Modulating fluid flow within a turbine engine using steam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12540573-B2
Application number	US-202318120821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2023
Priority date	Mar 13, 2023
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a combustor and an injection system. The combustor includes a combustion chamber. The injection system includes an injector. The injection system is configured to direct fluid and steam into the combustion chamber through the injector. The injection system is configured to modulate a flow of the fluid into the combustion chamber through the injector by regulating a flow of the steam into the combustion chamber through the injector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly for a turbine engine, comprising:
a combustor comprising a combustion chamber and a diffuser plenum; and an injection system comprising:
an injector comprising an inner passage fluidly coupled with the combustion chamber,
a steam ejector, and
a port extending circumferentially about the injector and the steam ejector, and the port fluidly coupling the diffuser plenum to the inner passage;
wherein:  the injection system is configured to direct steam out of the steam ejector into the injector, the injection system is configured to direct fluid and the steam into the combustion chamber through the injector, and the injection system is configured to modulate a flow of the fluid into the combustion chamber through the injector by regulating a flow of the steam out of the steam ejector into the combustion chamber through the injector;  at least a portion of the inner passage radially tapers inward towards an axis of the steam ejector as the portion of the inner passage extends axially from the port along the axis of the steam ejector towards the combustion chamber; and  the steam ejector projects axially along the axis of the steam ejector into the portion of the inner passage.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the injection system is configured to increase the flow of the fluid into the combustion chamber through the injector by increasing the flow of the steam into the combustion chamber through the injector.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the injection system is configured to decrease the flow of the fluid into the combustion chamber through the injector by decreasing the flow of the steam into the combustion chamber through the injector.

4 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the injector further comprises a sidewall forming an outer peripheral boundary of the portion of the inner passage; and an annulus extends radially between the steam ejector and the sidewall, and the annulus circumscribes the steam ejector.

5 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the combustor is disposed within a diffuser plenum; the injector fluidly couples the diffuser plenum to the combustion chamber; and the fluid comprises compressed air within the diffuser plenum.

6 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an air swirler structure comprising the injector.

7 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fuel injector assembly comprising the injector.

8 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the injector forms a quench aperture in a wall of the combustor.

9 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a compressed air source; and the fluid is compressed air received from the compressed air source.

10 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fuel source; and the fluid is fuel received from the fuel source.

11 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the steam ejector extends partially into the portion of the inner passage that radially tapers inward towards the axis of the steam ejector to a tip of the steam ejector.

12 . An assembly for a turbine engine, comprising:
a structure comprising an internal volume and a plenum; and an injection system comprising: an injector comprising an inner passage fluidly coupled with internal volume, a steam ejector projecting partially into the inner passage of the injector, and a port extending circumferentially about the injector and the steam ejector, and the port fluidly coupling the plenum to the internal volume, the injection system configured to direct fluid and steam into the internal volume through the inner passage of the injector, and the injection system configured to at least one of increase a flow of the fluid through the inner passage of the injector into the internal volume by starting staring or increasing a flow of the steam out of the steam ejector into the inner passage of the injector; or decrease the flow of the fluid through the inner passage of the injector into the internal volume by stopping or decreasing the flow of the steam out of the steam ejector into the inner passage of the injector, wherein at least a portion of the inner passage radially tapers inward towards an axis of the steam ejector as the portion of the inner passage extends axially along the axis of the steam ejector towards the internal volume.

13 . The assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
a turbine engine core comprising a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section and a core flowpath; the core flowpath extending sequentially through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section, and the core flowpath comprising the internal volume.

14 . The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the steam ejector projects axially along the axis of the steam ejector into the portion of the inner passage.

15 . A method for operating a turbine engine, comprising:
directing fluid and steam into a combustion chamber of a combustor within the turbine engine through an injector, the turbine engine comprising:
a combustor and an injection system,
the combustor comprising the combustion chamber and a diffuser plenum, and
the injection system comprising:
the injector comprising an inner passage fluidly coupled with the combustion chamber,
a steam ejector, and
a port extending circumferentially about the injector and the steam ejector, and the port fluidly coupling the diffuser plenum to the inner passage; and

modulating a flow of the fluid into the combustion chamber through the injector by regulating a flow of the steam out of the steam ejector into the injector, wherein:
at least a portion of the inner passage radially tapers inward towards an axis of the steam ejector as the portion of the inner passage extends axially along the axis of the steam ejector towards the combustion chamber; and
the injection system is configured to direct the steam out of the steam ejector into the injector.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the modulating comprises increasing the flow of the fluid into the combustion chamber through the injector by starting or increasing the flow of the steam into the injector.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the modulating comprises decreasing the flow of the fluid into the combustion chamber through the injector by stopping or decreasing the flow of the steam into the injector.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
injecting a fuel-air mixture into the combustion chamber; combusting the fuel-air mixture to generate combustion products; and quenching the combustion products within the combustion chamber using the flow of the fluid, the fluid comprising compressed air.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
injecting fuel into the combustion chamber; mixing the fuel with the fluid to provide a fuel-air mixture, the fluid comprising compressed air; and combusting the fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
directing compressed air into the combustion chamber; mixing the fluid with the compressed air to provide a fuel-air mixture, the fluid comprising fuel; and combusting the fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp
• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Boardman Gregory

Classifications

• F05D2270/08

  to produce clean exhaust gases · CPC title

• F05D2240/35

  Combustors or associated equipment · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F02C3/30 Primary

  Adding water, steam or other fluids {for influencing combustion, e.g. to obtain cleaner exhaust gases (F02C7/141, F02C7/30, F01D21/00, F01K21/04, F23D11/10 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F23R2900/00002

  Gas turbine combustors adapted for fuels having low heating value [LHV] · CPC title