System for providing fuel to a combustor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9316155-B2
Application number	US-201313845365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2013
Priority date	Mar 18, 2013
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A system for providing fuel to a combustor of a gas turbine includes an annular fuel distribution manifold that at least partially defines a fuel plenum. The fuel distribution manifold includes a forward end axially separated from an aft end, a flange that extends radially outward and circumferentially around the forward end and an annular support ring that extends downstream from the flange. A LLI assembly extends downstream from the fuel distribution manifold. The LLI assembly includes a unibody liner that at least partially defines a primary combustion zone and a secondary combustion zone within the combustor. A LLI injector extends substantially radially through the unibody liner and provides for fluid communication through the unibody liner into the secondary combustion zone. A fluid conduit in fluid communication with the fuel plenum extends between the LLI injector and the fuel distribution manifold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for providing fuel to a combustor of a gas turbine, the system comprising:
a. an annular fuel distribution manifold, the fuel distribution manifold at least partially defining a fuel plenum, the fuel distribution manifold having a forward end axially separated from an aft end, a flange that extends radially outward and circumferentially around the forward end and an annular support ring that extends downstream from the flange;
b. a late lean injector (LLI) injection assembly that extends downstream from the fuel distribution manifold, the LLI injection assembly having a unibody liner that at least partially defines a primary combustion zone and a secondary combustion zone, a late lean (LLI) injector that extends substantially radially through the unibody liner and that provides for fluid communication through the unibody liner into the secondary combustion zone; and
c. a fluid conduit that extends between the LLI injector and the fuel distribution manifold, the fluid conduit being in fluid communication with the fuel plenum;
d. wherein the LLI assembly further includes a flow sleeve that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the unibody liner, the flow sleeve being radially separated from the unibody liner to at least partially define an annular cooling flow passage therebetween, wherein the LLI injector extend through the flow sleeve.

2. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is serpentine shaped.

3. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the flange comprises:
a. the fuel plenum that extends circumferentially within the flange and an outer surface that extends circumferentially around the flange;
b. a first orifice and a second orifice that provide for fluid communication through the outer surface of the flange into a fuel distribution plenum;
c. a fuel distribution cap that extends partially across the outer surface of the flange and surrounds the first orifice and the second orifice; and
d. the fuel distribution plenum at least partially defined within the fuel distribution cap, the fuel distribution plenum being in fluid communication with the first orifice and the second orifice.

4. The system as in claim 3 , wherein the flange comprises a plurality of bolt holes that extend axially through the flange, wherein the first orifice is circumferentially separated from the second orifice by at least one of the plurality of bolt holes.

5. The system as in claim 3 , wherein the fuel distribution cap comprises a floor portion that partially defines the fuel distribution plenum, the fuel distribution cap having a first outlet coaxially aligned with the first orifice and a second outlet coaxially aligned with the second orifice.

6. The system as in claim 3 , further comprising a gap defined between a floor portion of the fuel distribution cap and the outer surface of the flange.

7. The system as in claim 3 , further comprising a first orifice insert disposed within the first orifice and a second orifice insert disposed within the second orifice.

8. The system as in claim 7 , wherein an insulation gap is defined between the first orifice insert and the first orifice and between the second orifice insert and the second orifice.

9. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the unibody liner includes a main body that defines a conical portion, a LLI injection portion that extends downstream from the conical portion and a transition portion that extends downstream from the LLI injection portion.

10. The system as in claim 9 , wherein the transition portion has a generally non-circular cross-section.

11. The system as in claim 9 , wherein the main body of the unibody liner is a singular component.

12. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the unibody liner comprises:
a. a main body having a forward end and an aft end, the main body defining a cross-sectional flow area and an axial flow length that is defined between the forward end and the aft end, the main body further defining a LLI injection portion disposed downstream from the forward end and upstream from the aft end, wherein the LLI injector extend through the main body at the LLI injection portion; and
b. wherein the cross-sectional flow area decreases along the axial flow length between the forward end and the LLI injection portion and increases along at least a portion of the axial flow length downstream from the LLI injection portion.

13. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the cross-sectional flow area increases along a first portion of the axial flow length that is defined downstream from the LLI injection portion and decreases along a second portion of the axial flow length that is defined downstream from the first portion.

14. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the cross-sectional flow area increases continuously along the axial flow length downstream from the LLI injection portion to the aft end.

15. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the cross-sectional flow area is substantially constant along the axial flow length across the LLI injection portion.

16. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the cross-sectional flow area decreases in a downstream direction along the axial flow length across the LLI injection portion.

17. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the cross-sectional flow area increases in a downstream direction along the axial flow length across the LLI injection portion.

18. The system as in claim 12 , further comprising a conical portion that extends between the forward end and the LLI injection portion and a transitional portion that extends downstream from the LLI injection portion and terminates at the aft end.

19. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the unibody liner includes a downstream end having an aft frame that circumferentially surrounds the downstream end, the aft frame comprising:
a. an inner portion radially separated from an outer portion and a pair of opposing side portions that extend between the inner and the outer portions;
b. a side seal slot that extends along one side portion of the opposing side portions between the inner and the outer portions of the aft frame, the side seal slot being at least partially defined between a downstream wall and an upstream wall;
c. wherein a first segment of the upstream wall extends from the inner portion towards the outer portion at a first outward distance, and a second segment of the upstream wall extends from an intersection point with the first segment towards the outer portion of the aft frame at a second outward distance, the second segment of the upstream wall at least partially defining a side seal guide feature to allow for axial insertion of a bottom portion of a side seal into the side seal slot.

20. The system as in claim 19 , wherein the first outward distance is greater than the second outward distance.

21. The system as in claim 19 , further comprising a step that is defined between an outer surface of the first segment and an outer surface of the second segment.

22. The system as in claim 19 , wherein a step is configured to guide the bottom portion of the side seal into the side seal slot in an axial and a radial direction.

23. The system as in claim 19 , wherein the gas turbine includes an outer casing and a second outer casing, the flange being connected to a portion of the outer casing and the aft frame being connected to another portion of the outer casing.

24. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the support ring at least partially defines the downs

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Dicintio Richard Martin
• Melton Patrick Benedict
• Stoia Lucas John
• Willis Christopher Paul

Classifications

• F23R3/34

  Feeding into different combustion zones · CPC title

• F02C7/222 Primary

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

• F01D9/023

  Transition ducts between combustor cans and first stage of the turbine in gas-turbine engines; their cooling or sealings · CPC title