Cooling in staged fuel systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016377291-A1
Application number	US-201514749293-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2015
Priority date	Jun 24, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel system includes a fuel supply system. A plurality of fuel nozzles are connected in fluid communication with the fuel supply system to supply fuel from a fuel source to be issued for combustion from the fuel nozzles. A cooling system is included, wherein at least one of the fuel nozzles includes a cooling circuit in addition to a fuel circuit for issuing fuel from the fuel supply system for combustion. The cooling circuit includes an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is in fluid communication with the cooling system for circulation of coolant through the cooling circuit and back to the cooling system out the outlet of the cooling circuit for cooling the fuel circuit with the fuel circuit staged off.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel system comprising:
a fuel supply system; a plurality of fuel nozzles connected in fluid communication with the fuel supply system to supply fuel from a fuel source to be issued for combustion from the fuel nozzles; and a cooling system, wherein at least one of the fuel nozzles includes a cooling circuit in addition to a fuel circuit for issuing fuel from the fuel supply system for combustion, wherein the cooling circuit includes an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the cooling system for circulation of coolant through the cooling circuit and back to the cooling system out the outlet of the cooling circuit for cooling the fuel circuit with the fuel circuit staged off.

2 . A fuel system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fuel supply system includes:
a first fuel manifold connected in fluid communication with a first subset of the fuel nozzles to supply fuel from a fuel source to be issued for combustion from the first subset of fuel nozzles; and a second fuel manifold connected in fluid communication with a second subset of the fuel nozzles to selectively supply fuel from a fuel source to be issued for combustion from the second subset of fuel nozzles with the second subset of fuel nozzles staged on, wherein each of the fuel nozzles of the second subset includes a cooling circuit in addition to a fuel circuit for issuing fuel from the second fuel manifold for combustion, wherein the cooling circuit includes an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the cooling system for circulation of coolant through the cooling circuit and back to the cooling system out the outlet of the cooling circuit for cooling the fuel circuit with the fuel circuits of the second subset of fuel nozzles staged off.

3 . A fuel system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the cooling system includes:
a first coolant manifold connected in fluid communication to supply coolant to the inlets of the cooling circuits of the second subset of fuel nozzles; and a second coolant manifold connected in fluid communication to receive coolant from the outlets of the cooling circuits of the second subset of fuel nozzles.

4 . A fuel system as recited in claim 3 , further comprising:
a heat exchanger connected in fluid communication with the second coolant manifold for removing heat from coolant received from the second subset of fuel nozzles; and a coolant pump connected in fluid communication between the heat exchanger and the first coolant manifold to drive coolant flow through the cooling system.

5 . A fuel system as recited in claim 2 , wherein each of the fuel nozzles of the first subset includes a cooling circuit in addition to a fuel circuit for issuing fuel for combustion, wherein the cooling circuit includes an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the cooling system for circulation of coolant through the cooling circuit and back to the cooling system out the outlet of the cooling circuit for cooling the fuel circuit.

6 . A fuel system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the cooling system includes:
a first coolant manifold for supplying coolant to the inlets of the cooling circuits of the first and second subsets of fuel nozzles; and a second coolant manifold for receiving coolant from the outlets of the cooling circuits of the first and second subsets of fuel nozzles.

7 . A fuel system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the cooling system includes a coolant conduit connected for fluid communication of coolant from the outlet of the cooling circuit of a first one of the fuel nozzles of the second subset to the inlet of the cooling circuit of a second one of the fuel nozzles of the second subset.

8 . A fuel system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the cooling system includes:
a first coolant manifold connected in fluid communication to supply coolant to the inlet of the cooling circuit of the first one of the fuel nozzles of the second subset; and a second coolant manifold connected in fluid communication to receive coolant from the outlet of the cooling circuit of another one of the fuel nozzles of the second subset.

9 . A fuel system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the cooling system includes:
a first coolant manifold connected in fluid communication to supply coolant to the inlet of the cooling circuit of the first one of the fuel nozzles of the second subset; and a second coolant manifold connected in fluid communication to receive coolant from the outlet of the cooling circuit of the second one of the fuel nozzles of the second subset.

10 . A fuel system as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the fuel supply system includes a first fuel manifold connected in fluid communication with a first subset of the fuel nozzles to supply fuel from a fuel source to be issued for combustion from a second subset of the fuel nozzles; and wherein the cooling system includes a second fuel manifold connected in fluid communication with the second subset of the fuel nozzles to selectively supply fuel from a fuel source to be issued for combustion from another subset of the fuel nozzles that are staged on; wherein each of the fuel nozzles of the first and second subsets includes a cooling circuit in addition to a fuel circuit for issuing fuel for combustion, wherein the cooling circuit includes an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the cooling system for circulation of coolant through the cooling circuit and back to the cooling system out the outlet of the cooling circuit for cooling the fuel circuits of at least one subset of fuel nozzles that is staged off.

11 . A fuel system as recited in claim 10 ,
wherein the cooling system includes a second fuel manifold connected in fluid communication with the second subset of the fuel nozzles to selectively supply fuel from a fuel source to be issued for combustion from the first subset of the fuel nozzles.

12 . A fuel system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the cooling system includes a respective coolant conduit connected for fluid communication of coolant from the outlet of the cooling circuit of one of the fuel nozzles of the first subset to the fuel circuit of one of the fuel nozzles of the second subset.

13 . A fuel system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the cooling system includes a respective coolant conduit connected for fluid communication of coolant from the outlet of the cooling circuit of one of the fuel nozzles of the second subset to the fuel circuit of one of the fuel nozzles of the first subset.

14 . A fuel system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each fuel nozzle that includes a cooling circuit includes:
a nozzle body defining a longitudinal axis including an air passage; wherein the fuel circuit is radially outboard from the air passage with respect to the longitudinal axis, the fuel circuit extending from a fuel circuit inlet to a fuel circuit annular outlet, wherein the fuel circuit is defined between a fuel circuit inner wall and a fuel circuit outer wall, wherein at least a portion of the fuel circuit outer wall is radially outboard from the fuel circuit inner wall with respect to the longitudinal axis; and wherein the cooling circuit is defined within at least one of the fuel circuit inner wall and the fuel circuit outer wall, wherein the cooling circuit extends from an axial position proximate the fuel circuit inlet to an axial position proximate the fuel circuit outlet.

15 . A fuel system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the nozzle body includes an outer air passage defined radially outboard of the fuel circu

Assignees

• Delavan Inc

Inventors

• Prociw Lev A
• Griffith Timothy

Classifications

• F02C7/222

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

• F23R3/283 Primary

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

• F23R3/346

  for staged combustion · CPC title

• F23D14/78

  Cooling burner parts · CPC title

• F02C7/228

  Dividing fuel between various burners · CPC title