Method for repairing a bundled tube fuel injector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9259807-B2
Application number	US-201314105353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2013
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A method for repairing a bundled tube fuel injector includes removing a portion of a pre-mix tube, aligning a tube tip with the remaining portion pre-mix tube and fixedly connecting the tube tip to the pre-mix tube. The method may further include removing an aft plate and an outer shroud from the bundled tube fuel injector so as to expose the pre-mix tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for repairing a bundled tube fuel injector having a plurality of parallel pre-mix tubes arranged annularly about an axial centerline of the bundled tube fuel injector and segmented into radially separated rows, comprising:
cutting away at least a portion of an aft plate and an outer shroud that surrounds the pre-mix tubes;
removing a damaged portion of the pre-mix tubes, wherein the pre-mix tubes of an outer radial row are cut to a shorter axial length than an adjacent inner radial row;
aligning a tube tip with a corresponding one of the pre-mix tubes; and
fixedly connecting the tube tip to the corresponding pre-mix tube.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein a mating end portion of the tube tip defines a socket configured to receive an end portion of the pre-mix tube, the step of aligning the tube tip with the pre-mix tube comprising seating the end portion of the pre-mix tube into the socket.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the step of aligning the tube tip with the pre-mix tube comprises inserting the tube tip through an alignment fixture.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the step of aligning the tube tip with the pre-mix tube comprises fixing a coupling sleeve to one of the tube tip or the pre-mix tube.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the step of fixedly connecting the tube tip to the pre-mix tube comprises at least one of furnace brazing, induction brazing, orbital welding, laser welding, friction welding, electron beam welding, diffusion bonding, plasma spraying, adhesive cladding, applying a thermally resistant adhesive and high velocity oxy-fuel coating spraying.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein a connection joint is defined between a downstream end portion of the pre-mix tube and a mating end of the tube tip, the step of fixedly connecting the downstream end portion of the pre-mix tube to the mating end of the tube tip comprising positioning a coupling sleeve circumferentially around the joint.

7. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising performing a leak check at a connection joint formed between an end portion of the pre-mix tube and a mating end of the tube tip.

8. A method for repairing a bundled tube fuel injector having a plurality of parallel pre-mix tubes arranged annularly about an axial centerline of the bundled tube fuel injector and segmented into radially separated rows, the method comprising:
removing an outer shroud and aft plate from the bundled tube fuel injector to expose a portion of the pre-mix tubes;
removing a damaged portion of the pre-mix tubes, wherein the pre-mix tubes of an outer radial row are cut to a shorter axial length than an adjacent inner radial row;
aligning a tube tip with a corresponding one of the pre-mix tube; and
fixedly connecting the tube tip to the pre-mix tube.

9. The method as in claim 8 , wherein a portion of the pre-mix tube extends through the aft plate of the bundled tube fuel injector, the step of removing the damaged portion of the pre-mix tube comprising cutting away at least a portion of the aft plate.

10. The method as in claim 8 , wherein a mating end of the tube tip defines a socket configured to receive an end portion of the pre-mix tube, the step of aligning the tube tip with the pre-mix tube comprising seating the end portion of the pre-mix tube into the socket.

11. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the step of aligning the tube tip with the pre-mix tube comprises inserting the tube tip through an alignment fixture.

12. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the step of aligning the tube tip with the pre-mix tube comprises fixing a coupling sleeve to one of the tube tip or the pre-mix tube.

13. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the step of fixedly connecting the tube tip to the pre-mix tube comprises at least one of furnace brazing, induction brazing, orbital welding, laser welding, friction welding, electron beam welding, diffusion bonding, plasma spraying and high velocity oxy-fuel coating spraying.

14. The method as in claim 8 , wherein a connection joint is defined between an end portion of the pre-mix tube and a mating end of the tube tip, the step of fixedly connecting the end portion of the pre-mix tube to the mating end of the tube tip comprising positioning a coupling sleeve circumferentially around the joint.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Means Gregory Scott
• Woods Steven Charles
• Bellino Mark Carmine
• Monaghan James Christopher
• Berry Jonathan Dwight
• Riley Patrick S

Classifications

• F28F11/00

  Arrangements for sealing leaky tubes and conduits (stopping flow from or in pipes in general F16L55/10) · CPC title

• B23P6/002 Primary

  Repairing turbine components, e.g. moving or stationary blades, rotors, (B23P6/045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F23R3/286 Primary

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

• B23P2700/13

  Parts of turbine combustion chambers · CPC title

• F02M2200/8069

  involving removal of material from the fuel apparatus, e.g. by punching, hydro-erosion or mechanical operation · CPC title