Cooled fuel injector system for a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016273453-A1
Application number	US-201415029503-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 31, 2014
Priority date	Nov 4, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cooling system for a fuel injector system of a gas turbine engine has a heat exchanger for cooling a portion of diffuser case air and then routing the cooled diffuser case air through a sleeve that surrounds a fuel injector conduit located in at least the diffuser case plenum for minimizing fuel heat-up rates in the conduit. By minimizing fuel temperatures within the injector conduit, coking accumulation is thereby eliminated or reduced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cooling system for a fuel injector system of a combustor section of a gas turbine engine, the cooling system comprising:
a heat exchanger for cooling hot diffuser case air; a cooling fluid sleeve surrounding at least in part a fuel conduit of a fuel injector and extending to about a tip of a fuel injector of the fuel injector system; an outlet of the sleeve proximate to the tip; and an inlet of the sleeve for receiving cooled diffuser case air.

2 . The cooling system of claim 1 further comprising an outlet of the sleeve disposed proximate the tip.

3 . The cooling system of claim 2 further comprising a distribution apparatus constructed and arranged to receive the cooled diffuser case air from the outlet and distribute the cooled diffuser case air proximate to at least one heat shield of a bulkhead assembly of the combustor section.

4 . The cooling system of claim 3 wherein the distribution apparatus has a plurality of tubes spaced circumferentially from one another and about the nozzle tip.

5 . The cooling system of claim 3 wherein the distribution apparatus has an expansion joint for connection to the sleeve.

6 . The cooling system of claim 1 further comprising a heat exchanger for conditioning of the cooled diffuser case air.

7 . The cooling system of claim 6 wherein the heat exchanger is constructed and arranged to receive bypass air of the engine for cooling of the diffuser case air.

8 . The cooling system of claim 7 further comprising:
an inlet of the sleeve communicating through the engine case structure; and,
a distribution apparatus constructed and arranged to receive cooled diffuser case air from the outlet and flow the cooled diffuser case air to a turbine section of the engine for cooling of the turbine section.

9 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
a heat exchanger constructed and arranged to receive hot diffuser case air and expel cooled diffuser case air; a sleeve surrounding at least in part a conduit of a fuel injector disposed at least in part in a diffuser case module of a combustor section; and, wherein the sleeve is constructed and arranged to receive and flow the cooled diffuser case air from the heat exchanger for reducing a rate of heating of flowing fuel in the conduit.

10 . The gas turbine engine of claim 9 wherein the heat exchanger is constructed and arranged to receive and expel bypass air from a bypass flowpath of a nacelle assembly for cooling the hot diffuser case air.

11 . The gas turbine engine of claim 9 wherein the sleeve is constructed and arranged to expel the cooled diffuser case air through a bulkhead assembly.

12 . The gas turbine engine of claim 10 wherein the sleeve is constructed and arranged to expel the cooled diffuser case air in a bulkhead assembly.

13 . The gas turbine engine of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced conduits that direct cooled diffuser case air from the sleeve and proximate to respective heat shields for cooling of the heat shields.

14 . The gas turbine engine of claim 9 wherein the sleeve is constructed and arranged to expel the cooled diffuser case air in a turbine section for cooling of the turbine section.

15 . The gas turbine engine of claim 9 further comprising:
a manifold for distributing the cooled diffuser case air from the heat exchanger; and
wherein the fuel injector is one of a plurality of fuel injectors each having a respective sleeve that receives cooled diffuser case air from the manifold.

16 . The gas turbine engine of claim 15 wherein the manifold is integral to the heat exchanger.

17 . A method of minimizing coking within a gas turbine engine fuel injector comprising:
communicating cooled diffuser case air through a sleeve of each of a plurality of fuel injectors.

18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:
communicating bypass air through a heat exchanger for cooling the cooled diffuser case air.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Frish John D
• Williams Alexander W
• Bradshaw Sean D

Classifications

• F23R3/283

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

• F02C7/222

  Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds · CPC title

• F05D2260/231

  Preventing heat transfer · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F02C7/14 Primary

  of fluids in the plant {, e.g. lubricant or fuel (F02C7/185 takes precedence)} · CPC title