Process for testing a compressor or a combustor of a gas turbine engine using a large compressed air storage reservoir

Abstract

A process for testing a compressor of a gas turbine engine, where a large volume of compressed air is stored in a large reservoir of at least 10,000 m 3 such as an underground storage cavern, compressed air from the storage reservoir is passed through an air turbine to drive a compressor to produce high pressure and temperature compressed air, and where the compressed air can be discharged into a combustor and burned with a fuel for testing of the combustor under simulated conditions of a real gas turbine engine.

We claim the following: 
     
         1 . A process for testing a compressor of a gas turbine engine comprising the steps of:
 filling an underground storage reservoir with compressed air;   securing a compressor to be tested on a test stand;   passing compressed air from the storage reservoir into an air turbine to drive the air turbine;   driving the compressor to be tested with the air turbine; and,   monitoring the compressor during the testing.   
     
     
         2 . The process for testing a compressor of  claim 1 , and further comprising the steps of:
 passing compressed air from the underground storage reservoir through a heater to increase a temperature of the compressed air; and,   passing the heated compressed air from the heater into an inlet of the compressor that is being tested.   
     
     
         3 . The process for testing a compressor of  claim 2 , and further comprising the step of:
 the compressed air is heated in the heater to a normal inlet temperature for the compressor being tested.   
     
     
         4 . The process for testing a compressor of  claim 1 , and further comprising the steps of:
 passing compressed air from the underground storage reservoir through an air turbine to decrease a temperature of the compressed air; and,   passing the compressed air with the lower temperature from the air turbine into an inlet of the compressor being tested.   
     
     
         5 . A process for testing a combustor of a gas turbine engine comprising the steps of:
 filling an underground storage reservoir with compressed air;   securing a combustor to be tested in a test stand;   passing compressed air from the underground storage reservoir through an air turbine to drive the air turbine;   driving a compressor with the air turbine to produce compressed air where the compressor is sized for the combustor being tested;   passing the compressed air into the combustor; and,   burning a fuel with the compressed air within the combustor.   
     
     
         6 . A process for testing a compressor of a gas turbine engine comprising the steps of:
 filling an underground storage reservoir with compressed air;   securing a compressor to be tested in a test stand;   passing compressed air from the underground storage reservoir through an air turbine to drive the air turbine; and,   driving the compressor with the air turbine to produce compressed air for testing of the compressor.