Premixing fuel injectors and methods of use in gas turbine combustor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019072279-A1
Application number	US-201715694191-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 1, 2017
Priority date	Sep 1, 2017
Publication date	Mar 7, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel injector for a gas turbine combustor includes side wall fuel injection bodies extending between opposite end walls. Each side wall fuel injection body defines a fuel plenum and includes an outer surface defining fuel injection ports in communication with the fuel plenum. One or more fuel injection bodies extending between the end walls are positioned between the side wall fuel injection bodies. Each fuel injection body defines a fuel plenum and includes an outer surface defining fuel injection ports in fluid communication with the fuel plenum. A conduit fitting coupled to the frame is fluidly connected to the respective fuel plenums. The fuel injection ports fluidly communicate with air flow paths defined between the fuel injection bodies and the side wall fuel injection bodies. A combustor for a gas turbine includes a liner and an axial fuel staging system with the present fuel injector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel injector comprising:
a frame having oppositely disposed end walls, a first side wall fuel injection body defining a first fuel plenum, and, opposite the first side wall fuel injection body, a second side wall fuel injection body defining a second fuel plenum, the first side wall fuel injection body and the second side wall fuel injection body extending axially between the end walls and, with the end walls, defining an opening for passage of air; a third fuel injection body defining a third fuel plenum, the third fuel injection body extending axially between the end walls and being positioned between the first side wall fuel injection body and the second side wall fuel injection body, such that air flow paths are defined between the third fuel injection body and each of the first side wall fuel injection body and the second side wall fuel injection body; wherein the first side wall fuel injection body comprises at least one outer surface through which a first plurality of fuel injection ports is defined, the second side wall fuel injection body comprises at least one outer surface through which a second plurality of fuel injection ports is defined, and the third fuel injection body comprises at least one outer surface through which a third plurality of fuel injection ports is defined, each plurality of fuel injection ports being in fluid communication with the respective fuel plenum and an adjacent air flow path of the fluid flow paths; and a conduit fitting coupled to the frame and fluidly connected to the respective fuel plenums of the first side wall fuel injection body, the second side wall fuel injection body, and the third fuel injection body.

2 . The fuel injector of claim 1 , comprising a mounting flange coupled to the frame.

3 . The fuel injector of claim 2 , comprising an outlet member extending from the mounting flange in a direction opposite the frame, the outlet member being in fluid communication with the air flow paths; and wherein the outlet member comprises a shape of an elongate slot.

4 . The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first side wall fuel injection body and the second side wall fuel injection body each have a cross-sectional profile defining one of a teardrop shape, a circular shape, and a triangular shape.

5 . The fuel injector of claim 4 , wherein the first side wall fuel injection body and the second side wall fuel injection body each have a cross-sectional profile defining a teardrop shape, the teardrop shape having a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, a first outer surface adjacent to one of the flow paths, and a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface, the first outer surface and the second outer surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge; and wherein the first outer surface of the first side wall fuel injection body defines the first plurality of fuel injection ports, and the first outer surface of the second side wall fuel injection body defines the second plurality of fuel injection ports.

6 . The fuel injector of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of fuel injection ports defined through the first outer surface of the first side wall fuel injection body is arranged in a single row.

7 . The fuel injector of claim 5 , wherein a first axis is defined through the leading edge and the trailing edge of the first side wall fuel injection body, and a second axis is defined through the leading edge and the trailing edge of the second side wall fuel injection body; and wherein a first angle defined between the first axis and an injection axis of the fuel injector is equal to a second angle defined between the second axis and the injection axis.

8 . The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the third fuel injection body has a cross-sectional profile defining a teardrop shape, the teardrop shape having a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, and a pair of outer surfaces extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, at least one of the pair of outer surfaces defining the third plurality of fuel injection ports.

9 . The fuel injector of claim 8 , wherein each outer surface of the pair of outer surfaces defines a respective fuel injection surface; and wherein a first subset of the third plurality of fuel injection ports is defined through a first fuel injection surface of the pair of outer surfaces and a second subset of the third plurality of fuel injection ports is defined through a second fuel injection surface of the pair of outer surfaces.

10 . The fuel injector of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth fuel injection body disposed between the end walls and positioned within the opening such that flow paths are defined between the first side wall fuel injection body, the third fuel injection body, the fourth fuel injection body, and the second side wall fuel injection body; and wherein the fourth fuel injection body defines a fourth fuel plenum in fluid communication with the conduit fitting and comprises at least one outer surface defining a fourth plurality of fuel injection ports in fluid communication with the fourth plenum.

11 . The fuel injector of claim 10 , wherein the fourth fuel injection body has a cross-sectional profile defining a teardrop shape, the teardrop shape having a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, and a pair of outer surfaces extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge.

12 . The fuel injector of claim 10 , wherein a third axis is defined through the leading edge and the trailing edge of the third fuel injection body, and a fourth axis is defined through the leading edge and trailing edge of the fourth fuel injection body; and wherein a third angle defined between the third axis and an injection axis of the fuel injector is equal to a fourth angle defined between the fourth axis and the injection axis.

13 . The fuel injector of claim 11 , wherein the third plurality of fuel injection ports of the third fuel injection body comprises a first subset of the third plurality of fuel injection ports defined through a first fuel injection surface of the pair of outer surfaces and a second subset of the third plurality of fuel injection ports defined through a second fuel injection surface of the pair of outer surfaces;
and wherein the fourth plurality of fuel injection ports of the fourth fuel injection body comprises a first subset of the fourth plurality of fuel injection ports defined through a first fuel injection surface of the pair of outer surfaces and a second subset of the fourth plurality of fuel injection ports defined through a second fuel injection surface of the pair of outer surfaces.

14 . A combustor for a gas turbine, the combustor comprising:
a liner defining a combustion chamber, the liner defining a head end, an aft end, and at least one opening therethrough between the head end and the aft end; and an axial fuel staging (AFS) system comprising:
a fuel injector, the fuel injector being mounted to provide fluid communication through a respective one of the at least one openings in the liner, the fluid communication being directed in a transverse direction with respect to a longitudinal axis of the liner; and
a fuel supply line coupled to the fuel injector;
wherein the injector further comprises:
a frame having oppositely disposed end walls, a first side wall fuel injection body defining a first fuel plenum, and, opposite the first side wall fuel injection body, a second side wall fuel injection body defining a second fuel plenum, the first side wall fuel injection body and the second side wall fuel injection bod

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Natarajan Jayaprakash
• Hoffman Seth Reynolds
• Pentecost Ronnie Ray
• Zhao Wei

Classifications

• F23R3/286 Primary

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

• F02C7/222 Primary

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

• F02C7/22

  Fuel supply systems · CPC title

• F02C9/26

  Control of fuel supply (F02C9/48 takes precedence; fuel valves F02C7/232) · CPC title

• F05D2240/35

  Combustors or associated equipment · CPC title