Fuel nozzle assembly having a premix fuel stabilizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9951956-B2
Application number	US-201615359686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A fuel nozzle assembly includes a premix chamber, an air flow divider extending radially and axially within the premix chamber between an inner wall and an outer wall and a plurality of guide vanes disposed within the premix chamber. One or more of the guide vanes includes a fuel port in fluid communication with the flow divider. The fuel nozzle assembly further includes a premix plate that extends radially between the inner and outer walls and circumferentially between first and second side walls downstream from the fuel ports. The premix plate includes an upstream side axially spaced from a downstream side and a plurality of passages that provide for fluid flow from the premix chamber through the premix plate.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A fuel nozzle assembly comprising:
a premix chamber defined between an arcuate inner wall, an arcuate outer wall, a first side wall and a circumferentially opposing second side wall;
the first side wall and the second side wall each extending between and contacting the arcuate inner wall and the arcuate outer wall;
an air flow divider contacting and extending radially between the inner wall and the outer wall, and extending axially within the premix chamber, wherein the airflow divider defines an internal fuel circuit;
a plurality of guide vanes disposed within the premix chamber, wherein at least one guide vane contacts and extends circumferentially between the air flow divider and one of the first side wall or the second side wall, wherein one or more of the guide vanes includes a fuel port in fluid communication with the fuel circuit;
and a premix plate that extends radially between the inner and outer walls and circumferentially between the first and second side walls downstream from the fuel ports, wherein the premix plate includes an upstream side axially spaced from a downstream side and a plurality of passages, wherein the passages provide for fluid flow from the premix chamber through the premix plate.

2. The fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the upstream side of the premix plate includes a plurality of concentrically aligned annular walls and a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial walls that extend radially between radially adjacent annular walls, wherein the annular walls and the radial walls at least partially define inlets to each passage.

3. The fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 2 , wherein the passages are blended with the annular walls and the radial walls proximate to the inlet of each passage.

4. The fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein one or more of the guide vanes at least partially defines a fuel passage therein.

5. The fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the flow divider is connected to a base portion of the fuel nozzle assembly.

6. The fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein an upstream portion of at least one guide vane of the plurality of guide vanes is curved radially towards the outer wall.

7. The fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of guide vanes comprises a first set of guide vanes that extend circumferentially between the flow divider and the first side wall and a second set of guide vanes that extend circumferentially between the flow divider and the second side wall.

8. The fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of guide vanes extends axially along the air flow divider at varying axial distances.

9. The fuel nozzle assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the fuel ports of two or more guide vanes of the plurality of guide vanes are axially offset.

10. A combustor for a gas turbine, comprising:
a combustion chamber defined within the combustor;
and a fuel nozzle assembly comprising:
a premix chamber defined between an arcuate inner wall, an arcuate outer wall, a first side wall and a circumferentially opposing second side wall;
the first side wall and the second side wall each extending between and contacting the arcuate inner wall and the arcuate outer wall;
an air flow divider contacting and extending radially between the inner wall and the outer wall, and extending axially within the premix chamber, wherein the air flow divider defines an internal fuel circuit;
a plurality of guide vanes disposed within the premix chamber, wherein at least one guide vane contacts and extends circumferentially between the air flow divider and one of the first side wall or the second side wall, wherein one or more of the guide vanes includes a fuel port in fluid communication with the fuel circuit;
and a premix plate that extends radially between the inner and outer walls and circumferentially between the first and second side walls downstream from the fuel ports and upstream from the combustion chamber, wherein the premix plate includes an upstream side axially spaced from a downstream side and a plurality of passages, wherein the passages provide for fluid flow from the premix chamber through the premix plate and into the combustion chamber.

11. The combustor as in claim 10 , wherein the upstream side of the premix plate includes a plurality of concentrically aligned annular walls and a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial walls that extend radially between radially adjacent annular walls, wherein the annular walls and the radial walls at least partially define inlets to each passage.

12. The combustor as in claim 11 , wherein the passages are blended with the annular walls and the radial walls proximate to the inlet of each passage.

13. The combustor as in claim 10 , wherein one or more of the guide vanes at least partially defines a fuel passage therein.

14. The combustor as in claim 10 , wherein the flow divider is connected to a base portion of the fuel nozzle assembly.

15. The combustor as in claim 10 , wherein an upstream portion of at least one guide vane of the plurality of guide vanes is curved radially towards the outer wall.

16. The combustor as in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of guide vanes comprises a first set of guide vanes that extend circumferentially between the flow divider and the first side wall and a second set of guide vanes that extend circumferentially between the flow divider and the second side wall.

17. The combustor as in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of guide vanes extends axially along the air flow divider at varying axial distances.

18. The combustor as in claim 10 , wherein the fuel ports of two or more guide vanes of the plurality of guide vanes are axially offset.

19. A gas turbine, comprising:
a compressor, a combustor disposed downstream from the compressor and a turbine disposed downstream from the combustor, wherein the combustor includes an end cover coupled to an outer combustor casing, a combustion chamber defined within the outer combustor casing and a fuel nozzle assembly that extends downstream from the end cover and terminates upstream from the combustion chamber;
wherein the fuel nozzle assembly comprises:
a premix chamber defined between an arcuate inner wall, an arcuate outer wall, a first side wall and a circumferentially opposing second side wall;
the first side wall and the second side wall each extending between and contacting the arcuate inner wall and the arcuate outer wall
an air flow divider contacting and extending radially between the inner wall and the outer wall, and extending axially within the premix chamber, wherein the air flow divider defines an internal fuel circuit;
a plurality of guide vanes disposed within the premix chamber, wherein at least one guide vane contacts and extends circumferentially between the air flow divider and one of the first side wall or the second side wall, wherein one or more of the guide vanes includes a fuel port in fluid communication with the fuel circuit;
and a premix plate that extends radially between the inner and outer walls and circumferentially between the first and second side walls downstream from the fuel ports and upstream from the combustion chamber, wherein the premix plate includes an upstream side axially spaced from a downstream side and a plurality of passages, wherein the upstream side of the fuel nozzle assembly includes a plurality of concentrically aligned annular walls and a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial walls that extend radially between radially adjacent annular walls,

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Valeev Almaz Kamilevich

Classifications

• F23R3/32

  being tubular · CPC title

• F23R3/286 Primary

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

• F23R3/14

  by using swirl vanes · CPC title

• F23D2900/14021

  Premixing burners with swirling or vortices creating means for fuel or air · CPC title

• F23D14/48

  Nozzles · CPC title