Integrated fuel nozzle connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11230976-B2
Application number	US-201715649853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2017
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A gas turbine includes a compressor, a turbine, and a combustor disposed downstream from the compressor and upstream from the turbine. The combustor includes an end cover. The combustor also includes a flange. The flange includes an internal fluid passage defined within the flange and the flange is coupled to an internal face of the end cover. A fuel port is integrally joined with the flange. The fuel port extends through the end cover between the flange and an inlet positioned outside of the end cover. The inlet of the fuel port is in fluid communication with the internal fluid passage of the flange.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine, comprising:
a compressor;
a turbine;
a combustor disposed downstream from the compressor and upstream from the turbine, the combustor comprising:
an outer casing;
an end cover comprising an external face outside of the outer casing, an internal face opposite the external face, a bore extending from the external face of the end cover to the internal face of the end cover, and a seal groove in the internal face of the end cover surrounding the bore of the end cover;
a flange extending between a first side and a second side opposing the first side, the flange comprising an internal fluid passage defined within the flange, the flange coupled to the internal face of the end cover with the first side of the flange abutting the internal face of the end cover whereby the first side of the flange is sealingly engaged with the internal face of the end cover via a sealing member in the seal groove in the internal face of the end cover, wherein the first side of the flange includes a bore portion that extends beyond the internal face of the end cover and into the bore;
a fuel port welded to the flange within the bore such that a weld seam is defined between the fuel port and the flange, the fuel port extending through the bore of the end cover between the flange and an inlet positioned outside of the end cover, the inlet of the fuel port in fluid communication with the internal fluid passage of the flange, the fuel port having an external diameter smaller than an interior diameter of the bore of the end cover, whereby an annular passage is defined between the fuel port and the bore of the end cover, wherein the annular passage includes an annular open end at the external face of the end cover in direct fluid communication with an ambient environment, wherein the weld seam is disposed within the annular passage, and wherein the bore portion of the first side of the flange is spaced apart from the bore and partially defines the annular passage;
an orifice fitting coupled to an inlet of the internal fluid passage of the flange such that the inlet of the fuel port is in fluid communication with the internal fluid passage of the flange via the orifice fitting, wherein the orifice fitting defines external threads and the bore portion of the flange defines internal threads, and wherein the external threads of the orifice fitting engage the internal threads of the bore portion of the flange; and
a filter extending between an upstream end and a downstream end integrally joined with the orifice fitting, the filter positioned within the fuel port such that the inlet of the fuel port is in fluid communication with the internal fluid passage of the flange via the filter and the orifice fitting.

2. The gas turbine of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid conduit extending between the second side of the flange and a fuel nozzle.

3. The gas turbine of claim 1 , wherein the flange comprises a thermal shield, the internal fluid passage of the flange at least partially defined in the thermal shield.

4. The gas turbine of claim 1 , further comprising a protruding sealing surface on the first side of the flange, wherein the first side of the flange is sealingly engaged with the internal face of the end cover at the protruding sealing surface.

5. The gas turbine of claim 1 , wherein the annular passage is only in fluid communication with the ambient environment that surrounds the gas turbine.

6. The gas turbine of claim 1 , wherein the fuel port does not contact the end cover.

7. The gas turbine of claim 1 , wherein the filter defines a tapering shape that narrows from the upstream end of the filter to the downstream end of the filter, and wherein the orifice fitting comprises a plurality of orifices annularly arranged around the downstream end of the filter.

8. The gas turbine of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of orifices is disposed radially outwardly from the downstream end of the filter with respect to an axial centerline of the filter.

9. The gas turbine of claim 1 , wherein the downstream end of the filter defines a downstream diameter, wherein the orifice fitting defines an outer diameter, and wherein the outer diameter of the orifice fitting is larger than the downstream diameter of the filter.

10. The gas turbine of claim 1 , wherein the orifice fitting extends entirely downstream from the downstream end of the filter.

11. A combustor for a turbomachine, the combustor comprising:
an outer casing;
an end cover comprising an external face outside of the outer casing, an internal face opposite the external face, a bore extending from the external face of the end cover to the internal face of the end cover, and a seal groove in the internal face of the end cover surrounding the bore of the end cover;
a flange extending between a first side and a second side opposing the first side, the flange comprising an internal fluid passage defined within the flange, the flange coupled to the internal face of the end cover with the first side of the flange abutting the internal face of the end cover whereby the first side of the flange is sealingly engaged with the internal face of the end cover via a sealing member in the seal groove in the internal face of the end cover, wherein the first side of the flange includes a bore portion that extends beyond the internal face of the end cover and into the bore;
a fuel port welded to the flange within the bore such that a weld seam is defined between the fuel port and the flange, the fuel port extending through the bore of the end cover between the flange and an inlet positioned outside of the end cover, the inlet of the fuel port in fluid communication with the internal fluid passage of the flange, the fuel port having an external diameter smaller than an interior diameter of the bore of the end cover, whereby an annular passage is defined between the fuel port and the bore of the end cover, wherein the annular passage includes an annular open end at the external face of the end cover in direct fluid communication with an ambient environment, wherein the weld seam is disposed within the annular passage, and wherein the bore portion of the first side of the flange is spaced apart from the bore and partially defines the annular passage;
an orifice fitting coupled to an inlet of the internal fluid passage of the flange such that the inlet of the fuel port is in fluid communication with the internal fluid passage of the flange via the orifice fitting, wherein the orifice fitting defines external threads and the bore portion of the flange defines internal threads, and wherein the external threads of the orifice fitting engage the internal threads of the bore portion of the flange; and
a filter extending between an upstream end and a downstream end integrally joined with the orifice fitting, the filter positioned within the fuel port such that the inlet of the fuel port is in fluid communication with the internal fluid passage of the flange via the filter and the orifice fitting.

12. The combustor of claim 11 , further comprising a fluid conduit extending between the second side of the flange and a fuel nozzle.

13. The combustor of claim 11 , wherein the flange comprises a thermal shield, the internal fluid passage of the flange at least partially defined in the thermal shield.

14. The combustor of claim 11 , further comprising a protruding sealing surface on the first side of the flange, wherein the first side of the flange is sealingly engaged with the internal face of the end cover at the protruding sealing surface.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Annamalai Subramanian
• Stoia Lucas John
• Bobba Mohan Krishna

Classifications

• F23R2900/00005

  Preventing fatigue failures or reducing mechanical stress in gas turbine components · CPC title

• F02C7/268

  Starting drives for the rotor {, acting directly on the rotor of the gas turbine to be started} · CPC title

• F23R3/283

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

• F23K2300/202

  Filtering · CPC title

• F23R3/16

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