Fuel nozzle, fuel supply assembly thereof, and method of assembling a fuel nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10947902-B2
Application number	US-201715621347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	Jun 13, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

An inlet manifold includes a main inlet oriented along a first direction and a pilot inlet oriented along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A wye passage includes an inlet branch in fluid communication with the main inlet. The inlet manifold also includes a first main passage in fluid communication with a first outlet branch of the wye passage and a second main passage in fluid communication with a second outlet branch of the wye passage. The first main passage extends generally along the first direction between the wye passage and a first main outlet. The second main passage extends generally along the first direction between the wye passage and a second main outlet. The inlet manifold also includes a pilot passage in fluid communication with the pilot inlet. The pilot passage extends generally along the first direction between the pilot inlet and a pilot outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel supply assembly for a fuel nozzle, the fuel supply assembly comprising:
an inlet manifold defining a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a vertical direction, the longitudinal direction, the transverse direction, and the vertical direction are mutually perpendicular, the inlet manifold comprising:
a main inlet positioned at an upstream end of the inlet manifold and oriented along the longitudinal direction;
an aft flange at a downstream end of the inlet manifold, the aft flange defining a diameter, the downstream end of the inlet manifold opposite the upstream end of the inlet manifold along the longitudinal direction;
a pilot inlet oriented along the vertical direction;
a wye passage comprising an inlet branch, the inlet branch in fluid communication with the main inlet of the inlet manifold;
a first main passage in fluid communication with a first outlet branch of the wye passage, the first main passage extending generally along the longitudinal direction between the wye passage and a first main outlet;
a second main passage in fluid communication with a second outlet branch of the wye passage, the second main passage extending generally along the longitudinal direction between the wye passage and a second main outlet; and
a pilot passage in fluid communication with the pilot inlet, the pilot passage extending generally along the longitudinal direction between the pilot inlet and a pilot outlet;
wherein the first main outlet, the second main outlet, and the pilot outlet are formed in a downstream face of the aft flange and are aligned along the diameter of the aft flange;

a first main conduit coupled to the first main outlet of the inlet manifold, the first main conduit extending between the inlet manifold and a fuel manifold;
a second main conduit coupled to the second main outlet of the inlet manifold, the second main conduit extending between the inlet manifold and the fuel manifold, the fuel manifold in fluid communication with an air plenum for mixing fuel from the first main conduit and the second main conduit with air in the air plenum; and
a pilot conduit coupled to the pilot outlet of the inlet manifold, the pilot conduit extending between the pilot outlet and a pilot tip, the pilot tip positioned downstream of the fuel manifold.

2. The fuel supply assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a central body of the inlet manifold, wherein the main inlet, the pilot inlet, the first main outlet, the second main outlet, the pilot outlet, and the aft flange are formed in the central body.

3. The fuel supply assembly of claim 2 , wherein the central body of the inlet manifold further comprises a hub portion upstream of the aft flange, and the inlet manifold further comprises a removable flange configured for mounting on the hub portion of the central body.

4. The fuel supply assembly of claim 3 , wherein the hub portion of the inlet manifold comprises a groove and the removable flange comprises an aperture and a spline in the aperture, the aperture configured to receive the hub portion of the central body when the spline is aligned with the groove, whereby relative rotation between the removable flange and the central body is restrained.

5. The fuel supply assembly of claim 3 , wherein the removable flange comprises a downstream face, the aft flange comprises an upstream face and a seal groove formed in the upstream face of the aft flange, the seal groove configured for retaining a sealing member therein.

6. The fuel supply assembly of claim 3 , wherein the central body comprises an externally threaded portion upstream of the hub portion, and the inlet manifold further comprises an internally threaded fastener configured to engage the externally threaded portion to secure the removable flange to the central body.

7. An inlet manifold defining a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the inlet manifold comprising:
a main inlet positioned at an upstream end of the inlet manifold and oriented along the first direction;
an aft flange at a downstream end of the inlet manifold, the downstream end of the inlet manifold opposite the upstream end of the inlet manifold along the first direction;
a pilot inlet oriented along the third direction;
a wye passage in fluid communication with the main inlet of the inlet manifold;
a first main passage in fluid communication with the wye passage, the first main passage extending between the wye passage and a first main outlet;
a second main passage in fluid communication with the wye passage, the second main passage extending between the wye passage and a second main outlet;
a pilot passage in fluid communication with the pilot inlet, the pilot passage extending between the pilot inlet and a pilot outlet;
a central body comprising a hub portion upstream of the aft flange and an externally threaded portion upstream of the hub portion, wherein the main inlet, the pilot inlet, the first main outlet, the second main outlet, the pilot outlet, and the aft flange are formed in the central body;
a removable flange configured for mounting on the hub portion of the central body; and
an internally threaded fastener configured to engage the externally threaded portion to secure the removable flange to the central body;
wherein the first main outlet, the second main outlet, and the pilot outlet are formed in a downstream face of the aft flange.

8. The inlet manifold of claim 7 , wherein the wye passage comprises an inlet branch, first outlet branch and a second outlet branch, the inlet branch in fluid communication with the main inlet of the inlet manifold, the first main passage in fluid communication with the first outlet branch of the wye passage, and the second main passage in fluid communication with the second outlet branch of the wye passage.

9. A method of assembling a fuel nozzle comprising;
attaching a first end of a first main conduit to a fuel manifold;
attaching a second end of the first main conduit to a first main outlet of a central body of an inlet manifold, the inlet manifold defining a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the first main outlet formed in a downstream face of an aft flange at a downstream end of the inlet manifold;
attaching a first end of a second main conduit to the fuel manifold;
attaching a second end of the second main conduit to a second main outlet of the central body of the inlet manifold, the second main outlet formed in the downstream face of the aft flange;
attaching a first end of a pilot conduit to a pilot tip, the pilot tip downstream of the fuel manifold;
attaching a second end of the pilot conduit to a pilot outlet of the central body of the inlet manifold, the pilot outlet formed in the downstream face of the aft flange;
inserting the central body into a downstream end of a fuel nozzle;
passing the central body upstream through the fuel nozzle and through an endcover until the pilot tip is proximate to the downstream end of the fuel nozzle;
placing a removable flange onto a hub portion of the central body;
securing the removable flange on the hub portion of the central body with an internally threaded fastener by threading the internally threaded fastener onto an externally threaded portion of the central body upstream of the hub portion;
securing the removable flange to the endcover;
fastening a main inlet fitting into a main inlet port positioned at an upstream end of the central body of the inlet manifold and oriented along the first direction; and
fas

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Thomas Edward
• Graham Kaitlin Marie
• Myers Geoffrey David

Classifications

• F23R3/16

  with devices inside the flame tube or the combustion chamber to influence the air or gas flow · CPC title

• F05D2240/35

  Combustors or associated equipment · CPC title

• F23R3/28 Primary

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

• F02C7/222 Primary

  Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds · CPC title

• F23R3/30

  comprising fuel prevapourising devices · CPC title