Fuel nozzle assembly with impingement purge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10724740-B2
Application number	US-201615343746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2016
Priority date	Nov 4, 2016
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine, the fuel nozzle defining a radial direction, a longitudinal direction, a circumferential direction, an upstream end, and a downstream end. The fuel nozzle includes an aft body coupled to at least one fuel injector. The aft body defines a forward wall and an aft wall each extended in the radial direction, and a plurality of sidewalls extended in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of sidewalls couples the forward wall and the aft wall. At least one sidewall defines an impingement fluid outlet, and the aft body defines an impingement fluid cavity in fluid communication with the impingement fluid outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine, the fuel nozzle defining a radial direction, a longitudinal direction, a circumferential direction, an upstream end, and a downstream end, the fuel nozzle comprising:
an aft body coupled to at least one fuel injector,
wherein the aft body defines a forward wall and an aft wall each extended in the radial direction, and a plurality of sidewalls extended in the longitudinal direction,
wherein the plurality of sidewalls couples the forward wall and the aft wall,
wherein at least one sidewall defines an impingement fluid outlet, and wherein the aft body defines an impingement fluid cavity in fluid communication with the impingement fluid outlet,
wherein the impingement fluid outlet is configured to provide a flow of fluid from the impingement fluid cavity, and
wherein the aft wall defines an impingement fluid inlet in fluid communication with the impingement fluid cavity.

2. The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a forward body coupled to the upstream end of each fuel injector, wherein the forward body defines at least one air inlet orifice extended in the longitudinal direction.

3. The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the impingement fluid outlet defines a first orifice proximate to the impingement fluid cavity and a second orifice proximate to a bulkhead, wherein the first orifice is defined at a different position along the longitudinal direction as the second orifice such that the impingement fluid outlet extends at along the longitudinal direction and the radial or circumferential direction.

4. The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the impingement fluid outlet, an impingement fluid inlet, and/or the impingement fluid cavity define a serpentine passage within the aft body.

5. A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine, the combustor assembly defining a radial direction, a longitudinal direction, a circumferential direction, an upstream end, and a downstream end, the combustor assembly comprising:
at least one fuel nozzle assembly,
wherein each fuel nozzle assembly includes at least one fuel injector and an aft body coupled to each fuel injector,
wherein the aft body defines a forward wall and an aft wall each extended in the radial direction, and a plurality of sidewalls extended in the longitudinal direction,
wherein the plurality of sidewalls couples the forward wall and the aft wall,
wherein at least one sidewall defines an impingement fluid outlet,
wherein the aft body defines an impingement fluid cavity in fluid communication with the impingement fluid outlet,
wherein the impingement fluid outlet is configured to provide a flow of fluid from the impingement fluid cavity; and

a bulkhead including a wall extended in the radial direction, the longitudinal direction, and in a circumferential direction, wherein the wall defines an aft face, a forward face, and a longitudinal portion therebetween, and wherein the longitudinal portion of the wall directly faces the impingement fluid outlet.

6. The combustor assembly of claim 5 , wherein the longitudinal portion of the wall of the bulkhead directly faces the impingement fluid outlet in the radial direction.

7. The combustor assembly of claim 6 , wherein the impingement fluid outlet provides the flow of fluid defining compressed air in fluid and thermal communication with the longitudinal portion of the wall of the bulkhead.

8. The combustor assembly of claim 5 , wherein the impingement fluid outlet is defined downstream of the wall of the bulkhead.

9. The combustor assembly of claim 5 , wherein the impingement fluid outlet defines a first orifice proximate to the impingement fluid cavity and a second orifice proximate to the bulkhead, wherein the first orifice is defined at a different position along the longitudinal direction as the second orifice such that the impingement fluid outlet extends at along the longitudinal direction and the radial or circumferential direction.

10. The combustor assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
a seal ring, wherein the seal ring defines a first seal and a flared lip, wherein the first seal directly faces the forward face of the wall of the bulkhead and the flared lip extends at least partially in the radial direction and the longitudinal direction toward the upstream end.

11. The combustor assembly of claim 5 , wherein the aft wall defines an impingement fluid inlet in fluid communication with the impingement fluid cavity.

12. The combustor assembly of claim 11 , wherein the impingement fluid outlet, the impingement fluid inlet, and/or impingement fluid cavity define a serpentine passage within the aft body.

13. The combustor assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
a forward body coupled to an upstream end of each fuel injector, wherein the forward body defines at least one air inlet orifice extended in a longitudinal direction.

14. The combustor assembly of claim 13 , wherein the at least one air inlet orifice defines a serpentine passage.

15. A method of thermal management of a combustor assembly, the combustor assembly including a bulkhead and at least one fuel nozzle assembly extending through the bulkhead, the method comprising:
directing a cooling fluid to a fuel nozzle;
directing the cooling fluid through an impingement fluid inlet of the fuel nozzle; and
ejecting the cooling fluid from an impingement fluid cavity through an impingement fluid outlet onto a longitudinal portion of a wall of the bulkhead, the impingement fluid outlet defined through a sidewall of the fuel nozzle.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
directing the cooling fluid through an air inlet orifice in the fuel nozzle.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein ejecting the cooling fluid from the impingement fluid outlet includes ejecting the cooling fluid from the impingement cooling cavity into a combustion chamber.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein ejecting the cooling fluid from the impingement fluid outlet includes producing a buffer proximate to an aft face of a wall of the bulkhead between combustion gases in a combustion chamber.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Boardman Gregory Allen
• Venturato Marco
• Turner Douglas Downey
• Proano Cadena Valeria
• Bennett William Thomas

Classifications

• F23R3/002 Primary

  Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• F23R3/10

  for primary air (F23R3/06, F23R3/045 take precedence) · CPC title

• F23R3/286 Primary

  having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F23R3/007

  constructed mainly of ceramic components · CPC title