Burner cooling structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11774093-B2
Application number	US-202016842915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2020
Priority date	Apr 8, 2020
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A burner includes a main body having an outer surface and at least partially defining an interior. The main body further includes an upstream end axially spaced from a downstream end. The outer surface includes a burner front face at the downstream end of the main body. An annular cooling air plenum is defined in the main body radially inwardly from the outer surface. A cooling air passage extends from the outer surface to the annular cooling air plenum. A plurality of cooling channels is circumferentially spaced apart from one another along the burner front face. Each cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels extends from a respective inlet in fluid communication with the annular cooling air plenum to a respective outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A burner for a turbomachine, the burner defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the burner comprising:
a main body comprising an outer surface and defining an interior, the main body having an upstream end axially spaced from a downstream end with respect to an axial centerline of the burner; the outer surface comprising in an axially sequential order: a forward portion, a middle portion generally parallel to the axial direction, and a burner front face at the downstream end of the main body, wherein the forward portion diverges radially outwardly from an upstream portion of the main body to the middle portion, wherein the burner front face converges radially inwardly from the middle portion to the downstream end;
an annular air plenum defined in the main body radially inwardly from the outer surface;
a cooling air passage extending from the outer surface to the annular air plenum; and
a plurality of cooling channels circumferentially spaced apart from one another along the burner front face, each cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels extending from a respective inlet configured to receive air from the annular air plenum to a respective outlet defined in the middle portion of the outer surface upstream from the burner front face, wherein the inlet is axially aft of the outlet such that each cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels extends towards the upstream end of the main body, and wherein the plurality of cooling channels is oriented generally parallel to the burner front face in an axial-radial plane and disposed between the burner front face and the annular air plenum.

2. The burner as in claim 1 , wherein the middle portion of the outer surface further defines a lip axially upstream from the respective outlets of the plurality of cooling channels, the lip extending radially beyond the respective outlets.

3. The burner as in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cooling channels has a constant internal diameter.

4. The burner as in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cooling channels has a varying internal diameter.

5. The burner as in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cooling channels is substantially curvilinear in the circumferential direction between the respective inlet and the respective outlet.

6. The burner as in claim 1 , further comprising an annular fuel plenum axially upstream from the annular air plenum, wherein the cooling air passage extends through the annular fuel plenum.

7. The burner as in claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of pilot nozzles circumferentially spaced apart from one another and positioned radially inwardly from the annular fuel plenum and the annular air plenum, each pilot nozzle having an air inlet defined in the upstream end of the burner, a fuel inlet downstream from the air inlet fluidly coupled to the annular fuel plenum, and an outlet defined on the burner front face.

8. The burner as in claim 7 , wherein one or more cooling channels of the plurality of cooling channels is curvilinear and surrounds the outlet of at least one pilot nozzle of the plurality of pilot nozzles such that the one or more cooling channels of the plurality of cooling channels curves partially around the outlet of the at least one pilot nozzle as the one or more cooling channels of the plurality of cooling channels extends between the inlet and the outlet.

9. A turbomachine, comprising:
a compressor section;
a turbine section; and
a combustor section comprising a plurality of burners, each burner defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, each burner comprising:
a main body comprising an outer surface and defining an interior, the main body having an upstream end axially spaced from a downstream end with respect to an axial centerline of the burner, the outer surface comprising in an axially sequential order: a forward portion, a middle portion generally parallel to the axial direction, and a burner front face at the downstream end of the main body, wherein the forward portion diverges radially outwardly from an upstream portion of the main body to the middle portion, wherein the burner front face converges radially inwardly from the middle portion to the downstream end;
an annular air plenum defined in the main body radially inwardly from the outer surface;
a cooling air passage extending from the outer surface to the annular air plenum; and
a plurality of cooling channels circumferentially spaced apart from one another along the burner front face, each cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels extending from a respective inlet configured to receive air from the annular air plenum to a respective outlet defined in the middle portion of the outer surface upstream from the burner front face, wherein the inlet is axially aft of the outlet such that each cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels extends towards the upstream end of the main body, and wherein the plurality of cooling channels is oriented generally parallel to the burner front face in an axial-radial plane and disposed between the burner front face and the annular air plenum.

10. The turbomachine as in claim 9 , wherein the respective outlet of each cooling channel in the plurality of cooling channels is defined in the middle portion of the outer surface such that the respective outlet faces the radial direction.

11. The turbomachine as in claim 9 , wherein the middle portion of the outer surface further defines a lip axially upstream from the respective outlets of the plurality of cooling channels, the lip extending radially beyond the respective outlets.

12. The turbomachine as in claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of cooling channels has a constant internal diameter.

13. The turbomachine as in claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of cooling channels has a varying internal diameter.

14. The turbomachine as in claim 12 , wherein the constant internal diameter is up to about 0.15 inches.

15. The turbomachine as in claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of cooling channels is substantially curvilinear.

16. The turbomachine as in claim 9 , further comprising an annular fuel plenum axially upstream from the annular air plenum, wherein the cooling air passage extends through the annular fuel plenum.

17. The turbomachine as in claim 16 , further comprising a pilot nozzle positioned radially inwardly from the annular fuel plenum and the annular air plenum, the pilot nozzle having an air inlet defined in the upstream end of the burner, a fuel inlet downstream from the air inlet fluidly coupled to the annular fuel plenum, and an outlet defined on the burner front face.

18. The turbomachine as in claim 17 , wherein one or more cooling channels of the plurality of cooling channels.

19. The turbomachine as in claim 11 , further comprising a wall having an interior surface, wherein the middle portion is in contact with the interior surface of the wall forward of the lip, wherein the middle portion is spaced apart from the interior surface of the lip aft of the lip such that a cavity is defined radially between the interior surface of the wall and the outer surface of the burner, and wherein each of the respective outlets is positioned on the outer surface at the cavity.

20. The burner as in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of cooling channels include a first group of cooling channels and a second group of cooling channels disposed circumferentially between two outlets o

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Biagioli Nico
• Terhaar Christian Steffen
• Luebcke Holger
• Theuer Andre

Classifications

• F23D14/78 Primary

  Cooling burner parts · CPC title

• F23D11/38

  Nozzles; Cleaning devices therefor · CPC title

• F23R3/283 Primary

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

• F23D2214/00

  Cooling · CPC title

• F23D2900/00014

  Pilot burners specially adapted for ignition of main burners in furnaces or gas turbines · CPC title