Heat exchanger integrated with fuel nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11118784-B2
Application number	US-201715592777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2017
Priority date	Jan 28, 2016
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

Fuel-air heat exchange system and methods thereof for use in a gas turbine engine. The fuel-air heat exchanger allows heat transfer between a flow of cooling air used to cool components of the engine and a flow of fuel used to drive the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An A gas turbine engine comprising:
a power train including a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, the compressor arranged to compress air, the combustor including a combustion chamber arranged to receive compressed air and fuel for combustion to form exhaust products, and the turbine including a rotor and a blade extending from the rotor to receive exhaust products expanding across the blade to drive rotation of the rotor,
an outer casing defining a high pressure cavity adapted to receive compressed air from the compressor, the combustion chamber arranged at least partly within the high pressure cavity, and
a fuel injector including:
a nozzle configured to discharge fuel into the combustion chamber,
a stem secured to and penetrating through the outer casing, the stem fluidly coupled with the nozzle and configured to conduct fuel to the nozzle, and
a microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger formed integrally with the stem and including a body having a fuel passageway fluidly coupled with the nozzle, a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet, and a cooling air passageway arranged in thermal communication with the fuel passageway, in which the fuel enters the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger through the fuel inlet in order for heat from the air in the cooling air passageway to be transmitted to the fuel within the fuel passageway,

wherein the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger is arranged outside of the high pressure cavity and secured to the outer casing, and
wherein the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet are positioned on a wall of the stem.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the outer casing includes a port defined therethrough and the stem is arranged to extend through the port.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the outer casing includes a transfer passage arranged in fluid communication with each of the high pressure cavity and the cooling air passage to direct compressed air from the high pressure cavity into the cooling air passage.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the transfer passage extends through the port.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger includes a hood defining an exchanger cavity, and wherein the hood is secured to the outer casing.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 5 , wherein the stem extends through the hood into the high pressure cavity.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 5 , wherein the body of the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger is arranged within the exchanger cavity and the stem extends through the body.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the fuel injector includes a check valve arranged within the stem to maintain pressure within the fuel passageway of the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the check valve is arranged within the stem at the outer casing.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein the check valve is arranged within the stem at the outer casing within the high pressure cavity.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the body of the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger includes a plurality of stacked sheets bonded together, wherein the sheets are etched to form a first plurality of microchannels and a second plurality of microchannels therein, wherein the first plurality of microchannels define at least a portion of the fuel passageway, and wherein the second plurality of microchannels define at least a portion of the cooling air passageway.

12. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a power train including a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, the compressor arranged to compress air, a combustion chamber of the combustor arranged to receive compressed air and fuel for combustion to form exhaust products, and the turbine including a rotor and a blade extending from the rotor to receive exhaust products expanding across the blade to drive rotation of the rotor,
an outer casing defining a high pressure cavity adapted to receive compressed air from the compressor, the combustion chamber arranged at least partly within the high pressure cavity, and
a fuel injector including:
a nozzle configured to discharge fuel into the combustion chamber,
a stem secured to the outer casing, a conduit section of the stem penetrating through the outer casing and fluidly coupled with the nozzle, the conduit section configured to conduct fuel to the nozzle, and
a microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger formed integrally with the stem, a body of the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger having a fuel passageway fluidly coupled with the nozzle and a cooling air passageway arranged in thermal communication with the fuel passageway,

wherein the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger is arranged outside of the high pressure cavity and secured to the outer casing, the conduit is arranged to allow fuel to pass out of the conduit section and into the fuel passageway of the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger through an inlet, and the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger is configured to transmit heat from air in the cooling air passageway to fuel within the fuel passageway for forming heated fuel and to pass the heated fuel into the conduit section through an outlet.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the outer casing includes a transfer passage arranged in fluid communication with each of the high pressure cavity and the cooling air passage to direct compressed air from the high pressure cavity into the cooling air passage.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the transfer passage extends through a port defined through the outer casing, and wherein the conduit section is arranged to extend through the port.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger includes a hood defining an exchanger cavity, and wherein the hood is secured to the outer casing.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the stem extends through the hood into the high pressure cavity.

17. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the body of the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger is arranged within the exchanger cavity and the stem extends through the body.

18. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the fuel injector includes a check valve arranged within the stem to maintain pressure with the fuel passageway of the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger.

19. The gas turbine engine of claim 18 , wherein the check valve is arranged within the stem at the outer casing.

20. The gas turbine engine of claim 19 , wherein the check valve is arranged within the high pressure cavity.

21. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the body of the microchannel fuel-air heat exchanger includes a plurality of stacked sheets bonded together, wherein the sheets are etched to form a first plurality of microchannels and a second plurality of microchannels therein, wherein the first plurality of microchannels are in fluid communication with inlet and the outlet, and wherein the second plurality of microchannels define at least a portion of the cooling air passageway.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sweeney Patrick C
• Snyder Douglas J

Classifications

• F05D2260/232

  characterized by the cooling medium · CPC title

• F02C3/06

  the compressor comprising only axial stages (F02C3/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2260/20

  Heat transfer, e.g. cooling · CPC title

• F02C7/222

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

• Y02T50/60

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