Apparatus and process for testing a large combustor using a CAES facility

摘要

An apparatus, system, and process for testing a gas turbine engine or other test object under a cold condition, such as a compressor of a gas turbine engine, a combustor of a gas turbine engine, or an afterburner of an aero gas turbine engine, using compressed air stored in an underground storage reservoir of a CAES system along with an air turbine or an air injector. High-pressure, but low-volume, compressed air from a CAES system can be converted into a low-pressure, but high-volume, flow of compressed air using an air injector to supply enough compressed air to test a combustor or an afterburner. High pressure compressed air from the CAES system can be used to drive an air turbine that then drives a compressor for testing.