System and method for combusting liquid fuel in a gas turbine combustor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018363551-A1
Application number	US-201715625031-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A combustion system includes a head end comprising a liquid fuel cartridge. The liquid fuel cartridge has liquid fuel injection ports and is configured to produce combustion products via a diffusion flame. A liner is configured to deliver the combustion products from the head end to an aft frame, and an injector having an outlet is located along the liner between the head end and the aft frame. The injector outlet delivers a stream of oxidant inwardly into the liner, such that a mixedness and a velocity of the combustion products are increased prior to the combustion products reaching the aft frame. A method of producing combustion products having characteristics of a premixed flame in a liquid fuel combustion system is also provided herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A combustion system comprising:
a head end comprising a liquid fuel cartridge having a plurality of liquid fuel injection ports and being configured to produce combustion products via a diffusion flame; a liner configured to deliver the combustion products from the head end to an aft frame; and an injector having an outlet located along the liner between the head end and the aft frame; wherein the injector outlet delivers a stream of oxidant into the liner, such that a mixedness and a velocity of the combustion products are increased prior to the combustion products reaching the aft frame.

2 . The combustion system of claim 1 , further comprising: a cap separating the head end from the liner; and wherein liquid fuel cartridge comprises a cartridge tip, the cartridge tip extending through and downstream of the cap.

3 . The combustion system of claim 2 , further comprising a bundled tube fuel nozzle including an array of mixing tubes, each tube having an inlet end through which air is directed and an outlet end disposed through the cap; the bundled tube fuel nozzle being radially outward of the liquid fuel cartridge.

4 . The combustion system of claim 3 , wherein the cartridge tip extends axially downstream of the outlet ends of the mixing tubes.

5 . The combustion system of claim 2 , wherein the cartridge tip comprises a plurality of fuel injection ports configured to deliver fuel into the liner in a predominantly radial direction relative to the flow of combustion products.

6 . The combustion system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of fuel injection ports comprises a first plurality of fuel injection ports and a second plurality of fuel injection ports, the first plurality of fuel injection ports being located axially downstream of the second plurality of fuel injection ports.

7 . The combustion system of claim 5 , wherein the cartridge tip comprises a frustoconical portion partially defined by an aft plate and a side wall circumscribing the aft plate, the plurality of fuel injection ports being defined through the side wall.

8 . The combustion system of claim 1 , further comprising a flow sleeve circumscribing at least a portion of the liner; and wherein the injector is mounted to at least one of the liner and the flow sleeve.

9 . The combustion system of claim 8 , wherein the injector outlet has a slot shape and comprises a leading edge oriented in an upstream direction, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, and a pair of side walls connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge.

10 . The combustion system of claim 8 , wherein the injector is one of a plurality of injectors mounted to at least one of the liner and the flow sleeve.

11 . A combustion system comprising:
a head end comprising:
a cap;
a bundled tube fuel nozzle including an array of mixing tubes, each tube having an inlet end through which air is directed and an outlet end positioned through the cap;
a liquid fuel cartridge unit disposed along a longitudinal axis of the cap and radially inward of the bundled tube fuel nozzle;
wherein the liquid fuel cartridge unit comprises:
a cartridge tip extending axially through the cap and beyond the outlet ends of the mixing tubes, the cartridge tip having an aft plate, a side wall circumscribing the aft plate, and a plurality of injection ports defined through the side wall;
a liner extending downstream of the head end to an aft frame; and an injector located along the liner between the head end and the aft frame; wherein the plurality of injection ports injects a liquid fuel in a predominantly radial direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the cap to produce combustion products; and wherein the injector delivers a stream of oxidant into the liner for mixing with the combustion products from the liquid fuel cartridge unit.

12 . The combustion system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of injection ports comprises a first plurality of injection ports and a second plurality of injection ports, the second plurality of injection ports being axially upstream of the first plurality of injection ports.

13 . The combustion system of claim 11 , wherein the cartridge tip comprises a frustoconical shape partially defined by the aft plate and the side wall.

14 . The combustion system of claim 11 , further comprising a flow sleeve circumscribing at least a portion of the liner; and wherein the injector is mounted at least one of the liner and the flow sleeve.

15 . The combustion system of claim 14 , wherein the injector outlet has a slot shape and comprises a leading edge oriented in an upstream direction, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, and a pair of side walls connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge.

16 . A method of producing combustion products having characteristics of a premixed flame in a liquid fuel combustion system, the liquid fuel combustion system including a head end with a liquid fuel cartridge configured to produce combustion products via a diffusion flame; a liner configured to deliver the combustion products from the head end to an aft frame; and an injector having an outlet located along the liner between the head end and the aft frame, the method comprising:
injecting liquid fuel from the liquid fuel cartridge in a predominantly radial direction, relative to a longitudinal axis of the head end; combusting the liquid fuel with air to produce combustion products via a diffusion flame; delivering the combustion products in a downstream direction through the liner; injecting inwardly into the liner a stream of oxidant via the injector located axially downstream of the liquid fuel cartridge, thereby increasing a mixedness and a velocity of the combustion products prior to the aft frame.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing the liquid fuel cartridge with a cartridge tip, the cartridge tip defining a plurality of fuel injection ports.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising mounting the liquid fuel cartridge within the head end along a longitudinal axis of the head end.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising directing a flow of air through each of a plurality of mixing tubes, the mixing tubes being bundled together in at least one bundled tube fuel nozzle mounted radially outward of the liquid fuel cartridge.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Chila Ronald James
• Pinson Mark William
• Zuo Baifang
• Stoia Lucas John
• Purcell Timothy James

Classifications

• F23R3/286 Primary

  having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02C3/24 Primary

  the fuel or oxidant being liquid at standard temperature and pressure · CPC title

• F05D2240/35

  Combustors or associated equipment · CPC title

• F23R3/002

  Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence) · CPC title

• F23R3/12

  inducing a vortex · CPC title