EP-4737697-A1 - INTEGRATION SYSTEMS FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINES AND METHODS OF USE

EP4737697A1EP 4737697 A1EP4737697 A1EP 4737697A1EP-4737697-A1

Abstract

An integration system for use with a gas turbine engine includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system in flow communication with a gas turbine section of the gas turbine engine. The EGR system includes an EGR conduit fluidly coupled to an exhaust line of the gas turbine engine and fluidly coupled to an EGR manifold upstream from an inlet of a compressor section of the gas turbine engine. The EGR conduit is oriented to provide a portion of exhaust gases discharged from the gas turbine section to the EGR manifold. Additionally, the EGR system also includes a flow restriction component in flow communication with the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine. The flow restriction component is downstream from the EGR conduit of the EGR system. The flow restriction component facilitates increasing a pressure of the exhaust gases discharged from the gas turbine section.

Inventors

SAMMAK, MAJED
HAYES, Paul Allen
GUNASEKARAN, Ravikumar
VENKATA, Sandeep Kumar Reddy
KRISHNAN, Jeevankumar

Assignees

GE Vernova Technology GmbH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20251007

Claims (14)

A power generation system comprising: a gas turbine engine including: a compressor section for compressing a working fluid; a combustor section downstream from and in flow communication with the compressor section; and a gas turbine section downstream from and in flow communication with the combustor section; and an integration system in flow communication with the gas turbine engine, the integration system including: an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system in flow communication with the gas turbine section of the gas turbine engine, the EGR system including: an EGR conduit fluidly coupled to an exhaust line of the gas turbine engine and fluidly coupled to an EGR manifold upstream from an inlet of the compressor section of the gas turbine engine, the EGR conduit oriented to provide a portion of exhaust gases discharged from the gas turbine section to the EGR manifold; and a flow restriction component in flow communication with the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine, the flow restriction component downstream from the EGR conduit of the EGR system, wherein the flow restriction component facilitates increasing a pressure of the exhaust gases discharged from the gas turbine section.
The power generation system of claim 1, further comprising: a supplemental component downstream and in flow communication with the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine, wherein the flow restriction component is in flow communication with the supplemental component and is one of: upstream from the supplemental component, included within the supplemental component, or downstream from the supplemental component.
The power generation system of claim 2, wherein the EGR conduit of the EGR system is upstream or downstream from the supplemental component.
The power generation system of claim 2, wherein the supplemental component includes at least one of: a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) downstream and in flow communication with the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine; and an exhaust stack downstream and in flow communication with the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine.
The power generation system of claim 1, wherein the flow restriction component of the EGR system includes at least one of: an adjustable dampener, and a reducer component fluidly coupled to the exhaust line, the reducer component including a converging diameter.
The power generation system of claim 5, wherein the integration system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the adjustable dampener, the controller selectively adjusting the adjustable dampener to facilitate changing the pressure of the exhaust gases generated by the gas turbine section.
The power generation system of claim 6, wherein the integration system further includes: an inlet bleed heat (IBH) system including an IBH conduit fluidly coupled to the compressor section of the gas turbine engine, the IBH system configured to channel, via the IBH conduit, flow extracted downstream from an outlet of the compressor section to an IBH manifold upstream from the inlet of the compressor section, wherein the controller of the integration system is communicatively coupled to the IBH system to selectively adjust between: providing the exhaust gases generated by the gas turbine section to the EGR manifold via the EGR conduit; and providing the extracted flow from the outlet of the compressor section to the IBH manifold via the IBH conduit.
The power generation system of claim 7, wherein the controller of the integration system is configured to selectively adjust between providing the exhaust gases and providing the extracted flow based on operational characteristics of the gas turbine engine.
The power generation system of claim 7, wherein the EGR manifold of the EGR system is positioned upstream from the IBH manifold of the IBH system.
A method comprising: adjusting a pressure of exhaust gases generated by a gas turbine section of a gas turbine engine using a flow restriction component, the flow restriction component in flow communication with an exhaust line of the gas turbine engine; and providing the exhaust gases generated by the gas turbine section of the gas turbine engine to an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) manifold of an EGR system, via a EGR conduit, wherein the EGR conduit is fluidly coupled to the EGR manifold and the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine, upstream from the flow restriction component.
The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the pressure of the exhaust gases further includes: selectively adjusting a dampener forming the flow restriction component of the EGR system to facilitate changing the pressure of the exhaust gases generated by the gas turbine section.
The method of claim 11, wherein selectively adjusting the dampener of the EGR system further includes one of: increasing a flow rate of the exhaust gases flowing through the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine; or decreasing the flow rate of the exhaust gases flowing through the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine.
The method of claim 10, further comprising: providing an extracted flow from an outlet of a compressor section of the gas turbine engine to an inlet bleed heat (IBH) manifold, via an IBH conduit, of an IBH system.
The method of claim 13, further comprising: selectively deciding, based on determined operational characteristics of the gas turbine engine, to: provide the extracted flow to the IBH manifold via the IBH conduit, or provide the exhaust gases generated by the gas turbine section of the gas turbine engine to the EGR manifold via the EGR conduit.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of PCT patent application Ser. No. PCT/US 23/30311, filed August 16, 2023, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND The field of the disclosure relates generally to turbine engine assemblies and more particularly, to methods and systems for heating compressor inlet air to facilitate improved gas turbine engine efficiency. Gas turbines are widely used in a variety of commercial operations, such as power generation operations. Known gas turbines generally include a compressor, one or more combustors, and a turbine. Conventionally, the compressor compresses a working fluid, e.g., air, and discharges the compressed working fluid to the combustors. Fuel is injected into the flow of compressed working fluid and the mixture is ignited to produce combustion gases having a relatively high temperature, pressure, and velocity. The combustion gases exit the combustors and flow to the turbine where they expand to produce work which may be converted into electrical and/or mechanical power. Working fluid entering an inlet, e.g., an inlet transition duct or a filter housing, of a compressor may be heated to prevent icing when operating in lower temperature environments, for example. Inlet working fluid may also be heated to improve the part or partial load efficiency of the gas turbine. In some gas turbines, compressed working fluid may be extracted from an extraction location near an outlet of the compressor and recirculated to heat the inlet working fluid using a system that is conventionally referred to as an inlet bleed heat system. However, known inlet bleed heat systems reduce the overall operating efficiency of the associated gas turbine engine as at least some of the compressed working fluid that would otherwise be routed to doing work in the turbine is extracted and recirculated to the inlet. Accordingly, a need exists for systems and methods that more efficiently heat inlet working fluid prior to entering the compressor inlet in a manner that facilitates reducing the overall losses in turbine efficiency. SUMMARY In one aspect, an integration system for use with a gas turbine engine is provided. The integration system includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system in flow communication with a gas turbine section of the gas turbine engine. The EGR system includes an EGR conduit fluidly coupled to an exhaust line of the gas turbine engine and fluidly coupled to an EGR manifold upstream from an inlet of a compressor section of the gas turbine engine. The EGR conduit is oriented to provide a portion of exhaust gases discharged from the gas turbine section to the EGR manifold. Additionally, the EGR system also includes a flow restriction component in flow communication with the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine. The flow restriction component is downstream from the EGR conduit of the EGR system. The flow restriction component facilitates increasing a pressure of the exhaust gases discharged from the gas turbine section. In another aspect, a power generation system is provided. The power generation system includes a gas turbine engine including a compressor section for compressing a working fluid, and a combustor section downstream from and in flow communication with the compressor section. The gas turbine engine also includes a gas turbine section downstream from and in flow communication with the combustor section. The power generation system also includes an integration system in flow communication with the gas turbine engine. The integration system includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system in flow communication with the gas turbine section of the gas turbine engine. The EGR system includes an EGR conduit fluidly coupled to an exhaust line of the gas turbine engine and fluidly coupled to an EGR manifold upstream from an inlet of the compressor section of the gas turbine engine. The EGR conduit is also oriented to provide a portion of exhaust gases discharged from the gas turbine section to the EGR manifold. The integration system also includes a flow restriction component in flow communication with the exhaust line of the gas turbine engine, where the flow restriction component is downstream from the EGR conduit of the EGR system. Additionally, the flow restriction component facilitates increasing a pressure of the exhaust gases discharged from the gas turbine section. In yet another aspect, a method is provided. The method includes adjusting a pressure of exhaust gases generated by a gas turbine section of a gas turbine engine using a flow restriction component, where the flow restriction component is in flow communication with an exhaust line of the gas turbine engine. The method also includes providing the exhaust gases generated by the gas turbine section of the gas turbine engine to an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) manifold of an EGR system, via a EGR conduit. The EGR conduit is flui