Fuel injector with a center body assembly for liquid prefilm injection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191457-A1
Application number	US-201614988574-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A center body assembly for a fuel injector is disclosed. The center body assembly defines a primary liquid passage, a liquid gallery, swirl slots, and a prefilm passage. The primary liquid passage supplies liquid fuel to the liquid gallery. The liquid gallery includes a gallery discharge end and a gallery inlet end that aligns with the primary liquid passage. The liquid gallery tapers down from the gallery inlet end to the gallery discharge end. The swirl slots extend from the liquid gallery to the prefilm passage in a helical pattern. The prefilm passage includes an annular shape that turns inward towards an assembly axis of the center body assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A center body assembly for a fuel injector of a gas turbine engine, the center body assembly comprising:
a center body including
a base end,
a swirl end distal to the base end,
a middle portion extending from the base end to the swirl end,
a liquid tube port extending into the base end,
a swirler port extending into the swirl end, the swirler port being concentric to the swirl end, the swirler port including a swirler port surface that is a bottom surface of the swirler port, and
a primary liquid passage extending from the liquid tube port to the swirler port;
a swirler including
a swirler base located in the swirler port and abutting the swirler port surface,
a swirler body adjacent the swirler base,
a swirler tip extending from the swirler body distal to and opposite the swirler base, the swirler tip including a swirler prefilm surface that includes a first frusto-conical shape,
a swirler bore extending into the swirler body from the swirler base, the swirler bore including a swirler bore surface, the swirler bore surface including a cylindrical shape,
a prefilm bore adjacent the swirler bore and adjacent the swirler tip, the prefilm bore including a prefilm bore surface that has a diameter larger than that of the swirler bore surface,
a liquid gallery slot located in the swirler base and extending around a majority of the swirler base adjacent the swirler bore, the liquid gallery slot abutting the swirler port surface, the liquid gallery slot including a gallery discharge end and a gallery inlet end that aligns with and is in flow communication with the primary liquid passage, wherein a cross-sectional area of the liquid gallery slot tapers down from the gallery inlet end to the gallery discharge end, and
a plurality of swirl slots extending from the liquid gallery slot to the prefilm bore along the swirler bore surface in a helical pattern; and
a sleeve located inward from the swirler, the sleeve including
a sleeve body including a sleeve body surface adjoining the swirler bore surface and the plurality of swirl slots,
a sleeve base extending from the sleeve body adjacent to the swirler port for joining the sleeve to the center body, and
a sleeve tip extending from the sleeve body distal to the sleeve base, the sleeve tip including a sleeve prefilm surface including a second frusto-conical shape, the sleeve prefilm surface being spaced apart from and forming a prefilm passage there between.

2 . The center body assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an aft pilot bore extending into the middle portion from the base end,
a forward pilot bore extending into the middle portion from the swirler port, an inner flange extending inward from the middle portion between the aft pilot bore and the forward pilot bore, a pilot gas port for receiving pilot gas fuel from a pilot gas passage, a pilot gas inlet extending from the pilot gas port to the aft pilot bore, and pilot air inlets extending through the middle portion to the forward pilot bore for providing compressor discharge air into the center body assembly.

3 . The center body assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes a sleeve bore that allows a mixture of compressor discharge air and gas pilot air to enter a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine.

4 . The center body assembly of claim 1 , wherein the liquid gallery slot tapers in a radial direction.

5 . The center body assembly of claim 1 , wherein the swirler tip includes a first funnel shape and tapers such that a first thickness of the swirler tip narrows as the first funnel shape narrows.

6 . The center body assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve tip includes a second funnel shape and tapers such that a second thickness of the sleeve tip narrows as the second funnel shape narrows.

7 . The center body assembly of claim 1 , wherein the swirler includes a swirler flange extending outward from the swirler body to locate the center body assembly relative to an inner premix tube of the fuel injector.

8 . A center body assembly for a fuel injector of a gas turbine engine, the center body assembly comprising:
a center body defining
a liquid tube port extending in the center body and extending into a base end of the center body,
a swirler port extending into a swirl end of the center body, the swirler port including a swirler port surface that is a bottom surface of the swirler port, and
a primary liquid passage extending from the liquid tube port to the swirler port;
a swirler joined to the center body at the swirler port, the swirler including a swirler tip distal to the swirler port, the swirler defining
a swirler bore extending towards the swirler tip from a swirler base distal to the swirler tip,
a prefilm bore adjacent the swirler bore and adjacent the swirler tip,
a liquid gallery slot including a gallery discharge end and a gallery inlet end that aligns with and is in flow communication with the primary liquid passage, the liquid gallery slot located in the swirler base adjoining the swirler port surface and extending around a majority of the swirler bore from the gallery inlet end to the gallery discharge end, the liquid gallery slot abutting the swirler port surface, and
a plurality of swirl slots extending in the swirler from the liquid gallery slot to the prefilm bore in a helical pattern; and
a sleeve adjoining the plurality of swirl slots and located inward from the swirler, the sleeve including a sleeve tip located inward from the swirler tip forming a prefilm passage there between, the prefilm passage including an annular shape that turns inward towards an assembly axis of the center body assembly.

9 . The center body assembly of claim 8 , wherein the liquid gallery slot tapers from the gallery discharge end to the gallery discharge end and the plurality of swirl slots are evenly spaced about the swirler.

10 . The center body assembly of claim 8 , wherein the liquid gallery slot tapers in a radial direction from the gallery discharge end to the gallery discharge end.

11 . The center body assembly of claim 8 , wherein the sleeve tip includes a funnel shape and tapers such that a first thickness of the sleeve tip narrows as the first funnel shape narrows.

12 . The center body assembly of claim 8 , wherein the swirler tip includes a funnel shape and tapers such that a second thickness of the swirler tip narrows as the second funnel shape narrows.

13 . The center body assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
an aft pilot bore formed in the center body adjacent the base end, a forward pilot bore formed in the center body adjacent the swirler port, an inner flange extending inward from the center body between the aft pilot bore and the forward pilot bore, a pilot gas port formed in the base end for receiving pilot gas fuel from a pilot gas passage, a pilot gas inlet formed in the base end and extending from the pilot gas port to the aft pilot bore, and pilot air inlets formed in the center body and extending through the center body to the forward pilot bore for providing compressor discharge air into the center body assembly.

14 . The center body assembly of claim 8 , wherein the center body includes a stem connector distal to the swirler port for joining the center body to a tube stem of the fuel injector.

15 . A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine, the fuel injector comprising:
a flange assembly; a tube stem extending through the flange assembly, the tube stem defining a main liquid tube cavity extending through the tube stem; an injector body; an inner premix tube joined to

Assignees

• Solar Turbines Inc

Inventors

• Spivey Sean Kelly
• Cramb Donald James
• Piper James Scott
• Ramotowski Michael John

Classifications

• F05D2240/35

  Combustors or associated equipment · CPC title

• F02M61/18

  Injection nozzles, e.g. having valve seats; {Details of valve member seated ends, not otherwise provided for} · CPC title

• F02M61/163 Primary

  Means being injection-valves with helically or spirally shaped grooves · CPC title

• F23R3/28

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

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title