Torch igniter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10584639-B2
Application number	US-201514829045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2015
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A gas turbine combustor assembly includes a primary combustion chamber in fluid communication with a primary fuel injector and a primary air inlet. A torch igniter is carried by the primary combustion chamber, and includes an auxiliary combustion chamber housing comprising a mixing chamber and a throat region converging downstream of the mixing chamber. An air swirler including a plurality of swirl openings surrounding an outlet of an auxiliary fuel injector is coupled to the auxiliary combustion chamber proximate the mixing chamber. An ignition source projects into the mixing chamber of the auxiliary combustion chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine combustor assembly, comprising:
a primary combustion chamber in fluid communication with a primary fuel injector and a primary air inlet; and
a torch igniter carried by the primary combustion chamber, comprising:
an auxiliary combustion chamber housing comprising a cylindrical mixing chamber and a conical necked throat region, the throat region aligned coaxially with the mixing chamber and converging downstream of the mixing chamber;
an air swirler comprising a plurality of swirl openings surrounding an outlet of an auxiliary fuel injector coupled to the auxiliary combustion chamber housing proximate the mixing chamber; and
an ignition source projecting radially through a sidewall of the mixing chamber of the auxiliary combustion chamber housing at a location downstream of the auxiliary fuel injector,
wherein the mixing chamber and the throat region of the auxiliary combustion chamber housing are configured to create a recirculating flow in an interior of the auxiliary combustion chamber housing, the recirculating flow having a generally toroidal shape around the outlet of the auxiliary fuel injector, flowing away from the auxiliary fuel injector through a central region within the interior of the auxiliary combustion chamber housing and toward the auxiliary fuel injector along the sidewall of the auxiliary combustion chamber housing.

2. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of swirl openings comprises a circumferential pattern of air openings oriented radially relative to the outlet of the auxiliary fuel injector.

3. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of swirl openings comprises a circumferential pattern of air openings oriented axially relative to the outlet of the auxiliary fuel injector.

4. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the auxiliary fuel injector and the plurality of swirl openings are located upstream of the ignition source.

5. The gas turbine combustion assembly of claim 1 , comprising a housing surrounding the auxiliary fuel injector, and an annulus gap between the auxiliary fuel injector and the housing surrounding the auxiliary fuel injector, the annulus gap coupled to a source of air.

6. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the torch igniter comprises an outer torch igniter housing coupled to the primary combustion chamber and internally receiving the auxiliary combustion chamber housing, the outer torch igniter housing and the auxiliary combustion chamber housing defining an annular air passage therebetween having an air inlet open to the primary combustion chamber; and
wherein the plurality of swirl openings fluidly connect the annular air passage and the mixing chamber.

7. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a purge air system, comprising:
an inlet in fluid communication with a purge air source;
an outlet in fluid communication with a fuel passage of the auxiliary fuel injector; and
a purge valve located between the inlet of the purge air system and the outlet of the purge air system, the purge valve comprising an actuator adjustable between a closed condition and an open condition in response to a pressure difference between the purge air source and the fuel passage of the auxiliary fuel injector.

8. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 , where the mixing chamber defines an overall axial length, and where the recirculating flow defines a recirculation zone extending throughout the overall axial length of the mixing chamber.

9. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 8 , where turbulence associated with the recirculating flow is sufficient to sustain combustion when the ignition source is deactivated.

10. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 , where the recirculating flow defines a recirculation zone extending axially beyond the ignition source.

11. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 , where the ignition source comprises a spark igniter.

12. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 1 , where the outlet of the auxiliary fuel injector is coincident with a center axis of the auxiliary combustion chamber housing.

13. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a compressor configured to compress incoming air;
the gas turbine combustor assembly according to claim 1 , said gas turbine combustor assembly configured to receive fuel and the incoming air from the compressor to produce combustion products;
a turbine coupled to the gas turbine combustor assembly and configured to extract energy from the combustion products.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of swirl openings comprises a circumferential pattern of air openings.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , where the air swirler comprises an axial air swirler.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , where the air swirler comprises a radial air swirler.

Assignees

• Woodward Inc

Inventors

• Dam Bidhan
• Mccormack Jimroy
• Pederson Erik
• Lee Fei Philip
• Hicks Paul

Classifications

• F23D14/64

  with injectors · CPC title

• F23Q7/06

  structurally associated with fluid-fuel burners (lighters containing fuel F23Q2/00) · CPC title

• F23D11/402

  Mixing chambers downstream of the nozzle · CPC title

• F02C7/264 Primary

  Ignition · CPC title