Fuel nozzle with angled main injection ports and radial main injection ports

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149948-B2
Application number	US-201715681990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2017
Priority date	Aug 21, 2017
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a combustor system including a fuel nozzle comprising a main fuel injector defining an angled main injection port. Each angled main injection port defines an inlet end and an outlet end. The outlet end is oriented downstream relative to the inlet end at an angle relative to a centerline axis of the fuel nozzle. The angled main injection port permits egress of fuel from a main fuel circuit to the combustion chamber. The fuel nozzle further defines a radial main injection port. The outlet end is oriented along an axial direction approximately equal relative to the inlet end and radially outward thereof relative to the centerline axis. The radial main injection port is extended perpendicular relative to the centerline axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel nozzle assembly comprising:
a fuel nozzle comprising a main fuel injector defining a centerline axis,
a main mixer around the centerline axis defining an annular main mixer wall,
a main airflow passage defined between the main fuel injector and the annular main mixer wall,
the main fuel injector defining an angled main injection port, the angled main injection port defining an angled main injection port inlet end and an angled main injection port outlet end,
wherein the angled main injection port outlet end is positioned downstream of the angled main injection poll inlet end relative to a fuel flow through the angled main injection port,
wherein the angled main injection port is positioned at an angle relative to the centerline axis,
wherein the angled main injection port is further positioned at an angle in a circumferential direction around the centerline axis such that the angled main injection port is non-orthogonal to the centerline axis,
wherein the angled main injection port permits an egress of fuel from a main fuel circuit into the main airflow passage, and

the main fuel injector further defining a radial main injection port, the radial main injection port defining a radial main injection port inlet end and a radial main injection port outlet end,
wherein the radial main injection port is orthogonal to the centerline,
wherein the radial main injection port permits an egress of fuel into the main airflow passage, and

wherein the angled main injection port outlet end is positioned upstream or downstream of the radial main injection port outlet end relative to an airflow through the main airflow passage of the main mixer.

2. The fuel nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fuel nozzle defines an annular fuel nozzle outer wall radially spaced apart from an annular outer boundary wall surrounding a pilot fuel injector, wherein the annular fuel nozzle outer wall defines an opening that permits a flow of air between the annular fuel nozzle outer wall and the annular outer boundary wall.

3. The fuel nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fuel nozzle defines an aperture through the annular fuel nozzle outer wall, wherein the aperture is defined in alignment with the angled main injection port, and wherein the aperture defines an angle substantially equal to the angle of the angled main injection port.

4. The fuel nozzle assembly of claim 2 , wherein the fuel nozzle defines an aperture through the annular fuel nozzle outer wall, wherein the aperture is defined in alignment with the radial Main injection port.

5. The fuel nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fuel nozzle comprises a pilot fuel injector, wherein the pilot fuel injector comprises an pilot fuel injector annular inner wall defining a primary fuel orifice and a pilot fuel injector annular outer wall defining a secondary fuel orifice, and wherein a primary pilot supply line supplies fuel through the primary fuel orifice and a secondary pilot supply line supplies fuel through the secondary fuel orifice.

6. The fuel nozzle assembly of claim 5 , further comprising: a fuel system comprising a pilot control valve coupled to a pilot fuel conduit and operable to supply a flow of fuel thereto, wherein the pilot fuel conduit is in fluid communication with the primary pilot supply line and the secondary pilot supply line.

7. The fuel nozzle assembly of claim 6 , wherein the fuel system further comprises a first main valve fluidly coupled to a first main fuel conduit and operable to supply a flow of fuel thereto, wherein the first main fuel conduit is in fluid communication with a first the main fuel circuit of the fuel nozzle.

8. The fuel nozzle assembly of claim 7 , wherein the fuel nozzle defines a different volume of the angled main fuel injection port relative to the radial main fuel injection port, or
wherein the fuel nozzle defined a different cross sectional area of the angled main fuel injection port inlet end, or the angled main fuel injection port outlet end, relative to the radial main fuel injection port inlet end, or the radial main fuel injection port outlet end.

9. The fuel nozzle assembly of claim 1 , Wherein the fuel nozzle further comprises a pilot fuel injector, wherein each of the main fuel injector and the pilot fuel injector are configured to receive a portion of a fuel flow.

10. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a combustor system comprising a combustion chamber; and
a plurality of fuel nozzles, the plurality of fuel nozzles comprising:
a first fuel nozzle comprising:
a main fuel injector defining a centerline axis,
a main mixer around the centerline axis defining an annular main mixer wall,
a main airflow passage defined between the main fuel injector and the annular main mixer wall,
the main fuel injector defining an angled main injection port, the angled main injection port defining an angled main injection port inlet end and an angled main injection port end,
wherein the angled main injection port outlet end is positioned downstream of the angled main injection port inlet end relative to a fuel flow through the angled main injection port,
wherein the angled main injection port is positioned at an angle relative to the centerline axis,
wherein the angled main injection port is further positioned at an angle in a circumferential direction around the centerline axis such that the angled main injection port is non-orthogonal to the centerline axis,
wherein the angled main injection port permits an egress of fuel from a main fuel circuit into the main airflow passage, and

the main fuel injector further defining a radial main injection port the radial main port outlet end,
wherein the radial main injection port is orthogonal to the centerline,
wherein the radial main injection port permits an egress of fuel into the airflow passage, and
wherein the angled main injection port outlet end is positioned upstream or downstream of the radial main injection port outlet end relative to an airflow through the main airflow passage of the main mixer; and

a second fuel nozzle comprising a second radial main injection port defining a second radial main injection port inlet end and a second radial main injection port outlet end, and wherein the second radial main injection port outlet end and the second radial main injection port inlet end are located in a plane perpendicular to a second centerline axis.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , further comprising: a fuel system comprising a pilot control valve coupled to a pilot fuel conduit and operable to supply a flow of fuel thereto, wherein the pilot fuel conduit is in fluid communication with a primary pilot supply line and a secondary pilot supply line.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the fuel system further comprises a first main valve coupled to a first main fuel conduit and operable to supply a flow of fuel thereto, wherein the first main fuel conduit is in fluid communication with the first main fuel circuit.

13. The combustor system of claim 12 , wherein the first fuel nozzle defines a different cross sectional area of the angled main fuel injection port, the angled main injection port inlet end, or the angled main injection port outlet end, relative to a cross sectional area of the second radial main fuel injection port, the second radial main fuel injection port inlet end, or the second radial main fuel injection port outlet end.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the fuel system further comprises:
a first main valve fluidly coupled to a first main fuel conduit and operable to supply a flow of fuel thereto, wherein t

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Stevens Eric John
• Durbin Mark David
• Boehm Randall Charles

Classifications

• F23R3/002

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

• F23R3/06 Primary

  Arrangement of apertures along the flame tube · CPC title

• F23R2900/00014

  Reducing thermo-acoustic vibrations by passive means, e.g. by Helmholtz resonators · CPC title

• F23R3/343

  Pilot flames, i.e. fuel nozzles or injectors using only a very small proportion of the total fuel to insure continuous combustion (ignition in gas-turbine plants F02C7/264; pilot flame igniters F23Q9/00) · CPC title

• F23R3/14 Primary

  by using swirl vanes · CPC title