Unitary Injector Having Plural Fuel Flow Paths Patents (Class 60/742)
  • Patent number: 11953205
    Abstract: A swirler with a fuel manifold, and a combustor and gas turbine including the same are provided. The swirler may include a swirler body disposed between an inner surface of a fuel nozzle and an outer surface of a center body, a fuel injection hole disposed on the swirler body, a fuel manifold formed in the swirler body, the fuel manifold being connected to a fuel channel disposed in the center body while communicating with the fuel injection hole, and a turbulence alleviator formed at a fuel inlet of the fuel manifold to alleviate creation of turbulence of fuel flowing from the fuel channel to the fuel manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: In Chan Choi
  • Patent number: 11933497
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air/fuel injection system for a turbomachine, comprising:—an injector comprising a duct and an injection nose, arranged inside said duct, which extends from upstream to downstream along a longitudinal axis;—a mixer device comprising a bowl comprising an annular inlet, forming the inlet of the mixer device, from which there extends a conical portion flared in the downstream direction, said mixer device being arranged downstream of the injection nose; the injection system being characterized in that the injector comprises an air-injection annulus extending from the duct and from which there extends a connection ring comprising a divergent portion, said ring being arranged externally around the annular inlet of the mixer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Romain Nicolas Lunel, Haris Musaefendic
  • Patent number: 11920793
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine combustor is provided that includes a swirler, a mounting stage, and a distributor. The swirler has a shaft, a collar, a throat section, and first and second axial ends. The throat section includes an inner radial surface that defines a central passage that extends between the swirler inner bore and the collar. The collar includes a plurality of apertures extending therethrough disposed radially outside of the central passage. The mounting stage is disposed in the inner bore, and has an annular flange, a central hub, and at least one strut. The distributor has a stem attached to a head. The stem has a distal end opposite the head portion engaged with the central hub. The head portion has an end surface and a side surface. The distributor is selectively positionable relative to the throat section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jakub Strzepek, Kian McCaldon, Anna Mamrol, Owen Wong, Maxime La Fleche
  • Patent number: 11643978
    Abstract: An aircraft including lean-burn gas turbine engines operating in pilot-plus-mains mode with a given initial fuel flow W0, a method of controlling the optical depth of contrails produced by a first group of engines includes the steps of (i) reducing fuel flow to each engine in the first group to change the operation of each engine from pilot-plus-mains mode to pilot-only mode, and (ii) adjusting fuel flow to one or more engines in a second group of engines such that the total fuel flow to engines of the second group is increased, all engines of the second group remaining in pilot-plus-mains mode, and wherein the set of lean-burn engines consists of the first and second groups. Depending on atmospheric conditions, the average optical depth of contrails produced by the engines may be enhanced or reduced compared to when all engines operate in pilot-plus-mains mode with a fuel flow W0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Peter Swann, Christopher P Madden
  • Patent number: 11421885
    Abstract: A System for Aerodynamic Premixer for Reduced Emissions comprising a premixer is generally cylindrical in form and defined by the relationship in physical space between a first ring, a second ring, and a plurality of radial vanes. The first and second rings are found to be generally equidistant, one from the other, at all points along their facing surfaces. Radial vanes connect the first ring to the second ring and thereby form the premixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11421601
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a turbine combustor assembly includes a primary combustion chamber in fluid communication with a primary fuel injector and a primary air inlet, and an igniter carried by the primary combustion chamber and including a first igniter stage having an auxiliary combustion chamber housing comprising a mixing chamber and a tubular throat converging downstream of the mixing chamber, an ignition source projecting into the mixing chamber of the auxiliary combustion chamber, and a second igniter stage that includes an auxiliary fuel outlet manifold proximal to an outlet of the tubular throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Bidhan Dam, Logan Oonk, Dan Huber, Vinay Prasad, Sudipa Sarker
  • Patent number: 11339967
    Abstract: A fuel injector including: a plurality of air swirler passages; at least one fuel supply passage arranged to supply fuel into at least one of the air swirler passages; and at least one cavity separating an exterior of the fuel supply passage from a body of the fuel injector; wherein the cavity is at least partially filled with a thermally insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Luca Tentorio, Juan Carlos Roman Casado, Giacomo Di Chiaro, Jonathan Knapton, Filippo Zambon, Radu Irimia, Imon-Kalyan Bagchi, James Robins
  • Patent number: 11268699
    Abstract: An injection system for a turbine engine annular combustion chamber includes a support configured to support and to center a fuel injector head. The support includes a frustoconical surface connected at its downstream end of smallest diameter to an upstream end of a cylindrical surface. The system further includes a bowl configured to mix air and fuel arranged downstream of the support and at least one axial swirl inducer extending at least in part around the support. Each swirl inducer includes vanes delimiting between them substantially axial channels for the passage of an air flow. The channels open at their upstream ends on said frustoconical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Sébastien Alain Christophe Bourgois, Romain Nicolas Lunel, Haris Musaefendic
  • Patent number: 11149952
    Abstract: A main mixer including a swirler along an axis, the swirler including an outer swirler with a multiple of outer vanes, and a center swirler with a multiple of center vanes and a swirler hub along the axis, the swirler hub including a fuel manifold and an inner swirler with a multiple of inner vanes that support a centerbody, the multiple of inner vanes interconnect the fuel manifold and the centerbody.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Zhongtao Dai, Lance L. Smith, Jeffrey M. Cohen
  • Patent number: 11117155
    Abstract: A method includes forming a fluid conduit inside a heat shield in an additive manufacturing process, wherein a fluid nozzle is defined at a downstream end of the fluid conduit, and wherein the heat shield is formed about the fluid nozzle. The method includes removing powder from an interior passage of the fluid conduit and fluid nozzle and from an insulation gap defined between the heat shield and the fluid conduit and fluid nozzle. The method includes separating the heat shield, fluid conduit, and fluid nozzle from the build platform. The method includes shifting the fluid conduit and fluid nozzle to a shifted position relative to the heat shield, and securing the fluid conduit and fluid nozzle to the heat shield in the shifted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev A. Prociw
  • Patent number: 11015489
    Abstract: A waste heat recovery system for recovering rejected heat of an internal combustion engine includes a turbine expander. The turbine expander outputs power based on a working fluid and includes a turbine blade that is rotatable by the working fluid, a shaft that is coupled to and rotatable by the turbine blade and extends along a longitudinal axis, and a nozzle assembly for directing the working fluid to the turbine blade for rotating the turbine blade. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle housing disposed about the shaft and adjacent the turbine blade, and a nozzle for accelerating the working fluid. The nozzle component defines a nozzle throat having a geometrical configuration. The waste heat recovery system further includes a passive control coupled to the nozzle component for directing the working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick Michael Huscher, Paul Anschel
  • Patent number: 11009231
    Abstract: To improve air/fuel mixing at low speed, the invention concerns an aerodynamic injection system (30) for a combustion chamber (8) of an aircraft turbine engine, the system comprising a central body (70) comprising a first air circulation space (72) and a swirler (74) allowing air to penetrate into the first air circulation space (72), the hollow body (70) also comprising a fuel circuit (92, 93, 82) arranged at least partially around the first space (72), the circuit comprising a second annular space (82) for a fuel film to circulate and fuel supply structures (92, 93) communicating with the second space (82), the spaces (72, 82) opening into a third air and fuel mixing space (86). According to the invention, the system comprises fuel injection openings (90) that bring the fuel circuit into communication with the first space (72).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Julien Marc Matthieu Leparoux, Haris Musaefendic, Zakaria El Gnaoui
  • Patent number: 11002193
    Abstract: A turbomachine fuel injector system includes an air distributor configured to be mounted to and contained within a casing and to provide air to mix with a fuel from one or more fuel distribution systems. The system includes a fuel manifold configured to be mounted indirectly to the casing such that the fuel manifold system is contained within the casing but is independent such that fuel manifold does not touch or directly mount to either an interior of the casing or touch the air distributor within the casing to prevent or reduce thermal transfer from the air distributor to the fuel manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Greenfield, Jason A. Ryon, Lev Alexander Prociw
  • Patent number: 10955141
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a fuel nozzle including a center body having a tube shape and a ring manifold disposed at an aft end of the center body. The fuel nozzle also includes an inner tube extending axially through the ring manifold and disposed within the center body. The inner tube is in fluid communication with a diluent supply. The fuel nozzle further includes a fuel tube extending helically around a portion of the inner tube. The fuel tube fluidly couples a fuel plenum of the ring manifold to a liquid fuel supply. Furthermore, the fuel nozzle includes a plurality of fuel injectors circumferentially spaced within an outer band of the ring manifold and in fluid communication with the fuel plenum. Each fuel injector is oriented to direct atomized liquid fuel radially outward from the center body. The ring manifold and the inner tube are thermally decoupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kaitlin Marie Graham, Thomas Edward Johnson, Geoffrey David Myers
  • Patent number: 10954859
    Abstract: A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a combustion chamber, and a fuel injector assembly in communication with the combustion chamber that has a swirler body situated about a nozzle to define an injector passage that converges to a throat. The throat is defined at a distance from the combustion chamber. The nozzle includes a primary fuel injector along a first fuel injector axis and at least one secondary plain jet fuel injector axially forward of the primary fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhongtao Dai, Lance L. Smith, Jeffrey M. Cohen
  • Patent number: 10935245
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine is generally provided. The fuel nozzle includes an outer sleeve extended circumferentially around a fuel nozzle centerline and extended along a longitudinal direction substantially co-directional to the fuel nozzle centerline. The outer sleeve defines a plurality of first radially oriented air inlet ports through the outer sleeve in circumferential arrangement relative to the fuel nozzle centerline. The fuel nozzle further includes a centerbody positioned radially inward of the outer sleeve. The centerbody is extended along the longitudinal direction substantially co-directional to the fuel nozzle centerline and wherein the centerbody is concentric to the fuel nozzle centerline and the outer sleeve. The centerbody defines a plurality of second radially oriented air inlet ports through the centerbody in circumferential arrangement relative to the fuel nozzle centerline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Manampathy Gangadharan Giridharan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Pradeep Naik, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Vishal Sanjay Kediya
  • Patent number: 10837641
    Abstract: The present invention provides a burner, a combustor equipped with the burner, and a gas turbine, with which it is possible to premix a first hydrocarbon-based fuel (for example, natural gas), a second fuel (for example, hydrogen gas), and combustion air, and to spray into the combustion chamber of the combustor a thin and uniform concentration distribution of the premixed air, and with which it is possible to suppress the amount of NOx discharged. On the upstream side of the premix flow path, hydrogen gas is sprayed from second fuel spray nozzles, which project into the premix flow path, into the flow of the combustion air flowing toward the center from the outer edge of an outer cylinder, whereby a primary air-fuel mixture having a uniform concentration distribution is generated without affecting a low-speed region of the combustion air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Ogata, Takeo Oda, Yasuhiro Kinoshita, Kohshi Hirano, Takahiro Uto
  • Patent number: 10823420
    Abstract: A burner for a combustor of a turbomachine includes a pilot nozzle with inline premixing. The pilot nozzle is formed in an aft end of the burner. An air inlet is formed in a forward end of the burner in fluid communication with the pilot nozzle. A mixing channel extends along the axial direction between the air inlet and the pilot nozzle such that the air inlet is in fluid communication with the pilot nozzle via the mixing channel. An annular fuel plenum extends along the circumferential direction. A fuel port is in fluid communication with the annular fuel plenum and the mixing channel, the fuel port includes an outlet configured to inject fuel into the mixing channel such that a shear flow is induced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Simone Roberto Walter Camponovo, Fulvio Magni, Ewald Freitag, John Philip Wood, Andre Theuer, Rohit Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 10760793
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a fuel nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine. The fuel nozzle assembly includes a centerbody extended along a nozzle centerline axis and generally concentric thereto and an outer sleeve surrounding the centerbody and extended along the nozzle centerline axis and generally concentric thereto. The centerbody defines an outer wall extended at least partially along the nozzle centerline axis in which the centerbody defines a first fuel passage therewithin and one or more first fuel exit openings through the outer wall. Each first fuel exit opening is discrete from another along the outer wall. The outer sleeve and centerbody together define a first air passage therebetween. The first fuel passage and the first fuel exit opening are in fluid communication with the first air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Alfred Albert Mancini, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Michael Anthony Benjamin
  • Patent number: 10695837
    Abstract: A turbomachine component having a solid body with an elongated clearance, a channel located within the clearance of that body, where the channel is free of struts between the channel and a section of the body which is surrounding the channel to provide a continuous thermal insulation gap between the channel and the section of the body. The channel and the body are built in an additive manufacturing generation process synchronously layer by layer, from a metallic powder, wherein successive layers are selectively fused to build the body and the channel. The channel is arranged inside the body as a loose component, loose inside of the clearance and distant to the body. Spacer elements are provided, wherein each of the spacer elements is physically attached to only one of its ends either to the channel or to the body and put the channel in position and distant to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Anders Haevaker, Olle Lindman
  • Patent number: 10663171
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a dual-fuel fuel nozzle that includes a center body having a tube shape and a gas fuel plenum defined within the center body. The duel-fuel fuel nozzle also includes a ring manifold defining a liquid fuel plenum disposed within the center body. The duel-fuel fuel nozzle further includes a plurality of radially oriented fuel injectors in fluid communication with the liquid fuel plenum. Additionally, the duel-fuel fuel nozzle includes an inner fuel tube extending axially within the center body. A portion of the inner fuel tube extends helically about an axial centerline of the center body. The inner fuel tube is in fluid communication with an axially oriented fuel injector. Furthermore, the duel-fuel fuel nozzle includes first fuel tube extending helically around a portion of the inner fuel tube within the center body. The first fuel tube is fluidly coupled to the fuel plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kaitlin Marie Graham, Thomas Edward Johnson, Geoffrey David Myers
  • Patent number: 10578022
    Abstract: A transfer tube assembly includes an outer tube defining a first flow path and an inner tube positioned within the first flow path. The inner tube defines a second flow path in fluid isolation from the first flow path. A connecting segment is downstream from the inner tube and the outer tube. The connecting segment has a first bore in fluid communication with the first flow path and a second bore in fluid communication with the second flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Jason A. Ryon, Jacob Greenfield, Lev Alexander Prociw
  • Patent number: 10436447
    Abstract: An augmentor vane assembly of a gas turbine engine with an additively manufactured augmentor vane, the additively manufactured augmentor vane having a vane wall with integral longitudinal wall passages formed therein, at least one of the integral longitudinal wall passages including at least one entrance aperture and at least one exit aperture, the at least one exit aperture transverse to the integral longitudinal wall passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Javier N. Johnson, Chris Bates, Eric Beach, Jorge I. Farah
  • Patent number: 10415833
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor and a turbine. The combustor includes a pre-mixer having a body defining a plurality of fluid passages extending axially through the pre-mixer, wherein a cross-sectional projection of each of the plurality of fluid passages comprises one or more features that form a helical coil about an axis of the fluid passage along a length of the fluid passage, wherein the pre-mixer is configured to receive fuel from a fuel supply, receive air from an air supply, mix the fuel and air by flowing the fuel and air through the plurality of fluid passages, and imparting a swirling motion on the fuel and air, and supply the air-fuel mixture to a combustion zone. The combustor is configured to combust the air-fuel mixture, generating combustion fluids. The turbine is configured to receive the combustion fluids from the combustor and to use the combustion fluids to drive one or more stages of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sravan Kumar Dheeraj Kapilavai, Jin Yan, Anthony John Dean
  • Patent number: 10352570
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for use in a combustor of a turbine engine includes a mixer assembly including a mixer housing and a fuel nozzle assembly positioned radially inward of the mixer housing. The fuel nozzle assembly includes a substantially annular fuel injection housing and a substantially annular main fuel injector coupled to the fuel injection housing. The main fuel injector includes a body, a fuel delivery passage defined in the body, a swirl chamber defined in the body downstream of the fuel delivery passage, and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced fuel metering slots defined in the body and coupled in flow communication with and between the fuel delivery passage and the swirl chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Krishnakumar Venkatesan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Shih-Yang Hsieh, Yuxin Zhang, Owen James Sullivan Rickey, Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Kevin Vandevoorde
  • Patent number: 10323575
    Abstract: The invention concerns a gas turbine fuel pipe, having a fuel line, the fuel line having a fuel line volume, a fuel line outer wall and an opening in the fuel line outer wall, a damper having a damper volume and a damper outer wall and attached in fluid communication with the fuel line, wherein the damper covers the opening in the fuel line outer wall, and a perforated lining extending across at least part of the opening in the fuel line outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Anders Martin Axel Wickström, Devis Tonon, Mirko Ruben Bothien
  • Patent number: 10267522
    Abstract: The present invention relation to a burner for a combustion chamber of a gas turbine with a mixing and injection device. The mixing and injection device includes a limiting wall that defines a gas-flow channel and at least two streamlined bodies, each extending in a first transverse direction into the gas-flow channel. Each streamlined body has two lateral surfaces that are arranged essentially parallel to the main-flow direction, the lateral surfaces being joined to one another at their upstream side to form a leading edge of the body and joined at their downstream side to form a trailing edge of the body. Each streamlined body has a cross-section perpendicular to the first transverse direction that is shaped as a streamlined profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Andrea Ciani, John Philip Wood, Douglas Anthony Pennell, Ewald Freitag, Urs Benz, Andre Theuer
  • Patent number: 10152834
    Abstract: A method of conducting prognosis for an airflow management system for a combustion engine includes adjusting a throttle body valve position control signal in response to a detected airflow variation and monitoring an airflow variation compensation (AVC) value corresponding to a degree of adjustment of the control signal. The method also includes generating a throttle body coking severity metric based on at least a plurality of residual error values and the AVC value, and executing at least one response action based on the throttle body coking severity metric exceeding a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Chaitanya Sankavaram, Shiming Duan, Layne Wiggins, Stephen Levijoki, Dean Sorrell, Todar Kuzmanov
  • Patent number: 10072848
    Abstract: An apparatus for injecting premixed fuel and air through a center body and into the combustion zone of a gas turbine includes a fuel injector nozzle with a premix pilot nozzle having a plurality of premix passages in fluid communication with an air supply and a fuel supply that premixes air and fuel within the premix passages. The apparatus has either an active or passive fuel feed control. Fuel can be fed to the apparatus either conventionally or as a breech load circuit integrated into the oil cartridge. Fuel can be supplied passively via a fuel channel connecting the swozzle fuel plenum to the premix passages. Alternatively, fuel can be injected from the oil cartridge into the premix passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Michael John Hughes, Kara Johnston Edwards
  • Patent number: 9885481
    Abstract: The invention refers to a sequential combustor arrangement including a first burner, a first combustion chamber, a dilution burner for admixing a dilution gas and a second fuel via a dilution-gas-fuel-admixer to the first combustor combustion products. The dilution-gas-fuel-admixer has at least one streamlined body which is arranged in the dilution burner for introducing the at least one second fuel into the dilution burner through at least one fuel nozzle, and which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile and which extends with a longitudinal direction perpendicularly or at an inclination to a main flow direction prevailing in the dilution burner. The streamlined body includes a dilution gas opening for admixing dilution gas into the first combustor combustion products upstream of the at least one fuel nozzle. The disclosure further refers to a method for operating a gas turbine with such a sequential combustor arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventor: Michael Duesing
  • Patent number: 9851098
    Abstract: The inventive concept relates to a swirler. According to an aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a swirler including a casing, a pilot body disposed in the casing, and a plurality of vanes arranged along a circumference of the pilot body, wherein at least a part of the vane protrudes further to a downstream than an end portion of the pilot body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Hanwha Techwin Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ik Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9605594
    Abstract: A fuel injection device for an annular combustion chamber of a turbine engine, the device including a pilot circuit feeding an injector, a multipoint circuit feeding injection orifices formed in a front face of an annular chamber, and an annular ring mounted in the annular chamber and including fuel-passing orifices opening out into the injection orifices, each fuel-passing orifice formed in the annular ring including a zone of small section that is extended at least downstream or upstream by an orifice portion of increasing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Thierry Cortes, Laurent Bernard Cameriano
  • Patent number: 9464808
    Abstract: A nozzle tip assembly and method characterized by the use of a retention device including at least one tab that cooperates with a ledge for coupling a nozzle shroud to a nozzle adaptor. The retention device can be used as a secondary retention feature to prevent nozzle separation and/or to enable the fuel injector to be repaired without having to replace the entire assembly. The latter advantage is of particular benefit when there is damage during assembly or when the nozzle tip assembly is being overhauled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen C. Paskevich, Bryan T. Runkle, Curtis F. Harding, Jeffrey R. Lehtinen, Jie Qian, Fady Bishara
  • Patent number: 9441835
    Abstract: A system includes a gas turbine combustor configured to combust a fuel and an oxidant, such as O2 and O2 mixtures. The system also includes an aerodynamic peg disposed in the gas turbine combustor. The aerodynamic peg includes a first passage configured to convey a first fluid into the gas turbine combustor and a second passage configured to convey a second fluid into the gas turbine combustor. The first fluid and second fluid are different from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Taylor Overby, David Leach
  • Patent number: 9435540
    Abstract: An apparatus for injecting premixed fuel and air through a center body and into the combustion zone of a gas turbine includes a fuel injector nozzle with a premix pilot nozzle having a plurality of premix passages in fluid communication with an air supply and a fuel supply that premixes air and fuel within the premix passages. The apparatus has either an active or passive fuel feed control. Fuel can be fed to the apparatus either conventionally or as a breech load circuit integrated into the oil cartridge. Fuel can be supplied passively via a fuel channel connecting the swozzle fuel plenum to the premix passages. Alternatively, fuel can be injected from the oil cartridge into the premix passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Michael John Hughes, Kara Johnston Edwards
  • Patent number: 9435538
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an annular combustion chamber of a gas turbine with—relative to the engine axis—a radially outer combustion chamber wall and a radially inner combustion chamber wall, with the combustion chamber walls forming an annular combustion space, with a combustion chamber head having a plurality of fuel nozzles and air inlet openings, with the respective central axes of the fuel nozzles forming an envelope rotationally symmetrical to the engine axis, the envelope dividing the combustion chamber into an annular and radially outer area and an annular and radially inner area, with the radially outer area and the radially inner area having the same volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventor: Carsten Clemen
  • Patent number: 9273868
    Abstract: A system for supporting bundled tube segments within a combustor includes an annular sleeve that extends circumferentially and axially within the combustor, a support lug that extends radially inward from the annular sleeve and an annular support frame that is disposed within the annular sleeve. The annular support frame includes an inner ring portion, an outer ring portion and a plurality of spokes that extend radially between the inner and outer ring portions. The inner ring portion, the outer ring portion and the plurality of spokes define an annular array of openings for receiving a respective bundled tube segment. The inner ring portion is connected to each bundled tube segment and the outer ring portion is coupled to the support lug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Patrick Benedict Melton
  • Patent number: 9212609
    Abstract: When starting a dual fuel turbine engine on liquid fuel, a flow of air assist into a combined pilot gaseous fuel and air assist tube is supplied. The velocity of the flow of air assist is increased as it is expelled through an outlet of the tube. The flow of air assist is directed into a first end of a pilot injector barrel. Additional air is drawn into the first end of the pilot injector barrel from an enclosure containing both the first end of the pilot injector barrel and the tube outlet. Liquid pilot fuel is supplied at a second end of the pilot injector barrel, and this fuel is atomized by the flow of the air assist and additional air. The atomized pilot liquid fuel may then be combusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incoporated
    Inventors: Christopher Zdzislaw Twardochleb, Robert Anthony Corr, II
  • Patent number: 9181812
    Abstract: A combustion device used in gas turbine engines to produce propulsion or rotate a shaft for power generation includes a can-annular combustor with a system of fuel and air inlet passages and nozzles that results in an optimal combustion environment of premixed fuel and air. The fuel-air inlets are placed at various longitudinal locations and circumferentially distributed, and direct the flow tangentially or nearly tangent to the can liner. The combustion device provides effective mixing of fuel and air, creates an environment for combustion that reduces pollutant emissions, reduces the need for costly pollution control devices, enhances ignition and flame stability, reduces piloting issues, and improves vibration reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Inventors: Majed Toqan, Brent Allan Gregory, Jonathan David Regele, Ryan Sadao Yamane
  • Patent number: 9115899
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor stably burns low-BTU gases, such as blast furnace gases, that are heavily laden with CO2. The gas turbine combustor includes a double-swirling burner with an inner swirler and an outer swirler, the burner having a configuration with gas fuel injection holes and air injection holes arranged at alternate positions in the inner swirler and with gas injection holes arranged in the outer swirler. In addition, fuel injection holes for enhancing flame stability are provided at positions radially inward of the inner swirler. An inner flame by the inner swirler and an outer flame by the outer swirler interact with each other to stably burn the low-BTU gas. In the inner swirler, the gas injection holes and air injection holes arranged at alternate positions contributes to raising a temperature of the inner flame to a level required for flame stabilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Koizumi, Shohei Yoshida, Satoshi Dodo
  • Patent number: 9046272
    Abstract: A combustor liner assembly support is provided that is used to axially and radially position combustor liners in a gas turbine engine. The combustor liner support includes, in one embodiment, a support bracket that is coupled to a diffuser located upstream in the gas turbine engine; a support spool coupled to the support bracket; and a mount stake coupled to the support spool. The mount stake is connected to the combustor liners and maintains the spaced relation therebetween. An alignment device can be used between the support bracket and the support spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Edward Claude Rice
  • Patent number: 9032736
    Abstract: A method for operating a burner comprising a burner axis and at least one jet nozzle is provided. The nozzle or nozzles include a central axis, a jet nozzle outlet, a wall that runs in a radial direction starting from the central axis and that faces the burner axis and a volumetric fluid flow that includes a fuel and flows through the jet nozzle or nozzles to the jet nozzle outlet. An air film is formed at the jet nozzle outlet between the volumetric fluid flow including the fuel and the wall that faces the burner axis by means of air that is injected into the jet nozzle or nozzles along the wall that faces the burner axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Matthias Hase
  • Patent number: 9032703
    Abstract: In a gas turbine engine that includes a compressor and a combustor, wherein the combustor includes a primary fuel injector within a fuel nozzle and a secondary fuel injector that is upstream of the fuel nozzle and configured to inject fuel into a flow annulus of the combustor, a method for detecting a flame holding condition about a fuel injector. The method may include the steps of: detecting an upstream pressure upstream of the secondary fuel injector; detecting a downstream pressure downstream of the secondary fuel injector; determining a measured pressure difference between the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure; and comparing the measured pressure difference to an expected pressure difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anthony Wayne Krull, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Garth Curtis Frederick, David Kaylor Toronto
  • Patent number: 9027349
    Abstract: A combustor of the prior art that defines the outlet position and direction of an air hole and suppresses adhesion of flame to an air hole outlet can reduce a discharge amount of NOx by increasing a distance over which fuel and air are mixed with each other. However, such a combustor is not sufficiently discussed for measures to suppress the occurrence of combustion oscillation resulting from the variation of a flame surface. A combustor 2 according to the present invention includes a combustion chamber 5 to which fuel and air are supplied; air holes 32 adapted to supply air to the combustion chamber 5; fuel nozzles 25 adapted to supply gaseous fuel to the air holes 32; and orifices 24 adapted to allow the gaseous fuel supplied to the air holes 32 to cause a pressure drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Miura, Tomomi Koganezawa, Satoshi Dodo, Takeo Saito
  • Patent number: 9021781
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a combustor of a gas turbine includes an annular main body. A fluid circuit extends at least partially through the main body. An axially extending inner body extends within the main body. The inner body at least partially defines an inner chamber that extends at least partially through the inner body. The inner chamber is in fluid communication with the fluid circuit. A retractable igniter extends linearly outward from the inner chamber when the fluid circuit is charged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kaitlin Marie Graham, James Scott Flanagan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue
  • Patent number: 8991187
    Abstract: The present application provides for a combustor for combusting a flow of fuel and a flow of air. The combustor may include a number of fuel nozzles, a lean pre-nozzle fuel injection system positioned upstream of the fuel nozzles, and a premixing annulus positioned between the fuel nozzles and the lean pre-nozzle fuel injection system to premix the flow of fuel and the flow of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael John Hughes, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Jason Thurman Stewart, Almaz Valeev, Chunyang Wu
  • Patent number: 8991188
    Abstract: A cooling circuit for a fuel nozzle in a gas turbine includes an end cap cavity receiving passive purge flow from a compressor of the turbine, and fuel nozzle swozzles disposed in a swozzle shroud that impart swirl to incoming fuel and air. Purge slots are formed in the swozzle shroud and through the fuel nozzle swozzles in fluid communication with the end cap cavity. The purge slots are positioned upstream of a quat fuel injection passage, and the passive purge flow enters fuel nozzle tip cavities of the fuel nozzle to provide tip cooling and tip purge volume without mixing the passive purge flow with quat fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Robert Rohrssen
  • Patent number: 8973367
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel lance for a burner, in particular a gas turbine burner, including a tip that has a nozzle surface including at least two fuel nozzles. The nozzle surface is provided with slots between the fuel nozzles. As a rule, the lance is provided for operation with a liquid fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Böttcher, Tobias Krieger, Jürgen Meisl
  • Patent number: 8966908
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a turbine engine may include a body member disposed about a longitudinal axis, and a barrel member located radially outwardly from the body member. The fuel injector may also include an annular passageway extending between the body member and the barrel member from a first end to a second end. The first end may be configured to be fluidly coupled to a compressor of the turbine engine and the second end may be configured to be fluidly coupled to a combustor of the turbine engine. The fuel injector may also include a perforated plate positioned proximate the first end of the passageway. The perforated plate may be configured to direct compressed air into the annular passageway with a first pressure drop. The fuel injector may also include at least one fuel discharge orifice positioned downstream of the perforated plate. The at least one fuel discharge orifice may be configured to discharge a fuel into the annular passageway with a second pressure drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher Zdzislaw Twardochleb, Hongyu Wang, James Wilfrid Blust, Mario E. Abreu
  • Patent number: 8966907
    Abstract: Present embodiments are directed toward reducing low flow or no flow situations in a head end of a turbine combustor. Embodiments include a system having a turbine combustor. The turbine combustor includes a fuel nozzle having an inner shell and an outer shell, and a feed cap disposed about the fuel nozzle and having an outer wall and a back plate. The back plate joins respective upstream ends of the outer shell of the fuel nozzle and the outer wall of the feed cap. The turbine combustor is configured to flow a first pressurized air via an air path extending along the outer wall of the feed cap, the back plate of the feed cap, and into the fuel nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abdul Rafey Khan, Bradley Donald Crawley, Robert Joseph Rohrssen, Mohan Krishna Bobba