Premixer for a combustor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12504171-B2
Application number	US-202418967923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2024
Priority date	Jan 8, 2020
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A premixer for a combustor includes: a centerbody having a hollow interior cavity; a swirler assembly radially outward of the centerbody; a peripheral wall disposed radially outward of the centerbody and the swirler assembly such that a mixing duct is defined between the peripheral wall and the centerbody, downstream from the swirler assembly; an annular splitter radially inward of the swirler assembly and radially outward of the centerbody such that a radial gap is defined between the splitter and an outer surface of the centerbody, wherein the splitter includes a trailing edge which extends axially aft of the swirler assembly; a fuel gallery disposed inside the interior cavity of the centerbody; and at least one fuel injector extending outward from the fuel gallery and passing through an injector port communicating with the outer surface of the splitter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A premixer for a combustor, comprising:
a centerbody disposed along an axis of symmetry, the centerbody including a hollow interior cavity; a swirler assembly disposed radially outward of the centerbody, the swirler assembly including at least one swirler configured to impart a tangential velocity component to an air flow passing therethrough; an annular peripheral wall disposed radially outward of the centerbody and the swirler assembly such that a mixing duct is defined between the annular peripheral wall and the centerbody, downstream from the swirler assembly; a fuel gallery disposed inside the hollow interior cavity of the centerbody; a fuel injector extending outward from the fuel gallery and passing through an injector port in the centerbody; and a discharge slot having a concave-forward shape passing through the centerbody downstream of the injector port and communicating with the hollow interior cavity, wherein the discharge slot is located an axial distance downstream of the injector port so as to leave a portion of solid material of the centerbody between the discharge slot and the injector port.

2 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein the discharge slot has a curved shape, with a pair of divergent legs interconnected by a curved end portion.

3 . The premixer of claim 2 , wherein the curved shape is a V-shape, a U-shape, a partial elliptical shape, or a corrugated shape.

4 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein the discharge slot is configured to keep a fuel jet exiting through the injector port away from the centerbody and to improve penetration of the fuel jet.

5 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein the discharge slot has a curved shape having a convex portion directed towards a downstream end of the centerbody.

6 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein the discharge slot is spaced apart from the injector port by the axial distance downstream of the injector port, the axial distance measured from an aftmost end of the discharge slot to a center of the injector port.

7 . The premixer of claim 1 ,
wherein the centerbody includes a cylindrically-shaped first body portion and a conical second body portion downstream of the cylindrically-shaped first body portion; and wherein the injector port and the discharge slot are located in a forward half of the conical second body portion.

8 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein the centerbody comprises an upstream end and a downstream end, and a first body portion having a cylindrical shape and a second body portion, downstream of the first body portion, having a conical tapering shape.

9 . The premixer of claim 8 , wherein the discharge slot is located in the second body portion.

10 . The premixer of claim 8 , wherein the second body portion of the centerbody has an exit centered around the axis of symmetry.

11 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein the fuel gallery is disposed inside the hollow interior cavity, and the fuel gallery being in communication with a fuel conduit.

12 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the fuel injector extending outward from the fuel gallery and the injector port are spaced apart by a gap.

13 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one swirler comprises a plurality of swirlers separated by an annular hub.

14 . The premixer of claim 13 , wherein the at least one swirler includes an inner swirler and an outer swirler, the inner swirler including a plurality of inner swirler vanes and the outer swirler including a plurality of outer swirler vanes.

15 . The premixer of claim 14 , wherein the inner swirler vanes extend in a span from the centerbody to the annular hub, and the outer swirler vanes extend in a span from the annular hub to the annular peripheral wall.

16 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein an annular gap is provided between a distal end of the fuel injector and the injector port.

17 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein the hollow interior cavity communicates with an inlet at an upstream end of the centerbody and an exit at a downstream end of the centerbody.

18 . The premixer of claim 1 , wherein the annular peripheral wall and the centerbody define an annular mixing duct downstream from the swirler assembly, the mixing duct tapering in a direction from a premixer upstream side to a premixer downstream side to increase flow velocities within the mixing duct.

19 . A combustor for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
an annular inner liner; an annular outer liner spaced apart from the annular inner liner; and a domed end disposed at an upstream end of the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner, the domed end including at least one annular dome, wherein each annular dome includes an annular array of premixers according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Mishra Ranjeet Kumar
• Sekar Jayanth
• Naik Pradeep
• Boardman Gregory A
• Boehm Randall C

Classifications

• F23C7/004

  using vanes · CPC title

• F23R3/14

  by using swirl vanes · CPC title

• F23R2900/00004

  Preventing formation of deposits on surfaces of gas turbine components, e.g. coke deposits · CPC title

• F23R3/16

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

• F23R3/286 Primary

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