Combustor fuel assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11828465-B2
Application number	US-202217685883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2022
Priority date	Jan 21, 2022
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A turbine engine can include a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement. The combustion section can have a combustor with a combustor liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber, as well as a fuel-air mixer including at least one set of mixing tubes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine engine, comprising:
a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement, with the combustion section having a combustor comprising:
a dome assembly and a circumferentially-extending combustor liner collectively bounding a combustion chamber at a forward end; and
a fuel-air mixer with a body extending forward to aft along a longitudinal axis and comprising:
a first set of mixing tubes and a second set of mixing tubes each arranged circumferentially about the body, with the second set of mixing tubes spaced radially inward from the first set of mixing tubes, wherein each mixing tube in the first set of mixing tubes and the second set of mixing tubes comprises a fuel inlet, an air inlet, and a mixture outlet;
a circumferentially-extending collar bounding at least the first set of mixing tubes and comprising an aft surface defining at least a portion of a dome wall in the dome assembly, wherein the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes is positioned forward of the dome wall;
a mixing chamber within the fuel-air mixer and positioned radially inward of the mixture outlet of each of the first set of mixing tubes, wherein the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes discharges into the mixing chamber; and
a central mixing tube positioned radially inward of the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes and having a central fuel inlet, a central air inlet, and a central mixture outlet confronting the combustion chamber, wherein the central mixture outlet is located within the mixing chamber such that the central mixture outlet is forward of the mixture outlet of each of the first set of mixing tubes and aft of the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes.

2. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber comprises a width that is one of increasing, decreasing, or constant along the longitudinal axis.

3. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the circumferentially-extending collar at least partially forms at least one of the first set of mixing tubes or the mixing chamber.

4. The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a projecting tip located at the mixture outlet of each of the first set of mixing tubes and projecting from the dome wall.

5. The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a second air inlet located on a sidewall of each mixing tube in the first set of mixing tubes, with the second air inlet spaced from the air inlet along the longitudinal axis.

6. The turbine engine of claim 5 , further comprising a projecting tip located at the central mixture outlet, wherein the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes is located forward of the central mixture outlet along the longitudinal axis.

7. The turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the mixture outlet of each of the first set of mixing tubes is located aft of the central mixture outlet with respect to the longitudinal axis.

8. The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a first fuel blend with 50-100% hydrogen in the first set of mixing tubes and a second fuel blend with 0-60% hydrogen in the central mixing tube.

9. The combustor of claim 1 , further comprising a central mixing tube positioned radially inward of the second set of mixing tubes and having a central fuel inlet, a central air inlet, and a central mixture outlet confronting the combustion chamber.

10. The combustor of claim 9 , further comprising a central projecting tip located at the central mixture outlet, wherein the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes is located forward of the central mixture outlet with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the mixture outlet of each of the first set of mixing tubes is located aft of the central mixture outlet with respect to the longitudinal axis.

11. A combustor for a turbine engine, comprising:
a dome assembly and a circumferentially-extending combustor liner collectively bounding a combustion chamber at a forward end; and
a fuel-air mixer with a body extending forward to aft along a longitudinal axis and comprising:
a first set of mixing tubes and a second set of mixing tubes each arranged circumferentially about the body, with the second set of mixing tubes spaced radially inward from the first set of mixing tubes, wherein each mixing tube in the first set of mixing tubes and the second set of mixing tubes comprises a fuel inlet, an air inlet, and a mixture outlet;
a circumferentially-extending collar bounding at least the first set of mixing tubes and comprising an aft surface defining at least a portion of a dome wall in the dome assembly, wherein the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes is positioned forward of the dome wall;
a mixing chamber within the fuel-air mixer and positioned radially inward of the mixture outlet of each of the first set of mixing tubes, wherein the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes discharges into the mixing chamber; and
a central mixing tube positioned radially inward of the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes and having a central fuel inlet, a central air inlet, and a central mixture outlet confronting the combustion chamber, wherein the central mixture outlet is located within the mixing chamber such that the central mixture outlet is forward of the mixture outlet of each of the first set of mixing tubes and aft of the mixture outlet of each of the second set of mixing tubes.

12. The combustor of claim 11 , further comprising a wherein the circumferentially-extending collar at least partially forming forms the mixing chamber and at least partially defining a dome wall in the combustor.

13. The combustor of claim 12 , further comprising a projecting tip located at the mixture outlet of a mixing tube in one of the first set of mixing tubes or the second set of mixing tubes and projecting from the dome wall.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Naik Pradeep
• Giridharan Manampathy G
• Bucaro Michael T
• Patra Ajoy
• Vukanti Perumallu
• Chiranthan R Narasimha
• Boardman Gregory A

Classifications

• F23R3/002 Primary

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

• F02C3/04

  having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16) · CPC title

• F23R3/286 Primary

  having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2240/35

  Combustors or associated equipment · CPC title

• F23R3/346

  for staged combustion · CPC title