Turbine engine having a combustion section with a fuel nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12571539-B2
Application number	US-202318534029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2023
Priority date	Dec 8, 2023
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A turbine engine has a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement. The combustion section has a combustor liner and dome wall collectively forming at least a portion of a combustion chamber. The dome wall has a fuel nozzle opening. The combustion section has a fuel nozzle assembly extending through the fuel nozzle opening. The fuel nozzle assembly has a first body, a second body, a first swirler and a second swirler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A turbine engine comprising:
a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial fluid arrangement, the combustion section comprising:
a combustor liner and a dome wall collectively forming at least a portion of a combustion chamber, with the dome wall having a fuel nozzle opening; and
a fuel nozzle assembly extending through the fuel nozzle opening, the fuel nozzle assembly is fluidly coupled to a flow of gaseous fuel, the fuel nozzle assembly comprising:
a first body having a centerline axis, the first body defining a gaseous fuel channel having a gaseous fuel outlet, wherein the gaseous fuel channel is fluidly coupled to the flow of gaseous fuel, and wherein the gaseous fuel outlet terminates in a distal end;
a second body defining a first compressed air channel having a first outlet, the first compressed air channel circumscribing at least a portion of the gaseous fuel channel;
a first swirler provided within the gaseous fuel channel, wherein the gaseous fuel outlet of the first body is located downstream of the first swirler, and wherein the gaseous fuel outlet of the first body includes an inner wall which expands radially outward in a direction from upstream to downstream;
a second swirler provided within the first compressed air channel, the second swirler extending between the first body and the second body, wherein the first outlet of the second body is located downstream of the second swirler, and wherein the first outlet of the second body includes an inner wall which expands radially outward in a direction from upstream to downstream; and
a third compressed air channel centrally extending through the first swirler, the third compressed air channel having a distal end that is axially aligned with the distal end of the gaseous fuel outlet.

2 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the fuel nozzle assembly further comprises a third body provided at least partially radially outward from the second body.

3 . The turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the third body is spaced from the second body to define a second compressed air channel therebetween and wherein the third body is sealingly coupled to the dome wall.

4 . The turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the third body includes an annular arm, and the dome wall includes an annular groove, with the annular arm being received within the annular groove.

5 . The turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein the annular arm and the annular groove extend continuously about an entirety of the centerline axis.

6 . The turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein the fuel nozzle assembly is free to move radially within the annular groove.

7 . The turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the first body, the second body, the first swirler and the second swirler are integrally formed, and separate from the third body.

8 . The turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein, the third compressed air channel is integrally formed with the first body.

9 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein:
the fuel nozzle assembly further comprises a third body provided at least partially radially outward from the second body; the combustion section comprises a set of flame shaping holes configured to exhaust a flow of compressed air into the combustion chamber and provide a footprint of a flame generated through ignition of a flow of gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel channel; and wherein the set of flame shaping holes are provided within the dome wall, the second body, the third body, or a combination thereof.

10 . The turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein the set of flame shaping holes comprises a first set of flame shaping holes provided within the second body, and the dome wall includes a second set of flame shaping holes provided radially outward from the first set of flame shaping holes.

11 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first body, the second body, the first swirler, and the second swirler are integrally formed.

12 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first body and the second body are separate from the dome wall.

13 . A method of operating the turbine engine of claim 1 , the method comprising:
supplying a flow of gaseous fuel to the gaseous fuel channel; and supplying a first flow of compressed air to the first compressed air channel.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the flow of gaseous fuel comprises one of 100% hydrogen fuel, a mixture of hydrogen fuel and another gaseous fuel, or a mixture of hydrogen fuel and compressed air.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising supplying a second flow of compressed air to a second compressed air channel formed between the second body and a third body provided radially outward from the second body.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Naik Pradeep
• Cooper Clayton Stuart
• Sampath Karthikeyan
• Benjamin Michael A
• Pal Sibtosh
• Bucaro Michael T
• Wickersham Andrew Joseph
• Vise Steven C

Classifications

• F23R3/28

  characterised by the fuel supply (burners F23D) · CPC title

• F23R2900/00002

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

• F23R3/283

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

• F23R3/04

  Air inlet arrangements · CPC title

• F23R3/12

  inducing a vortex · CPC title