Fuel supply system for a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016161123-A1
Application number	US-201514946109-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2015
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one aspect, a fuel supply system may include a fuel injector having a primary and a secondary pilot fuel nozzle in fluid communication with a primary and a secondary fuel circuit, respectively, and a main fuel nozzle in fluid communication with a main fuel circuit. The fuel injector may also define a by-pass fuel circuit connected between the primary circuit and the secondary circuit and/or the main circuit. The system may also include a primary fuel manifold configured to be fluidly connected to the primary pilot fuel nozzle via the primary fuel circuit. Moreover, the system may include a by-pass valve provided in operative association with the by-pass fuel circuit. The by-pass valve may be configured to be opened such that a portion of the fuel flowing through the primary circuit from the primary fuel manifold is directed to the secondary circuit and/or the main circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for supplying fuel to fuel injectors of a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:
a fuel injector including a primary pilot fuel nozzle in fluid communication with a primary fuel circuit, a secondary pilot fuel nozzle in fluid communication with a secondary fuel circuit and a main fuel nozzle in fluid communication with a main fuel circuit, each of the primary, secondary and main fuel circuits extending at least partially within the fuel injector, the fuel injector further defining a by-pass fuel circuit fluidly connected between the primary fuel circuit and at least one of the secondary fuel circuit or the main fuel circuit; a primary fuel manifold configured to be fluidly connected to the primary pilot fuel nozzle via the primary fuel circuit; and a by-pass valve provided in operative association with the by-pass fuel circuit, the by-pass valve being configured to be opened such that a portion of the fuel flowing through the primary fuel circuit from the primary fuel manifold is directed to the at least one of the secondary fuel circuit or the main fuel circuit.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the by-pass fuel circuit is fluidly connected between the primary fuel circuit and the secondary fuel circuit, the by-pass valve configured to be opened such that the portion of the fuel flowing through the primary fuel circuit is directed to the secondary fuel circuit and is subsequently delivered to the secondary pilot fuel nozzle.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising a secondary fuel manifold configured to be fluidly connected to the secondary pilot fuel nozzle via the secondary fuel circuit and a secondary pilot valve internal to the fuel injector that is provided in operative association with the secondary fuel circuit so as to control the fuel supplied from the secondary fuel manifold to the secondary pilot fuel nozzle, wherein the by-pass fuel circuit is fluidly connected to the secondary fuel circuit at a location downstream from the secondary pilot valve.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the by-pass fuel circuit is fluidly connected between the primary fuel circuit and the main fuel circuit, the by-pass valve configured to be opened such that the portion of the fuel flowing through the primary fuel circuit is directed to the main fuel circuit and is subsequently delivered to the main fuel nozzle.

5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a main fuel manifold configured to be fluidly connected to the main fuel nozzle via the main fuel circuit and a main valve internal to the fuel injector that is provided in operative association with the main fuel circuit so as to control the fuel supplied from the main fuel manifold to the main fuel nozzle, wherein the by-pass fuel circuit is fluidly connected to the main fuel circuit at a location downstream from the main valve.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the by-pass valve is housed within a valve housing of the fuel injector.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein operation of the by-pass valve is configured to be actively or passively controlled.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the by-pass valve corresponds to an electronic valve configured to be opened upon receipt of a control signal.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the by-pass valve corresponds to a pressure-activated valve configured to be opened when a fluid pressure within the primary fuel circuit exceeds a predetermined cracking pressure.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel injector corresponds to an enriched fuel injector and the primary fuel manifold corresponds to an enriched fuel manifold.

11 . A system for supplying fuel to enriched fuel injectors of a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:
an enriched fuel injector including a primary pilot fuel nozzle in fluid communication with a primary fuel circuit, a secondary pilot fuel nozzle in fluid communication with a secondary fuel circuit and a main fuel nozzle in fluid communication with a main fuel circuit, each of the primary, secondary and main fuel circuits extending at least partially within the enriched fuel injector, the enriched fuel injector further defining a by-pass fuel circuit fluidly connected between the primary fuel circuit and at least one of the secondary fuel circuit or the main fuel circuit; an enriched fuel manifold configured to be fluidly connected to the primary pilot fuel nozzle via the primary fuel circuit; a secondary fuel manifold configured to be fluidly connected to the secondary pilot fuel nozzle via the secondary fuel circuit; a main fuel manifold configured to be fluidly connected to the main fuel nozzle via the main fuel circuit; and a by-pass valve provided in operative association with the by-pass fuel circuit, the by-pass valve being configured to be opened such that a portion of the fuel flowing through the primary fuel circuit from the enriched fuel manifold is directed to the at least one of the secondary fuel circuit or the main fuel circuit.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a standard fuel injector and a standard fuel manifold, the standard fuel injector including a second primary pilot fuel nozzle in fluid communication with the standard fuel manifold via a second primary fuel circuit, a second secondary pilot fuel nozzle in fluid communication with the secondary fuel manifold via a second secondary fuel circuit and a main fuel nozzle in fluid communication with the main fuel manifold via a second main fuel circuit.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the standard fuel injector further defines a second by-pass circuit fluidly connected between the second primary fuel circuit and at least one of the second secondary fuel circuit or the second main fuel circuit.

14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising a second by-pass valve provided in operative association with the second by-pass fuel circuit, the second by-pass valve being configured to be opened such that a portion of the fuel flowing through the second primary fuel circuit from the standard fuel manifold is directed to the at least one of the second secondary fuel circuit or the second main fuel circuit.

15 . A fuel injector for a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the fuel injector comprising:
a primary fuel circuit in fluid communication with a primary pilot fuel nozzle of the fuel injector, the primary fuel circuit including a primary valve provided in operative association therewith for controlling a primary flow of fuel through the primary fuel circuit to the primary pilot fuel nozzle; a secondary fuel circuit in fluid communication with a secondary pilot fuel nozzle of the fuel injector, the secondary fuel circuit including a secondary valve provided in operative association therewith for controlling a secondary flow of fuel through the secondary fuel circuit to the secondary pilot fuel nozzle; a main fuel circuit in fluid communication with a main fuel nozzle of the fuel injector, the main fuel circuit including a main valve provided in operative association therewith for controlling a main flow of fuel through the main fuel circuit to the main fuel nozzle; a by-pass fuel circuit fluidly connected between the primary fuel circuit and at least one of the secondary fuel circuit or the main fuel circuit; and a by-pass valve provided in operative association with the by-pass fuel circuit, the by-pass valve being configured to be opened such that a portion of the primary flow of fuel flowing through the primary fuel circuit is directed to the at least one of the secondary fuel circuit or the main fuel circuit

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Patel Nayan Vinodbhai
• Mancini Alfred Albert
• Thomsen Duane Douglas

Classifications

• F23R3/28 Primary

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

• F02C7/232 Primary

  Fuel valves {(control of fuel supply by means of fuel metering valves F02C9/263)}; Draining valves or systems (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• F02C7/22

  Fuel supply systems · CPC title

• F02C7/262

  Restarting after flame-out · CPC title

• F02C9/34

  Joint control of separate flows to main and auxiliary burners · CPC title