One-piece fuel nozzle for a thrust engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803498-B2
Application number	US-201213653475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2012
Priority date	Oct 17, 2012
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A nozzle formed of one piece for a jet engine includes a mixing tube, a fuel conduit integrally formed with the mixing tube, and an opening through the fuel conduit and directed radially into the mixing tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nozzle for a jet engine, said nozzle comprising:
a mixing tube defining a first cylindrical passage that extends continuously radially outward from a centerline axis of the mixing tube;
a fuel conduit integrally formed with a first end of the mixing tube, the fuel conduit comprising a cylindrical wall defining a second cylindrical passage that extends continuously radially outward from a centerline axis of the fuel conduit and is separate from the first cylindrical passage, the first end of the mixing tube having a slot that extends through a wall of the mixing tube, the fuel conduit at least partially defining the slot; and
an opening in the cylindrical wall of the fuel conduit that defines a third passage that extends through the cylindrical wall, radially outward from the centerline axis of the fuel conduit, opens at a first end of the third passage into the first cylindrical passage, and opens at an opposite second end of the third passage into the second cylindrical passage.

2. The nozzle of claim 1 further comprising a plate integrally formed with said mixing tube, the fuel conduit situated on a first side of the plate, and a major portion of the mixing tube situated on an opposite second side of the plate.

3. The nozzle of claim 2 wherein said plate has a circular shape that conforms to a shape of an annulus that extends around the first cylindrical passage and is generally centered about the centerline axis of the mixing tube.

4. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein the fuel conduit is situated on a fore side of the first end of the mixing tube.

5. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein the first end of the mixing tube defines an arcuate wall that is disposed on an aft side of the first end of the mixing tube, the fuel conduit and arcuate wall situated on opposite sides of the centerline axis of the mixing tube at the first end of the mixing tube.

6. The nozzle of claim 5 , wherein the arcuate wall extends longitudinally away from a second end of the mixing tube that is opposite the first end of the mixing tube, and extends circumferentially around only a partial circumference of the first cylindrical passage at the first end of the mixing tube.

7. The nozzle of claim 1 further comprising a passageway formed through the cylindrical wall of said fuel conduit and aligned with said opening such that said passageway and said opening may be formed in one operation, said passageway being sealed after formation of said opening.

8. A nozzle assembly for a jet engine, comprising:
a combustor housing;
a plurality of axially aligned nozzles that are axially aligned at a first axial position with respect to a central longitudinal axis of the combustor housing, each axially aligned nozzle comprising:
a mixing tube disposed in the combustor housing;
a fuel conduit integrally formed with said mixing tube and disposed outside of the combustor housing, wherein each fuel conduit is cylindrical and extends between opposing first and second ends of the fuel conduit; and
an opening intermediate of the opposing first and second ends of the fuel conduit that extends through a wall of said fuel conduit, said opening directed radially into said mixing tube; and

a plurality of fuel line segments, each fuel line segment extending between and fluidly connecting respective first and second ends of respective fuel conduits of respective adjacent axially aligned nozzles;
wherein each fuel line segment comprises terminal ends at the first axial position, and an intermediate portion that connects the terminal ends, the intermediate portion extending away from the first axial position of the terminal ends to a second axial position without crossing the first axial position, the second axial position being different than the first axial position; and
wherein the opposing first and second ends of each fuel conduit each comprise a respective opening that opens in a circumferential direction with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the combustor housing, each respective opening connected to a respective terminal end of a respective fuel line segment, each respective terminal end extending in the same circumferential direction as the respective opening to which the respective terminal end connects.

9. The nozzle assembly of claim 8 wherein each axially aligned nozzle also comprises a plate integrally formed with said mixing tube, the fuel conduit situated on a first side of the plate, and a major portion of the mixing tube situated on an opposite second side of the plate.

10. The nozzle assembly of claim 9 wherein said plate has a circular shape that conforms to a shape of said combustor housing.

11. The nozzle assembly of claim 8 wherein said combustor housing has a first annular row of dilution holes, and wherein a respective mixing tube of a respective axially aligned nozzle is disposed in every other dilution hole in the first annular row of dilution holes.

12. The nozzle assembly of claim 11 :
wherein the combustor housing includes an additional, second annular row of dilution holes that are aft of and circumferentially aligned with the first annular row of dilution holes.

13. The nozzle assembly of claim 12 wherein the plate of each respective axially aligned nozzle conforms to a shape of the dilution hole into which the respective mixing tube of the respective axially aligned nozzle is inserted.

14. The nozzle assembly of claim 8 wherein the plurality of fuel line segments are flexible.

15. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the centerline axis of the mixing tube is nonparallel, non-perpendicular, and non-intersecting with the centerline axis of the fuel conduit.

16. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the centerline axis of the mixing tube extends through an opening at the first end of the mixing tube, and wherein the fuel conduit defines some but not all of a perimeter of the opening at the first end of the mixing tube.

17. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the third passage is directed radially into the first cylindrical passage.

18. The nozzle assembly of claim 8 , wherein the second axial position is aft of the first axial position.

19. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the fuel conduit extends tangentially to the first end of the mixing tube.

20. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the first cylindrical passage tapers at the first end of the mixing tube due to encroachment of the fuel conduit.

21. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the third passage opens into the first cylindrical passage at an oblique angle with respect to the first cylindrical passage.

Assignees

• Jewess Gordon F
• Lydon Patrick M
• Barkley Robert O
• Alexander Eric J
• Bunone Davis
• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Jewess Gordon F
• Lydon Patrick M
• Barkley Robert O
• Alexander Eric J
• Bunone Davis

Classifications

• F23R3/34

  Feeding into different combustion zones · CPC title

• F23R3/28

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

• F02C7/228

  Dividing fuel between various burners · CPC title

• F23R3/283

  Attaching or cooling of fuel injecting means including supports for fuel injectors, stems, or lances · CPC title

• F05D2220/768

  equipped with permanent magnets · CPC title