GE Power Systems
ATOMIZING AIR SYSTEM
General ture of the compressor discharge air sufficiently to
maintain a uniform inlet temperature to the atomiz-
The atomizing air system provides high pressure air ing air compressor. The pre–cooler, located in the
to atomize the liquid fuel as it enters the combustors. turbine compartment under the compressor, uses
The atomization is necessary to ensure complete and water from the turbine cooling water system as the
proper combustion. A starting atomizing air com- cooling medium to dissipate the heat.
pressor is used during turbine startup as the main at- Switch 26AA–1 is an adjustable heat sensitive ther-
omizing air compressor does not deliver sufficient moswitch provided to sound an alarm when the tem-
pressure at low turbine speeds. The main atomizing perature of the discharge of the atomizing air
air compressor, driven by the accessory gear, pro- pre–cooler is excessive. The alarm is activated when
vides all the atomizing air during turbine full speed the pre–cooler discharge air reaches a temperature
operation. The ratio of atomizing air pressure to of 275°F (135°C). Improper control of the tempera-
compressor discharge pressure is approximately ture may be due to failure of the regulating valve
1.4. sensor, the pre–cooler, or insufficient cooling water
Major system components include the main atomiz- flow. Continued operation with compressor inlet
ing air compressor, the starting atomizing air com- temperature above 275°F (135°C) should not be per-
pressor, and an atomizing air heat exchanger. Refer mitted for any significant length of time since it may
to the Atomizing Air Schematic Piping Diagram. result in failure of the main atomizing air compres-
sor and/or insufficient atomizing air to provide prop-
er combustion.
Functional Description The cooled compressor discharge air then arrives at
the main atomizing air compressor. This is a high–
When liquid fuel oil is sprayed into the turbine com- speed, single–stage impeller, centrifugal type com-
bustion chambers it forms a stream of large droplets pressor with an integral speed–increasing helical
as it leaves the fuel nozzles. These large droplets gearbox assembly. It is flange mounted to the acces-
will not burn completely in the chambers and the un- sory gear and driven through a spline coupling by
burned fuel is discharged to the atmosphere through the number 3B shaft of the accessory gearbox. Out-
the exhaust. A low pressure atomizing air system is put of the main compressor provides sufficient air
used to provide atomizing air through supplementa- for atomizing and combustion when the turbine is at
ry orifices in the fuel nozzle which direct the air to approximately 60% speed.
impinge upon the fuel jet discharging from each Differential pressure switch 63AD–1A, located in a
nozzle. This stream of atomizing air breaks the fuel bypass around the compressor, monitors the suction
jet into a fine mist, permitting ignition and combus- and discharge air pressure differential and annunci-
tion with significantly increased efficiency and a de- ates an alarm if the pressure rise across the compres-
crease of combustion particles discharging through sor should drop to a level inadequate for proper
the exhaust into the atmosphere. It is necessary, atomization of the fuel. The setting for this switch is
therefore, that the air atomizing system be operative a pressure differential of 6.0 psi (0.41 bar).
from the time of ignition until liquid fuel is no longer
required. The air leaving the compressor is now identified as
atomizing air and is piped to the atomizing air man-
Air taken from the atomizing air extraction manifold ifold. From the manifold, ‘pigtail’ piping provides
of the turbine shell passes through air–to–water heat equal pressure distribution of atomizing air to the ten
exchanger (pre–cooler) HX1 to reduce the tempera- individual fuel nozzles.
A00158 1 ATOMIZING AIR
SYSTEM
GE Power Systems
Booster Compressor Operation fuel operation, solenoid valve 20AA is energized
and operating air from the turbine compressor dis-
charge is passed through filter FA4 and then ad-
When the turbine is first fired, the main atomizing
mitted to the piston of bypass valve VA18. This
air compressor is turning at very low speed and is not
causes the valve to open allowing the atomizing air
producing sufficient pressure for proper fuel atom-
to be recirculated back to the piping ahead of the
ization. During this period, a starting (booster) at-
pre–cooler HX1.
omizing air compressor driven by the diesel engine
starting device is used to supply the necessary atom-
izing air. The starting atomizing air compressor is a
fixed volume pump operating at a constant speed.
Purge Air System
As turbine speed increases, compressor discharge As stated above, when operating on gas fuel exclu-
pressure increases and the speed of the main atomiz- sively the bypass valve is open and atomizing air is
ing air compressor increases. As main compressor recirculating. After a short time delay to allow the
speed increases, it reaches a point where it is draw- pressure ratio (regulated by valve VPR54–1) of the
ing a greater volume of air than the booster compres- atomizing air system to reach a lower level, solenoid
sor can supply. At this point, the check valve to the valve 20PL–1 is energized. The system then starts
main compressor opens, effectively bypassing the operating to purge the oil passages in the oil fuel
booster compressor and the pressure rise across the nozzles during gas fuel operation. The purge air sys-
starting atomizing air compressor decreases to zero. tem is necessary to prevent accumulation of oil fuel
At approximately 95% turbine operating speed in the nozzle oil passages during gas fuel operation,
(14HS pickup), the 20AB–1 solenoid is energized, fouling the nozzles as a result of oil fuel coking. The
closing isolation valve VA22–1 and preventing any purge system minimizes such fouling and keeps the
air from getting to the booster compressor. At this oil fuel nozzle clean and ready for operation when
point all of the air being supplied to the main com- oil fuel operation is resumed. The small flow of air
pressor passes directly from the pre–cooler through through the atomizing air passages of the oil fuel
the check valve, bypassing the starting air compres- nozzle also prevents entry of any combustion prod-
sor completely. ucts that could foul this section of the oil fuel nozzle.
When solenoid valve 20PL is energized, compressor
Dual Fuel Operation (Gas And Distillate Oil) –
discharge air is admitted to the diaphragm of purge
Recirculation Cooling System air valve VA19–1, opening the valve and allowing
purge air to flow into the purge air manifold on the
On dual fuel (gas and distillate oil) machines, the turbine. A porous filter (FA3) is installed in the
discharge of the accessory gear driven atomizing air purge air piping ahead of the purge valve. The purge
compressor is recirculated through the atomizing air air check valves (VCK2), one for each nozzle, pre-
system when the gas turbine is operating 100% on vent oil fuel from entering the purge air system when
gas fuel, except for a small amount of air flow that is the machine is operating on oil fuel. Similarly, the
bled off to purge the oil passages in the oil fuel oil fuel check valves installed in the oil piping to the
nozzle. The recirculation air is passed through the at- oil fuel nozzles insure that the purge air is directed to
omizing air pre–cooler where it is cooled before it the nozzle and not into the oil fuel system. If any oil
re–enters the compressor, thus protecting the com- leakage should occur through the purge air check
pressor against overtemperature operation. Piping valves when operating on oil fuel, it will drain out of
for the recirculation system includes a normally the purge air manifold through the normally open
closed, air–operated bypass valve (VA18–1) which port of the three–way purge air valve. ‘Tell–tale’
is controlled by the operation of solenoid valve leak–off piping connected to the purge valve vent
20AA–1. When the fuel system is set for 100% gas port provides a visual means for determining the
ATOMIZING AIR 2 A00158
SYSTEM
GE Power Systems
general condition of the check valves. There should drain valves must be closed and the valves open and/
not be any leakage. or the blind flanges must be removed.
CAUTION
Water Wash Provisions
Running the atomizing air compressors com-
When off–line water washing the gas turbine’s com- pletely throttled or dead–headed may result in
pressor section it is important to keep water out of overheating and damage to the compressor
the atomizing air system. All compressor extraction
air lines should be positively blocked by valving or
with blind flanges to prevent water from entering
any atomizing air piping. Additionally, the system is At the conclusion of the off–line water wash, drain
equipped with a vent valve and low–point drain water from the atomizing air piping by opening the
valves. The vent valve is used to avoid completely low point drain valves. When all the water has
throttling or dead–heading the compressors and the drained from the piping, the drain valves and vent
drain valves are used to remove any leakage past the valve must be closed and the blind flanges removed.
blind flanges.
CAUTION
Before initiating the off–line water wash, the valv-
ing must be closed and/or the blind flanges must be Running the atomizing air compressors with
installed to keep water out of the atomizing air sys- water in the piping will result in damage to the
tem and the vent valve must be opened to allow air to atomizing air compressors.
pass through the atomizing air compressors. During
normal operation of the gas turbine, the vent and
A00158 3 ATOMIZING AIR
SYSTEM
GE Power Systems
GE Power Systems Training
General Electric Company
One River Road
Schenectady, NY 12345
ATOMIZING AIR 4 A00158
SYSTEM
