Fuel nozzle and method for operating a combustor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9500369-B2
Application number	US-201213449695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2012
Priority date	Apr 21, 2011
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A fuel nozzle and a method for operating a combustor are disclosed. The method includes flowing a fuel and an oxidizer through a fuel nozzle, the fuel nozzle comprising an inner tube, an intermediate tube, and an outer tube each configured for flowing one of the fuel or the oxidizer therethrough. At least one of the inner tube, the intermediate tube, or the outer tube includes a plurality of swirler vanes. The method further includes imparting a swirl to the fuel and the oxidizer in the fuel nozzle, and exhausting the fuel and the oxidizer from the fuel nozzle into a combustion zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel nozzle for a combustor, the fuel nozzle comprising:
an inner tube defining a first flow passage for flowing one of a fuel or an oxidizer therethrough, the inner tube comprising a first swirler device configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer;
an intermediate tube at least partially surrounding the inner tube and defining a second flow passage for flowing one of a fuel or an oxidizer therethrough, the intermediate tube comprising a second swirler device configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer;
an outer tube at least partially surrounding the intermediate tube and defining a third flow passage for flowing one of a fuel or an oxidizer therethrough, the outer tube comprising a third swirler device configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer; and
a plurality of igniter devices, wherein different ones of the plurality of igniter devices extend through a different one of the first flow passage, the second flow passage, or the third flow passage;
wherein the inner tube includes a tip extending across the first flow passage, and
wherein the first swirler device comprises a passage defined through the tip configured to impart a swirl on fuel flowing through the passage defined through the tip,
wherein at least one of the first swirler device, the second swirler device, or the third swirler device comprises a plurality of swirler vanes, at least a portion of the swirler vanes configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer, and
wherein one of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage flows fuel therethrough, another of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage flows fuel therethrough, and a third of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage flows oxidizer therethrough, and wherein no fuel is flowed through the third of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage.

2. The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the first flow passage flows fuel therethrough, the second flow passage flows oxidizer therethrough, and the third flow passage flows fuel therethrough.

3. The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is natural gas.

4. The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer is oxygen.

5. The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the second swirler device is configured to impart a swirl generally opposite to the swirl of the first swirler device and the third swirler device.

6. The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein each of the first flow passage, the second flow passage, and the third flow passage defines a generally axial axis, and wherein each of the first swirler device, the second swirler device, and the third swirler device is positioned at an angle with respect to the axial axis in the range between approximately 40° and approximately 60°.

7. The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the second swirler device and the third swirler device each comprise a plurality of swirler vanes, at least a portion of the swirler vanes configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer.

8. A combustor comprising:
a combustor liner, the combustor liner defining a combustion zone therein; and
a fuel nozzle in fluid communication with the combustor liner, the fuel nozzle comprising:
an inner tube defining a first flow passage for flowing one of a fuel or an oxidizer therethrough, the inner tube comprising a first swirler device configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer;
an intermediate tube at least partially surrounding the inner tube and defining a second flow passage for flowing one of a fuel or an oxidizer therethrough, the intermediate tube comprising a second swirler device configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer;
an outer tube at least partially surrounding the intermediate tube and defining a third flow passage for flowing one of a fuel or an oxidizer therethrough, the outer tube comprising a third swirler device configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer; and
a plurality of igniter devices, wherein different ones of the plurality of igniter devices extend through a different one of the first flow passage, the second flow passage, or the third flow passage;
wherein the inner tube includes a tip extending across the first flow passage, and
wherein the first swirler device comprises a passage defined through the tip configured to impart a swirl on fuel flowing through the passage defined through the tip,
wherein at least one of the first swirler device, the second swirler device, or the third swirler device comprises a plurality of swirler vanes, at least a portion of the swirler vanes configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer, and
wherein one of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage flows fuel therethrough, another of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage flows fuel therethrough, and a third of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage flows oxidizer therethrough, and wherein no fuel is flowed through the third of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage.

9. The combustor of claim 8 , wherein the combustion zone is a low-oxygen combustion zone.

10. The combustor of claim 8 , wherein the first flow passage flows fuel therethrough, the second flow passage flows oxidizer therethrough, and the third flow passage flows fuel therethrough.

11. The combustor of claim 8 , wherein the second swirler device is configured to impart a swirl generally opposite to the swirl of the first swirler device and the third swirler device.

12. The combustor of claim 8 , wherein each of the first flow passage, the second flow passage, and the third flow passage defines a generally axial axis, and wherein each of the first swirler device, the second swirler device, and the third swirler device is positioned at an angle with respect to the axial axis in the range between approximately 40° and approximately 60°.

13. The combustor of claim 8 , wherein the second swirler device and the third swirler device each comprise a plurality of swirler vanes, at least a portion of the swirler vanes configured to impart a swirl on the one of the fuel or the oxidizer.

14. The combustor of claim 8 , wherein one igniter device of the plurality of igniter devices extends through at least a portion of the first flow passage and into the combustion zone.

15. A method for operating a combustor, the method comprising:
flowing a fuel and an oxidizer through a fuel nozzle, the fuel nozzle comprising an inner tube, an intermediate tube, and an outer tube each configured for flowing one of the fuel or the oxidizer therethrough, wherein at least one of the inner tube, the intermediate tube, or the outer tube comprises a plurality of swirler vanes, wherein one of a first flow passage defined by the inner tube, a second flow passage defined by the intermediate tube or a third flow passage defined by the outer tube flows fuel therethrough, another of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage flows fuel therethrough, and a third of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage flows oxidizer therethrough, and wherein no fuel is flowed through the third of the first flow passage, the second flow passage or the third flow passage, wherein the first swirler device comprises a passage defined through the tip configured to impart a swirl on fu

Assignees

• Popovic Predrag
• Kraemer Gilbert Otto
• Ross William Thomas
• Belvaev Vladimir
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Popovic Predrag
• Kraemer Gilbert Otto
• Ross William Thomas
• Belvaev Vladimir

Classifications

• F23R3/14 Primary

  by using swirl vanes · CPC title

• F23R3/286

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

• F23R3/28

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

• F23C7/004

  using vanes · CPC title

• F02C7/266

  Electric (sparking plugs H01T) · CPC title