Two flow path fuel conduit of a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9784187-B2
Application number	US-201314407400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2013
Priority date	Jun 15, 2012
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a compressor assembly and a combustion assembly in flow communication with the compressor assembly. The combustion assembly includes a plurality of fuel nozzles and a fluid conduit for delivering fuel to the fuel nozzles. The fluid conduit has a plurality of first outlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along the fluid conduit, and the fluid conduit also has a plurality of second outlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along the fluid conduit. The fluid conduit further has a first flow path extending along the fluid conduit in flow communication with the first outlet ports, and the fluid conduit also has a second flow path extending along the fluid conduit in flow communication with the second outlet ports. At least a portion of the first flow path is circumscribed by the second flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising: a compressor assembly; and a combustion assembly in flow communication with said compressor assembly, wherein said combustion assembly comprises a plurality of fuel nozzles and a fluid conduit for delivering fuel to said fuel nozzles, said fluid conduit comprising: a plurality of first inlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a plurality of second inlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a plurality of first outlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a plurality of second outlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a first flow path extending along said fluid conduit in flow communication with said first inlet ports and said first outlet ports; and a second flow path extending along said fluid conduit in flow communication with said plurality of second inlet ports and said plurality of second outlet ports, wherein at least a portion of said first flow path is circumscribed by said second flow path, wherein said plurality of first inlet ports are distinct from said plurality of second inlet ports, and wherein the second flowpath is annular and the second flow path encloses the first flowpath at the location of each of said plurality of second outlet ports.

2. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said fluid conduit is arcuately shaped.

3. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said first flow path and a portion of said second flow path are concentric.

4. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said first flow path and said second flow path are integrally formed together using an additive manufacturing fabrication process.

5. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said fluid conduit further comprises an insulation chamber circumscribing at least a portion of said second flow path.

6. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said insulation chamber is formed integrally with said first flow path and said second flow path using an additive manufacturing fabrication process.

7. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said first outlet ports extend through said second flow path.

8. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said combustion assembly is configured to channel pilot fuel through said first flow path and said first outlet ports, and is configured to channel main fuel through said second flow path and said second outlet ports, wherein one of said first outlet ports and one of said second outlet ports are associated with each of said nozzles.

9. A fluid conduit for a combustion assembly of a gas turbine engine, said fluid conduit comprising: a plurality of first inlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a plurality of second inlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a plurality of first outlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a plurality of second outlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a first flow path extending along said fluid conduit in flow communication with said plurality of first outlet ports; and a second flow path extending along said fluid conduit in flow communication with said plurality of second outlet ports, wherein at least a portion of said first flow path is circumscribed by said second flow path, wherein each of said plurality of first outlet ports is coupled to a respective fuel nozzle of the gas turbine engine combustion assembly and occurs at different circumferential locations along said fluid conduit from each of said plurality of second outlet ports, each of said plurality of second outlet ports being coupled to the respective fuel nozzle, wherein each of said plurality of first inlet ports occurs at different circumferential locations along said fluid conduit from each of said plurality of second inlet ports, and wherein the second flowpath is annular and the second flow path encloses the first flowpath at the location of each of said plurality of second outlet ports.

10. A fluid conduit in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said fluid conduit is arcuately shaped.

11. A fluid conduit in accordance with claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of said first flow path and a portion of said second flow path are concentric.

12. A fluid conduit in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said first flow path and said second flow path are integrally formed together using an additive manufacturing fabrication process.

13. A fluid conduit in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said fluid conduit further comprises an insulation chamber circumscribing at least a portion of said second flow path.

14. A fluid conduit in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said insulation chamber is formed integrally with said first flow path and said second flow path using an additive manufacturing fabrication process.

15. A fluid conduit in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said first outlet ports extend through said second flow path.

16. A gas turbine engine comprising: a compressor assembly; and a combustion assembly in flow communication with said compressor assembly, wherein said combustion assembly comprises a plurality of fuel nozzles and a fluid conduit for delivering fuel to said fuel nozzles, said fluid conduit comprising: a plurality of pilot fuel inlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a plurality of main fuel inlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a plurality of pilot fuel outlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a plurality of main fuel outlet ports that are spaced apart from one another along said fluid conduit; a pilot fuel flow path extending along said fluid conduit in flow communication with said plurality of pilot fuel inlet ports and said plurality of pilot fuel outlet ports; and a main fuel flow path extending along said fluid conduit in flow communication with said plurality of main fuel inlet ports and said plurality of main fuel outlet ports, wherein at least a portion of said pilot fuel flow path is circumscribed by said main fuel flow path, wherein said plurality of pilot fuel inlet ports are distinct from said plurality of main fuel inlet ports, and wherein the main flowpath is annular and the main flow path encloses the pilot flowpath at the location of each of said plurality of main fuel outlet ports.

17. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 16 , further comprising
a fuel flow valve configured to control fuel flow to said pilot fuel flow path and said main fuel flow path in varying proportions.

18. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 16 ,
wherein said pluralities of pilot and main fuel inlet and outlet ports comprise a polymer material,
wherein said pilot and main fuel flow paths comprise a metallic material.

19. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 16 ,
wherein said plurality of pilot fuel inlet ports and said plurality of main fuel inlet ports alternate along said fluid conduit.

20. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 16 ,
wherein said combustion assembly comprises an equal number of said pluralities of pilot fuel inlets, said main fuel inlets, said pilot fuel outlets, said main fuel outlet and said fuel nozzles.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wolfe Jared Matthew
• Brown Joshua Daniel
• Poranski Christopher Francis
• Condrac Edward J
• Martell Raymond Floyd

Classifications

• F01D25/00

  Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, other groups · CPC title

• F02C7/222 Primary

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

• F02C7/24

  Heat or noise insulation (air intakes having provisions for noise suppression F02C7/045; turbine exhaust heads, chambers, or the like F01D25/30; silencing nozzles of jet-propulsion plants F02K1/00) · CPC title