Bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly with liquid fuel capability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087844-B2
Application number	US-201514944298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Nov 18, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly includes a fuel injector and a tube bundle comprising a plurality of tubes that provide for fluid communication through a forward plate, a fuel plenum and an aft plate of the bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly. Each tube includes an inlet defined at an upstream end of the tube and an outlet defined at a downstream end of the tube. The fuel injector is disposed upstream from the inlets of each of the tubes. The upstream end of each tube is noncircular and includes at least one side portion that abuts a complementary upstream end side portion of an immediately adjacent tube of the plurality of tubes. The downstream end of each tube may be circular and is spaced apart from the downstream ends of immediately adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly, comprising:
a fuel injector; and
a tube bundle comprising a plurality of tubes that provide fluid communication through a forward plate, a fuel plenum and an aft plate of the bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly, each tube having an inlet defined at an upstream end of the tube and an outlet defined at a downstream end of the tube, wherein the fuel injector is disposed upstream from the inlets of the plurality of tubes, the forward plate is positioned at the upstream ends of the plurality of tubes, and the aft plate is positioned at the downstream ends of the plurality of tubes;
wherein the upstream ends of two or more adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes each comprise a noncircular shape, the two or more adjacent tubes including a first tube and a second tube adjacent to the first tube, wherein a first side portion of the upstream end of the first tube abuts a second side portion of the upstream end of the second tube;
wherein the downstream end of each tube comprises a circular shape and is spaced apart from the downstream ends of adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes; and
wherein a non-rectilinear portion of the first tube of the two or more adjacent tubes extends in a non-rectilinear manner between the upstream end of the first tube and the downstream end of the first tube such that a gap is formed between the first tube and the second tube, wherein the gap is eliminated at a location where the first side portion abuts the second side portion.

2. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the upstream ends of the plurality of tubes define an overall inlet area across a forward face of the forward plate and the downstream ends of the plurality of tubes define an overall outlet area across an aft face of the aft plate, wherein the overall inlet area is less than the overall outlet area.

3. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the noncircular shape is a triangular shape.

4. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein each tube of the two or more adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes includes a transitional portion which extends from the upstream end towards the downstream end, wherein the transitional portion of each tube corresponds with a transition from the noncircular shape to the circular shape.

5. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein one or more of the tubes of the plurality of tubes comprises at least one fuel injection port disposed within and in fluid communication with the fuel plenum.

6. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , further comprising a duct coupled to the forward plate, wherein the duct is in fluid communication with the fuel injector and defines a flow path to the inlets of the plurality of tubes.

7. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 6 , further comprising one or more vanes disposed within the duct upstream from the inlets of the plurality of tubes.

8. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 6 , wherein the fuel injector is positioned proximate to an upstream end of the duct.

9. A bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly, comprising:
a forward plate axially spaced from an aft plate and an outer sleeve that extends between the forward and aft plates; and
a tube bundle comprising a plurality of tubes that provide fluid communication through the forward plate and the aft plate, each tube having an inlet defined at an upstream end of the tube and an outlet defined at a downstream end of the tube, wherein a fuel injector is disposed upstream from the inlets of the plurality of tubes, the forward plate is positioned at the upstream ends of the plurality of tubes, and the aft plate is positioned at the downstream ends of the plurality tubes;
wherein the upstream ends of two or more adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes each comprise a noncircular shape, the two or more adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes comprising a first tube and a second tube, wherein the first tube and the second tube are joined directly together;
wherein the downstream end of each tube is spaced apart from the downstream ends of adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes;
wherein a non-rectilinear portion of the first tube extends in a non-rectilinear manner between the upstream end of the first tube and the downstream end of the first tube such that a gap is formed between the first tube and the second tube, wherein the gap is eliminated at a location where the first tube and the second tube are joined directly together.

10. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 9 , wherein the upstream ends of the plurality of tubes define an overall inlet area across a forward face of the forward plate and the downstream ends of the plurality of tubes define an overall outlet area across an aft face of the aft plate, wherein the overall inlet area is less than the overall outlet area.

11. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 9 , wherein the noncircular shape is a triangular shape.

12. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 9 , wherein the downstream ends of the two or more adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes each comprise a circular shape.

13. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 9 , wherein each tube of the two or more tubes of the plurality of tubes includes a transitional portion which extends from the upstream end towards the downstream end, wherein the transitional portion of each tube of the two or more tubes corresponds with a transition from the noncircular shape at the upstream end to a different tube shape at the downstream end.

14. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 9 , further comprising an intermediate plate disposed within the outer sleeve and axially spaced between the forward and aft plates, wherein the forward plate and the intermediate plate at least partially define a fuel plenum within the bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly, wherein one or more of the tubes of the plurality of tubes comprises at least one fuel injection port disposed within and in fluid communication with the fuel plenum.

15. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 9 , further comprising a duct coupled to the forward plate, wherein the duct is in fluid communication with the fuel injector and defines a flow path to the inlets of the plurality of tubes.

16. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 15 , further comprising one or more vanes disposed within the duct upstream from the inlets of the plurality of tubes.

17. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 15 , wherein the fuel injector is positioned proximate to an upstream end of the duct.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Hughes Michael John
• Widener Stanley Kevin
• Berry Jonathan Dwight

Classifications

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F23R3/28

  characterised by the fuel supply (burners F23D) · CPC title

• F23R3/14

  by using swirl vanes · CPC title

• F23R3/12

  inducing a vortex · CPC title

• F23R3/36

  Supply of different fuels · CPC title