion in the primary combustion chamber of the turbine combustor assembly comprises igniting a primary air and fuel mixture, in the primary combustion chamber of the turbine combustor assembly, with a combusting air and fuel mixture provided by the igniter stage.
  15. The method of any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein controlling operation of the igniter stage during the combustion based on the identification further comprises: determining, based on the received pressure feedback signals, an absence of the combustion in the primary combustion chamber of the turbine combustor assembly; and re-igniting the igniter stage, based on the determining.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63/042,962 filed on June 23, 2020. TECHNICAL FIELD This specification generally relates to combustor assemblies for turbine engines that incorporate ignition systems to facilitate ignition in a main combustion chamber. BACKGROUND The turbine engine is the preferred class of internal combustion engine for many high power applications. Fundamentally, the turbine engine features an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between. An igniter is a device that may be used to ignite fuel in the primary combustor of a turbine engine. In some applications, spark igniters are used to light the engine, however there are circumstances, such as at cold start and/or with heavy primary fuels, when spark igniters can struggle to light the engine. KR 101 964 989 B1 describes a torch igniter that comprises: a pre-combustion chamber in which fuel and an oxidizer are mixed; an oxidizer supply unit supplying the oxidizer to the pre-combustion chamber; a fuel supply unit configured so as to supply the fuel at a uniform flow amount to the pre-combustion chamber; an ignition means producing a flame by generating a spark within the pre-combustion chamber; and a flame guiding pipe guiding the flame produced within the pre-combustion chamber to a combustion chamber. GB 625 335 A describes that in a gas turbine plant, ignition is started by means of a torch burner and a sparking device which are automatically put out of action when the gases reach a predetermined temperature and are brought in again if combustion fails. The control solenoid of the torch burner and the primary of the spark coil are in parallel in a circuit which includes a switch controlled by a temperature sensitive device subject to the gases in the jet or exhaust tube or in a combustion chamber. The control is suspended when the plant is not in operation by means of a switch controlled by the engine speed, for example, through the pressure of the fuel supply, which is open when the turbine is not running and a switch on the pilot's control lever which is open when the lever is at "Stop." When the temperature-responsive device operates through electrical means, the supply circuit also includes the last-mentioned two switches. US 2019/010872 A1 describes a torch igniter that includes an auxiliary fuel injector; an ignition source; and an igniter body carrying the auxiliary fuel injector and the ignition source. The igniter body includes an auxiliary combustion chamber having a side wall extending axially from a first end wall to a second end wall, the side wall defining an interior cavity between the first and second end walls. The igniter body further includes a premixing cup residing within the interior cavity including a cylindrical wall radially surrounding the auxiliary fuel injector and an auxiliary air inlet, the cylindrical wall of the premixing cup protruding axially outward relative to the first end wall of the auxiliary combustion chamber through a portion of the interior cavity to delineate a premixing zone radially inward of the cylindrical wall and a recirculation zone radially outward of the cylindrical wall. SUMMARY In general, this document describes combustor assemblies for turbine engines that incorporate ignition systems to facilitate ignition in a main combustion chamber. A turbine combustor assembly and a method according to the present invention are set out in the independent claims. Further advantageous developments of the present invention are set out in the dependent claims. The systems and techniques described here may provide one or more of the following advantages. First, a system can provide efficient ignition of fuel in a turbine engine. Second, the system can improve fuel efficiency of turbine engines. The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a half, side cross-sectional view of an example turbine engine.FIG. 2A is a half, side cross-sectional view of a first example igniter system.FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the example igniter system shown in FIG. 2A.FIG. 2C is a diagram illustrating a velocity flow field achieved by operation of the example igniter system shown in FIG. 2A.FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example igniter.FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of the example igniter.FIGs. 5A-5C are various views of an example second igniter stage.FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another example igniter not falling under the subject matter of the assembly of claim 1.FIG. 7A is a sectional view of the example igniter of FIG. 6.FIGs. 7B and 7C are enlarged sectional views of portions of the example igniter of FIG. 7A.FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a velocity flow field achieved by operation of