Abstract: An improved combustion section for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. A fuel nozzle includes new features which provide improved injection patterns of oil fuel and cooling water, resulting in better control of combustion gas temperature and NOx emissions, and eliminated impingement of cooling water on walls of the combustor. A new combustor includes a plate-fin design which provides improved cooling, while the combustor also makes more efficient use of available cooling air and has an improved component life. A new transition component has a smoother shape which reduces stagnation of combustion gas flow and impingement of combustion gas on transition component walls, improved materials and localized thickness increases for better durability, and improved cooling features for more efficient usage of cooling air.

Abstract: A cross-flame duct for connecting adjacent combustors together in a gas turbine to guard against flameout conditions within the combustors, whereby the cross-flame duct includes first and second ducts forming a slip joint to prevent stress from developing within the cross-flame duct is disclosed. The cross-flame duct remains flexible during turbine operation due to the slip joint, thereby preventing damaging thermal and mechanical stresses from developing within the cross-flame duct and enhancing the useful life of the cross-flame duct and associated components. The first and second ducts include cooling chambers positioned between outer sleeves and inner housings and maintained with one or more standoffs to reduce thermal stress and gradients or prevent material loss due to overheating or burning. The cooling chambers are supplied with cooling fluids via one or more fluid ports extending through the outer sleeves enabling air to flow through the cooling chambers and into the combustors.

Abstract: An improved combustion section for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. A fuel nozzle includes new features which provide improved injection patterns of oil fuel and cooling water, resulting in better control of combustion gas temperature and NOx emissions, and eliminated impingement of cooling water on walls of the combustor. A new combustor includes a plate-fin design which provides improved cooling, while the combustor also makes more efficient use of available cooling air and has an improved component life. A new transition component has a smoother shape which reduces stagnation of combustion gas flow and impingement of combustion gas on transition component walls, improved materials and localized thickness increases for better durability, and improved cooling features for more efficient usage of cooling air.

Abstract: Can-annular burners for gas turbine engines with flow conditioners having locally varying, asymmetrical patterns of circumferential perforations, to promote uniform fuel-air mixture among all premixers in the burner basket. Any one or more of the perforation pattern, pattern density, perforation profiles and perforation cross sectional area is locally varied to alter circumferential airflow into the burner basket, which in turn mitigates non-uniform thru-flow variations across the burner's air inlet plane. In some embodiments, the flow conditioner asymmetric perforation patterns are tailored for individual burner locations within the engine's combustor section annular ring, which mitigates non-uniform thru-flow variation among different respective burners in the combustor section annular ring. Thru-flow uniformity within each burner and among all the combustor section burners promotes uniform engine combustion.

Abstract: A combustor basket assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor basket having a basket liner including an input end and an output end. An integrated exit cone and splash plate member is affixed to the output end of the basket liner and includes a base portion, an exit cone portion and a splash plate portion. The base portion includes an annular cooling channel that receives a cooling air flow and the exit cone portion and the splash plate portion each include an array of cooling feed holes in fluid communication with the cooling channel. The spacing between the feed holes and the size of the feed holes can be optimized to provide more cooling for hotter regions.

Abstract: A multi-functional fuel nozzle (10) for a combustion turbine engine is provided. An annular fuel-injecting lance (12) may include a first fluid circuit (14) and a second fluid circuit (16). One of the first and second fluid circuits during a liquid fuel operating mode of the combustion turbine engine may convey a liquid fuel. The other of the first and second fluid circuits may convey a selectable non-fuel fluid. An atomizer (30) is disposed at the downstream end of the lance. The atomizer may have a first ejection orifice (32) responsive to the first fluid circuit to form a first atomized ejection cone (34), and a second ejection orifice (36) responsive to the second fluid circuit to form a second atomized ejection cone (38). The first and second ejection cones (34, 38) formed with the atomizer may be concentric cones that intersect with one another over a predefined angular range.

Abstract: A multi-functional fuel nozzle (10) for a combustion turbine engine is provided. A nozzle cap (50) may be disposed at a downstream end of the nozzle. A heat shield (60) is mounted onto the nozzle cap. A plurality of cooling channels (62) is arranged between a forward face of the nozzle cap and a corresponding back side of the heat shield. The plurality of cooling channels may be arranged to discharge cooling air over a forward face of an atomizer assembly in the multi-functional fuel nozzle.

Abstract: A nozzle cap (82) is disposed at a downstream end of the nozzle. The nozzle cap includes a bore arranged to accommodate a downstream portion of a fluid-injecting lance that extends along a longitudinal axis (18) of the nozzle. The downstream portion of the fluid-injecting lance includes a centrally-located atomizer (80) to form a first atomized ejection cone. An array of atomizers (84) is disposed in the nozzle cap. The array of atomizers is circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis of the lance. The array of atomizers may be positioned radially outwardly relative to the centrally-located atomizer to form an array of respective second atomized ejection cones.

Abstract: A sealing arrangement for sealing between adjacent first and second exit frames each associated with a transition piece of a turbine. The arrangement includes a transition side seal having bristles that extend from a rail wherein the rail is bendable in a plurality of directions to accommodate bowing of an associated exit frame. The first exit frame includes a rail slot for receiving the rail. The second exit frame includes a bristle slot for receiving the bristles to form a seal between the first and second exit frames, wherein the bristle slot includes a bottom section. The bristles are separated from the bottom section by a bristle gap that is sized to accommodate movement of at least one transition piece to maintain a seal between the first and second exit frames or avoid damage to the bristles.

Abstract: A combustor basket assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor basket having a basket liner including an input end and an output end. A double-wall exit cone is mounted to the output end of the basket liner, where the exit cone includes an inner wall and an outer wall defining an exit cone channel therebetween. A splash plate is mounted to the outer wall to define a splash plate channel between the splash plate and the basket liner. A series of pairs of cooling feed holes are provided through the basket liner, where one of the feed holes in each pair provides cooling air to the cone channel and the other feed hole provides cooling air to the splash plate channel. The outer surface of the outer wall and the inner surface of the inner wall are coated with a thermal barrier coating.

Abstract: A cross-flame duct (100) for connecting adjacent combustors (1, 2) together in a gas turbine to guard against flameout conditions within the combustors (1, 2), whereby the cross-flame duct (100) may include first and second ducts (102, 106) forming a slip joint to prevent stress from developing within the cross-flame duct (100) is disclosed. The cross-flame duct (100) remains flexible during turbine operation due to the slip joint, thereby preventing damaging thermal and mechanical stresses from developing within the cross-flame duct (100) and enhancing the useful life of the cross-flame duct (100) and associated components. The first and second ducts (102, 106) may also include cooling chambers (138, 156, 174) positioned between outer sleeves (122, 140) and inner housings (128, 146) and maintained with one or more standoffs (134, 152, 170) to reduce thermal stress and gradients or prevent material loss due to overheating or burning.

Abstract: A nozzle cap (82) is disposed at a downstream end of the nozzle. The nozzle cap includes a bore arranged to accommodate a downstream portion of a fluid-injecting lance that extends along a longitudinal axis (18) of the nozzle. The downstream portion of the fluid-injecting lance includes a centrally-located atomizer (80) to form a first atomized ejection cone. An array of atomizers (84) is disposed in the nozzle cap. The array of atomizers is circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis of the lance. The array of atomizers may be positioned radially outwardly relative to the centrally-located atomizer to form an array of respective second atomized ejection cones.

Abstract: A multi-functional fuel nozzle (10) for a combustion turbine engine is provided. A nozzle cap (50) may be disposed at a downstream end of the nozzle. A heat shield (60) is mounted onto the nozzle cap. A plurality of cooling channels (62) is arranged between a forward face of the nozzle cap and a corresponding back side of the heat shield. The plurality of cooling channels may be arranged to discharge cooling air over a forward face of an atomizer assembly in the multi-functional fuel nozzle.

Abstract: A multi-functional fuel nozzle (10) for a combustion turbine engine is provided. An annular fuel-injecting lance (12) may include a first fluid circuit (14) and a second fluid circuit (16). One of the first and second fluid circuits during a liquid fuel operating mode of the combustion turbine engine may convey a liquid fuel. The other of the first and second fluid circuits may convey a selectable non-fuel fluid. An atomizer (30) is disposed at the downstream end of the lance. The atomizer may have a first ejection orifice (32) responsive to the first fluid circuit to form a first atomized ejection cone (34), and a second ejection orifice (36) responsive to the second fluid circuit to form a second atomized ejection cone (38). The first and second ejection cones (34, 38) formed with the atomizer may be concentric cones that intersect with one another over a predefined angular range.

Abstract: Can-annular burners for gas turbine engines with flow conditioners having locally varying, asymmetrical patterns of circumferential perforations, to promote uniform fuel-air mixture among all premixers in the burner basket. Any one or more of the perforation pattern, pattern density, perforation profiles and perforation cross sectional area is locally varied to alter circumferential airflow into the burner basket, which in turn mitigates non-uniform thru-flow variations across the burner's air inlet plane. In some embodiments, the flow conditioner asymmetric perforation patterns are tailored for individual burner locations within the engine's combustor section annular ring, which mitigates non-uniform thru-flow variation among different respective burners in the combustor section annular ring. Thru-flow uniformity within each burner and among all the combustor section burners promotes uniform engine combustion.

Abstract: A hot gas path cooling system (10) for a combustor of a gas turbine engine, whereby the cooling system (10) is positioned within a combustor basket (18) is disclosed. The cooling system (10) may include a platefin cooling system (24) formed from a platefin member (26) positioned radially inward from an outer wall (28) forming a combustor basket (18). At least first and second cooling circuits (34, 36) may be formed between the platefin member (26) and the combustor basket (18) and may be separated from each other by a first rib section (38). The second cooling circuit (36), thus, may be positioned downstream from the first cooling circuit (34) and may receive fresh cooling fluid through one or more inlets (52), not from the first cooling circuit (34). As such, the downstream second cooling circuit (36) may be cooled similarly to the first cooling circuit (34).

Abstract: A sealing arrangement for sealing between adjacent first and second exit frames each associated with a transition piece of a turbine. The arrangement includes a transition side seal having bristles that extend from a rail wherein the rail is bendable in a plurality of directions to accommodate bowing of an associated exit frame. The first exit frame includes a rail slot for receiving the rail. The second exit frame includes a bristle slot for receiving the bristles to form a seal between the first and second exit frames, wherein the bristle slot includes a bottom section. The bristles are separated from the bottom section by a bristle gap that is sized to accommodate movement of at least one transition piece to maintain a seal between the first and second exit frames or avoid damage to the bristles.

Abstract: A combustor basket assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor basket having a basket liner including an input end and an output end. An integrated exit cone and splash plate member is affixed to the output end of the basket liner and includes a base portion, an exit cone portion and a splash plate portion. The base portion includes an annular cooling channel that receives a cooling air flow and the exit cone portion and the splash plate portion each include an array of cooling feed holes in fluid communication with the cooling channel. The spacing between the feed holes and the size of the feed holes can be optimized to provide more cooling for hotter regions.

Abstract: An improved combustion section for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. A fuel nozzle includes new features which provide improved injection patterns of oil fuel and cooling water, resulting in better control of combustion gas temperature and NOx emissions, and eliminated impingement of cooling water on walls of the combustor. A new combustor includes a plate-fin design which provides improved cooling, while the combustor also makes more efficient use of available cooling air and has an improved component life. A new transition component has a smoother shape which reduces stagnation of combustion gas flow and impingement of combustion gas on transition component walls, improved materials and localized thickness increases for better durability, and improved cooling features for more efficient usage of cooling air.