Inventors:
Robert Thomas Thatcher - Greer SC, US
Gilbert Otto Kraemer - Greer SC, US
Andrew Mitchell Rodwell - Greenville SC, US
Matthew M. Scheid - Marietta GA, US
Assignee:
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY - Schenectady NY
International Classification:
F23N 5/00
Abstract:
A system for operating a combustor includes a sensor that measures an operating parameter associated with the combustor and generates a signal reflective of the operating parameter. The operating parameter is reflective of an ash deposition rate or an accumulated ash buildup. A controller receives the signal, compares the signal to a predetermined limit, and generates a control signal. A method for operating a combustor includes operating the combustor at a first power level that produces a first temperature that is less than or equal to a first predetermined temperature and creating a layer of ash. The method further includes measuring an operating parameter reflective of an ash deposition rate or an accumulated ash buildup, comparing the operating parameter to a limit, and operating the combustor at a second power level that produces a second temperature that is greater than or equal to the first predetermined temperature.