Combustion chamber assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016169178-A1
Application number	US-201414534605-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 6, 2014
Priority date	Dec 2, 2013
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A combustion chamber includes an upstream end wall having an aperture and a fuel injector. An air swirler is mounted such that the air swirler is movable radially with respect to the aperture. An inner wall of the air swirler has a first portion. A fuel injector head of the fuel injector is arranged coaxially within the air swirler. An outer wall of the fuel injector head has a first portion. The inner diameter of the first portion of the air swirler is less than the outer diameter of the first portion of the fuel injector head. One of the first portions is elastically radially deformable to allow the fuel injector head to be installed and removed from the air swirler. The inner wall and the outer wall have inter-engaging radially and axially extending faces to align the fuel injector head axially and radially within the air swirler.

First claim

1 . A combustion chamber assembly comprising a combustion chamber including an upstream end wall having at least one aperture and at least one fuel injector,
an air swirler located within the aperture, the air swirler being mounted in the aperture such that the air swirler is movable radially with respect to the aperture, the air swirler having an annular inner wall, the annular inner wall of the air swirler having a first portion, the at least one fuel injector comprising a fuel feed arm and a fuel injector head, the fuel injector head of the at least one fuel injector being arranged coaxially within the air swirler, the fuel injector head having an annular outer wall, the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head having a first portion, the inner diameter of the first portion of the annular inner wall of the air swirler being less than the outer diameter of the first portion of the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head, one of the first portion of the annular inner wall of the air swirler and the first portion of the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head being elastically radially deformable to allow the fuel injector head to be installed and removed from the air swirler, and the annular inner wall of the air swirler and the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head having inter-engaging radially and axially extending faces arranged to align the fuel injector head axially within the air swirler and to align the fuel injector head radially within the air swirler.

2 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first portion of the annular inner wall having a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending slots such that the annular inner wall is elastically radially deformable.

3 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the air swirler comprising a plurality of swirl vanes extending radially outwardly from the annular inner wall.

4 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the annular inner wall of the air swirler having an upstream end and a downstream end and the swirl vanes being secured to a second portion of the annular inner wall.

5 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first portion of the annular inner wall being upstream of the second portion of the annular inner wall.

6 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the annular inner wall having a third portion in which the inner diameter of the annular inner wall being less than the outer diameter of the first portion of the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head, the third portion of the annular inner wall being downstream of the second portion of the annular inner wall and the inner diameter of the second portion of the annular inner wall being greater than the outer diameter of the first portion of the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head to axially locate the fuel injector head in the air swirler.

7 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head having an upstream end and a downstream end, the annular outer wall having a second portion upstream of the first portion and a third portion downstream of the first portion and the outer diameter of the third portion being substantially the same as the inner diameter of the third portion of the annular inner wall of the air swirler.

8 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the inner diameter of the second portion of the annular inner wall increasing to a maximum diameter from the first portion to define a ramp and there is a radial step at the intersection of the second portion and the third portion of the annular inner wall.

9 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the outer diameter of the first portion of the annular outer wall gradually increasing to a maximum diameter from the second portion to form a first ramp and the outer diameter gradually decreasing from the maximum diameter to from a second ramp and there is a radial step at the intersection of the first portion and the third portion of the annular outer wall.

10 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the downstream end of the annular inner wall having a conical inner surface and the downstream end of the annular outer wall having a conical inner surface aligned with the conical inner surface of the downstream end of the annular inner wall.

11 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the annular inner wall of the air swirler having an annular groove on its radially inner surface and the annular groove having a tapered surface at its upstream end and a radial surface at its downstream end and the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head having an annular projection on its radially outer surface and the annular projection having a tapered surface at its upstream end and a tapered surface at its downstream end.

12 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fuel injector head including at least one air swirler.

13 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein the air swirler of the fuel injector head comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced swirl vanes extending radially inwardly from the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head.

14 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fuel injector head having a first air swirler, a first pre-filming surface arranged around the first air swirler and a second air swirler arranged around the first-pre-filming surface.

15 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fuel injector head having a first air swirler, a first pre-filming surface arranged around the first air swirler, a second air swirler arranged around the first-pre-filming surface, a third air swirler around the second air swirler and second pre-filing surface arranged around the third air swirler.

16 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 15 wherein the fuel injector head having a fourth air swirler between the second air swirler and the third air swirler.

17 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the air swirler having an annular outer wall, the annular outer wall of the air swirler having a radially outwardly extending flange and the flange locating in a radial slot defined in the upstream end wall of the combustion chamber.

18 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upstream end of the annular inner wall of the air swirler having an aerodynamically shaped outer surface.

19 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upstream end of the annular outer wall of the fuel injector head being shaped and dimensioned so that a radially outer surface of the upstream end is flush with a radially outer surface of the upstream end of the annular inner wall of the air swirler.

20 . A combustion chamber assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the combustion chamber upstream end wall having a plurality of apertures and a plurality of fuel injectors,
an air swirler being mounted in each aperture such that each air swirler is movable radially with respect to the respective aperture, each air swirler having an annular inner wall, the annular inner wall of each air swirler having a first portion,
each fuel injector comprising a fuel feed arm and a fuel injector head,
the fuel injector head of each fuel injector being arranged coaxially within the air swirle

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Tentorio Luca

Classifications

• F02M57/04

  the devices being combustion-air intake or exhaust valves · CPC title

• F02C7/22

  Fuel supply systems · CPC title

• F02M61/14 Primary

  Arrangements of injectors with respect to engines; Mounting of injectors · CPC title

• F02M61/162

  Means to impart a whirling motion to fuel upstream or near discharging orifices · CPC title

• F23R3/14 Primary

  by using swirl vanes · CPC title