Premixed fuel nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10895384-B2
Application number	US-201816203997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2018
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

A fuel injector assembly for a gas turbine engine is generally provided. The first fuel injector includes a first centerbody surrounding a first walled fuel injection circuit. A first fuel injection port is extended at least partially radially through the first centerbody in fluid communication with the first walled fuel injection circuit. The first centerbody defines a cooling circuit surrounding the first walled fuel injection circuit. The first centerbody defines a plurality of cooling openings at a downstream end of the first centerbody. The plurality of cooling openings is in fluid communication with the cooling circuit. The first centerbody defines an axially extended cooling outlet at the downstream end of the first centerbody.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel injector assembly for a gas turbine engine, the fuel injector assembly comprising:
a first fuel injector comprising a first centerbody surrounding a first walled fuel injection circuit, wherein a first fuel injection port is extended at least partially radially through the first centerbody in fluid communication with the first walled fuel injection circuit, and further wherein the first centerbody defines a cooling circuit surrounding the first walled fuel injection circuit, and wherein the first centerbody defines a plurality of cooling openings at a downstream end of the first centerbody, wherein the plurality of cooling openings is in fluid communication with the cooling circuit, and further wherein the first centerbody defines an axially extended cooling outlet at the downstream end of the first centerbody, and wherein the first centerbody defines a throat area between the cooling circuit and the axially extended cooling outlet, and further wherein the cooling outlet defines an increasing cross sectional area from the throat area to the downstream end of the first centerbody, and wherein the plurality of cooling openings is defined substantially axially through the first centerbody.

2. The fuel injector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cooling outlet is in direct fluid communication with a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine, and further wherein the cooling outlet is defined axially adjacent to the combustion chamber.

3. The fuel injector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cooling openings is defined through the first centerbody at least partially upstream of the cooling outlet.

4. The fuel injector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first centerbody comprises a conical or frusto-conical structure.

5. The fuel injector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first centerbody comprises a bulbous structure.

6. The fuel injector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fuel injector further comprises an internal shroud disposed within the first centerbody, wherein the internal shroud surrounds the first walled fuel injection circuit.

7. The fuel injector assembly of claim 6 , wherein the internal shroud defines a conical or frusto-conical structure defining a decreasing cross sectional area from an upstream end to a downstream end.

8. The fuel injector assembly of claim 6 , wherein the internal shroud defines a cooling cavity between the internal shroud and the first walled fuel injection circuit.

9. The fuel injector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fuel injector is configured to provide only a flow of air through the downstream end of the first centerbody via the cooling outlet.

10. The fuel injector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first fuel injector is configured to provide only a flow of air through the first centerbody downstream of the first fuel injection port.

11. The fuel injector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second fuel injector comprising a second centerbody surrounding a second walled fuel injection circuit, wherein a second fuel injection port is extended at least partially radially through the second centerbody in fluid communication with the second walled fuel injection circuit, and further wherein the second centerbody defines a cooling circuit surrounding the second walled fuel injection circuit, and further wherein the second walled fuel injection circuit defines an axially extended third fuel injection port at a downstream end of the second centerbody.

12. The fuel injector assembly of claim 11 , wherein the second fuel injector is configured to provide a flow of fuel through the downstream end of the second centerbody via the third fuel injection port.

13. The fuel injector assembly of claim 11 , wherein the second centerbody of the second fuel injector defines a second cooling outlet at the downstream end of the second centerbody surrounding the third fuel injection port.

14. The fuel injector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a swirler assembly disposed upstream of the first fuel injection port.

15. A gas turbine engine, the engine comprising: a first fuel injector comprising a first centerbody surrounding a first walled fuel injection circuit, wherein a first fuel injection port is extended at least partially radially through the first centerbody in fluid communication with the first walled fuel injection circuit, and further wherein the first centerbody defines a cooling circuit surrounding the first walled fuel injection circuit, and wherein the first centerbody defines a plurality of cooling openings at a downstream end of the first centerbody, wherein the plurality of cooling openings is in fluid communication with the cooling circuit, and further wherein the first centerbody defines an axially extended cooling outlet at the downstream end of the first centerbody, wherein the first centerbody of the first fuel injector defines a throat area between the cooling circuit and the axially extended cooling outlet, and further wherein the cooling outlet defines an increasing cross sectional area from the throat area to the downstream end of the first centerbody, and wherein the plurality of cooling openings is defined substantially axially through the first centerbody; and
a second fuel injector comprising a second centerbody surrounding a second walled fuel injection circuit, wherein a second fuel injection port is extended at least partially radially through the second centerbody in fluid communication with the second walled fuel injection circuit, and further wherein the second centerbody defines a cooling circuit surrounding the second walled fuel injection circuit, and further wherein the second walled fuel injection circuit defines an axially extended third fuel injection port at a downstream end of the second centerbody.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the first fuel injector further comprises an internal shroud disposed within the first centerbody, wherein the internal shroud surrounds the first walled fuel injection circuit.

17. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the first fuel injector and the second fuel injector are arranged asymmetrically around an axial centerline axis of the engine.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Boehm Randall Charles
• Boardman Gregory Allen
• Patra Ajoy
• Lind David Albin
• Naik Pradeep
• Mishra Ranjeet Kumar

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

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

• F23R3/283 Primary

  Attaching or cooling of fuel injecting means including supports for fuel injectors, stems, or lances · CPC title

• F23R3/286

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

• F23R3/34

  Feeding into different combustion zones · CPC title

• F23R3/14 Primary

  by using swirl vanes · CPC title