With Fuel Injector Patents (Class 60/740)
  • Patent number: 7937926
    Abstract: A fuel conveying member for an engine, the fuel conveying member having heating means integrated therein to permit pyrolysis of carbonaceous deposits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Lev Alexander Prociw, Harris Shafique, Jason Fish, Bhawan B. Patel
  • Patent number: 7934381
    Abstract: A fuel lance for a gas turbine installation with sequential combustion, in which hot gas is produced in a first combustion chamber and expanded in a subsequent turbine, and then flows through a subsequent second combustion chamber in which the fuel lance for injecting fuel into the hot gas is arranged. The fuel lance has a lance section which extends in the flow direction of the hot gas and includes at least an outer tube which is arranged concentrically to a lance axis, and a center tube which is concentrically arranged in the outer tube and in which the fuel is guided to the lance tip and is injected through first injection openings in the region of the lance tip into the hot gas. The fuel lance is modified for operation with syngas by the first injection openings being arranged directly on the lance tip, and by the first injection openings being oriented so that the fuel jets which emerge from them include an acute angle with the lance axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Felix Guethe, Urs Benz
  • Publication number: 20110089267
    Abstract: The present application provides a method of mounting lip seals within a sleeve assembly of a fuel nozzle. The method may include the steps of sliding a first lip seal along a second diameter tube until the first lip seal contacts a first tube flange of a first diameter tube, sliding a seal spacer along the second diameter tube until the seal spacer contacts the first lip seal, and sliding a second lip seal along the second diameter tube until the second lip seal contacts the seal spacer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Lucas John Stoia, Karthik Subramanian
  • Patent number: 7926281
    Abstract: A device for injecting an air/fuel mixture into a combustion chamber mounted within a restricted space is disclosed. This injection device includes a bowl having an external cylindrical wall continued at its downstream end by a divergent section provided, downstream, with a collar having the form of a ring extending radially outward. The divergent section of the bowl is connected, immediately upstream of the flange, by a connecting wall to a cylindrical ring. The cylindrical ring and the connecting wall form a connection rim oriented in the upstream direction. At least one row of vortex holes is formed in the external cylindrical wall, close to its upstream end, and the connecting wall of the connection rim of the bowl is provided with a row of cooling orifices inclined axially at an angle ? to the axis of symmetry of the injection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Patrice Andre Commaret, Dominique Guezengar, Didier Hippolyte Hernandez, Romain Nicolas Lunel, Pascale Rollet
  • Patent number: 7926280
    Abstract: A floating collar assembly is provided comprising a substantially flat floating collar trapped between a heat shield and a dome panel of the combustor. Axial engagement between the floating collar and the fuel nozzle is maintained via a nozzle cap mounted over the fuel nozzle tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Oleg Morenko, Kenneth Parkman, Stephen Phillips
  • Patent number: 7926279
    Abstract: A gas sleeve (120) for a combustor (408) of gas turbine engine (400) attaches to a support housing (100) of the combustor (408) to convey a fuel gas and to fit within a fuel rocket (110). The gas sleeve (120) comprises a plurality of apertures (128) formed to provide impingement cooling. The apertures (128) comprise a tilt angle directed toward a structure in need of impingement cooling, for instance a weld joint (114) that attaches the fuel rocket (110) to the support housing (100). The apertures (128) additionally may comprise a rotational angle effective to create a rotationally swirling flow of the portion of fuel gas that passes through the apertures (128). A method of operation using this structure also is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Samer P. Wasif, Robert J. Bland
  • Publication number: 20110083440
    Abstract: A secondary fuel nozzle includes a plurality of tubes axially extending downstream within the secondary fuel nozzle, the tubes defining passages operable to allow a flow of fluid to flow through each of the passages, the passages including an outermost tertiary passage and a radially inner secondary fuel passage. The secondary fuel nozzle also includes a fuel peg extending radially outward from the axially extending tubes, the fuel peg operable to emit a fluid radially outward therefrom. The secondary fuel nozzle further includes a crossover manifold attached to the fuel peg and in fluid communication with the radially inner secondary fuel passage and the fuel peg, wherein the crossover manifold is attached to the corresponding tubes that define the tertiary passage and the radially inner secondary passage by butt welds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Lucas John Stoia
  • Patent number: 7921650
    Abstract: A fuel spraying apparatus of a gas turbine engine includes a first fuel spraying section configured to spray fuel for diffusion combustion and a second fuel spraying section configured to spray fuel for premixed combustion. The second fuel spraying section is disposed so as to surround the first fuel spraying section. The apparatus further includes an air curtain generating section disposed between the first fuel spraying section and the second fuel spraying section. The air curtain generating section is configured to generate an air curtain which defines an outer edge of a diffusion combustion area in a combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeo Oda, Hiroyuki Ninomiya, Hideki Ogata
  • Patent number: 7921649
    Abstract: A method for increasing and/or suppressing a natural frequency of a fuel injector feed strip while increasing in the axial direction the flexibility of the feed strip, without the use of additional structure or damping devices. More particularly, and by way of example, the present invention provides a fuel feed strip that is shaped in a shape corresponding to a first vibration mode (e.g., a bow shape) of a fuel feed strip of a desired shape (e.g., a straight fuel feed strip). By forming the fuel feed strip in a shape corresponding to a first vibration mode of the fuel feed strip of a desired shape, a vibration mode of the fuel feed strip is suppressed while the axial flexibility of the fuel feed strip is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Lehtinen, Fady Bishara
  • Publication number: 20110079013
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a reverse flow annular combustor having a liner with opposing ends. One end includes apertures configured to receive compressed air, and an outlet is provided at the other end and is configured to connect to a turbine nozzle. A fuel injector extends through the liner at a base and axially between the apertures and the outlet. The fuel injector includes a housing extending from the base to a dome and provides an exterior surface surrounding an injector cavity. The exterior surface has forward and rearward surfaces respectively facing the apertures and the outlet and provides shapes that are different than one another to influence and improve the aerodynamic flow field of the gas mixture (i.e., air, fuel and combustion-products) within the combustor volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventor: Carsten Ralf Mehring
  • Publication number: 20110067402
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle assembly for use in a combustor apparatus of a gas turbine engine. An outer housing of the fuel nozzle assembly includes an inner volume and provides a direct structural connection between a duct structure and a fuel manifold. The duct structure defines a flow passage for combustion gases flowing within the combustor apparatus. The fuel manifold defines a fuel supply channel therein in fluid communication with a source of fuel. A fuel injector of the fuel nozzle assembly is provided in the inner volume of the outer housing and defines a fuel passage therein. The fuel passage is in fluid communication with the fuel supply channel of the fuel manifold for distributing the fuel from the fuel supply channel into the flow passage of the duct structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: David J. Wiebe, Timothy A. Fox
  • Patent number: 7908863
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a secondary fuel nozzle assembly includes providing a nozzle portion defining a passageway configured to supply fuel. At least one peg is operatively coupled in fuel flow communication with the passageway. The at least one peg extends radially outward from the nozzle portion and defines at least one opening configured to direct a flow of fuel in a substantially upstream direction. A disc is positioned about the nozzle portion upstream of the at least one peg. The disc is positioned in communication with the at least one opening and configured to interfere with the flow of fuel to facilitate fuel atomization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: William Kirk Hessler
  • Publication number: 20110056206
    Abstract: A fuel injector in a combustor apparatus of a gas turbine engine. An outer wall of the injector defines an interior volume in which an intermediate wall is disposed. A first gap is formed between the outer wall and the intermediate wall. The intermediate wall defines an internal volume in which an inner wall is disposed. A second gap is formed between the intermediate wall and the inner wall. The second gap receives cooling fluid that cools the injector. The cooling fluid provides convective cooling to the intermediate wall as it flows within the second gap. The cooling fluid also flows through apertures in the intermediate wall into the first gap where it provides impingement cooling to the outer wall and provides convective cooling to the outer wall. The inner wall defines a passageway that delivers fuel into a liner downstream from a main combustion zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventor: David J. Wiebe
  • Patent number: 7900456
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine is disclosed that includes an injector body having a bore, a fitting at an inlet end of the injector body for receiving fuel, an atomizer at an outlet end of the injector body for delivering atomized fuel to a combustor of the gas turbine engine, a fuel tube disposed within the bore of the injector body for delivering fuel from the fitting to the atomizer, the fuel tube having an inlet end portion adjacent the fitting and an outlet end portion joined to the atomizer, and structure joined to the inlet end portion of the fuel tube to compensate for thermal growth of the injector body relative to the fuel tube during engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Delavan Inc
    Inventor: Chien-Pei Mao
  • Patent number: 7896260
    Abstract: This injector with two valves (7, 10) which open at different fuel pressures so as to establish a primary flow regime and then a secondary flow regime is characterized in that the primary regime is enriched with fuel via an orifice (21) which adds a branch to the primary flow path of the fuel, but which is closed when the secondary valve is displaced so as to prevent enrichment of the fuel in the secondary regime. This invention applies in particular to certain aircraft engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Snecma
    Inventors: José Roland Rodrigues, Alain Tiepel
  • Patent number: 7891191
    Abstract: A combustor comprises a liquid fuel nozzle for injecting liquid fuel to a combustion chamber, and an air supply nozzle disposed around the liquid fuel nozzle and injecting air. The air supply nozzle is disposed such that air is injected from the air supply nozzle in a direction toward an axis of the liquid fuel nozzle. A space is formed around an outlet of the liquid fuel nozzle, through which the liquid fuel is injected from the liquid fuel nozzle to the combustion chamber, upstream of a distal end of the outlet in a direction in which the liquid fuel is injected. Carbonaceous deposits on surrounding surfaces of the outlet of the liquid fuel nozzle can be suppressed regardless of the operating conditions of a combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shouhei Yoshida, Yoshitaka Hirata, Hiroshi Inoue, Tomoya Murota, Toshifumi Sasao, Akinori Hayashi, Isao Takehara
  • Patent number: 7878000
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for a gas turbine engine, including: a primary fuel injector having a central axis for injecting a primary fuel spray into a primary air stream, wherein fuel is provided at a desired rate and droplets of the fuel spray are within a desired size range; a secondary fuel injector positioned radially outwardly of the primary fuel injector for injecting a secondary fuel spray into a secondary air stream spaced radially outwardly of and surrounding the primary air stream; and, a primary air jet positioned between the primary fuel injector and the secondary fuel injector to direct a portion of an incoming air stream between the primary air stream and the secondary air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alfred Albert Mancini, Hukam Chand Mongia
  • Publication number: 20110016866
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a fuel injector including a liquid fuel passage extending to a first port in a tip portion. The fuel injector also includes a selectable flow passage extending to a second port in the tip portion. The selectable flow passage surrounds the liquid fuel passage to the tip portion, the selectable flow passage is configured to selectively receive a gas fuel flow and an air flow, and the selectable flow passage has a flow temperature configured to cool a liquid fuel flowing through the liquid fuel passage to reduce coking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Ronald Chila, Nishant Govindbhai Parsania, Hasan Karim
  • Patent number: 7874157
    Abstract: A low emission combustor includes a combustor housing defining a combustion chamber. A secondary nozzle is disposed along a centerline of the combustion chamber and configured to inject air or a first mixture of air and fuel on a downstream side of the combustion chamber. The secondary nozzle includes an air inlet configured to introduce a first fluid including air, a diluent, or combinations thereof into the secondary nozzle. At least one fuel plenum is configured to introduce a second fluid including a fuel, another diluent, or combinations thereof into the secondary nozzle and over a predetermined profile proximate to the fuel plenum. The predetermined profile is configured to facilitate attachment of the second fluid to the profile to form a fluid boundary layer and to entrain incoming first fluid through the fluid boundary layer to promote mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid and fuel to produce the first fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrei Tristan Evulet, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ahmed Mostafa ElKady, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Patent number: 7870736
    Abstract: A premixing injector for use in gas turbine engines assists in the lean premixed injection of a gaseous fuel/air mixture into the combustor of a gas turbine. The premixing injector is designed to mix fuel and air at high velocities to eliminate the occurrence of flashback of the combustion flame from the reaction zone into the premixing injector. The premixing injector includes choked gas ports, which allow the fuel supply to be decoupled from any type of combustion instability which may arise in the combustor of the gas turbine and internal passages to provide regenerative cooling to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignees: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc., Electric Jet, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Homitz, David M. Sykes, Walter F. O'Brien, Uri Vandsburger, Steve LePera
  • Publication number: 20110005229
    Abstract: Embodiments of this invention provide a premixed pilot assembly for use with a fuel nozzle for a turbine. The level of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emitted by the pilot is reduced by mixing the fuel and air fast, at the end of the pilot nozzle, thereby avoiding significant zones of rich fuel and air mixtures. The air is mixed with the fuel through the use of openings in a first cylinder and a second cylinder, one of which carries air and one of which carries pilot fuel. The openings can be configured as necessary to obtain a desired effect on the pilot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Krishnakumar Venkataraman, Manish Kumar, Jason Thurman Stewart
  • Publication number: 20110005231
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle guide plate has mirror symmetry about a first plane perpendicular to the fuel nozzle guide plate and mirror symmetry about a second plane parallel to the fuel nozzle guide plate. The fuel nozzle guide plate is attached to an air swirler, which is mounted in an opening of a bulkhead for mixing air and fuel at an upstream side of a combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Low
  • Patent number: 7867324
    Abstract: A fuel system includes a fuel deoxygenator for removing oxygen from a liquid fuel. A vaporizer is in fluid communication with the fuel deoxygenator. The vaporizer vaporizes at least a portion of the liquid fuel to produce vaporized fuel. At least a portion of the vaporized fuel pre-mixes with oxidizer to reduce formation of undesirable emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G Chen, Jeffrey M. Cohen
  • Patent number: 7861528
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle having a dedicated circuit to cool the diffusion tip with lower part count and reduced complexity. More specifically, the proposed design uses an independent circuit to cool the tip with diffusion fuel or purge air. An impingement plate may be provided to augment the cooling effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Geoffrey D. Myers, Scott Simmons, Stephen R. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20100326078
    Abstract: A turbomachine combustion chamber in which a chamber end wall presents an opening for receiving a pre-vaporization bowl, and including a device for injecting air and fuel mounted on the axis thereof, the bowl being floatingly mounted relative to the chamber end wall to move in a predetermined radial direction and flaring downstream so as to form a collar, a deflector forming a thermal shield being made integrally with the bowl beside the chamber end wall so that the floating movement of the bowl-and-deflector assembly takes place in a sliding plane situated between the deflector and the chamber end wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventors: Christophe Pieussergues, Denis Jean Maurice Sandelis
  • Patent number: 7854120
    Abstract: A fuel conveying member of a gas turbine engine fuel system conducting pressurized fluid flow is provided. The fuel conveying member comprises a body defining an L-shaped fuel flow passage therein, the L-shaped passage including an elbow. The elbow portion provides a substantially smooth fluid-dynamic transition between portions of the passage upstream and downstream thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Bryan William Olver
  • Patent number: 7854121
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a first fuel introduction location, a second fuel introduction location, and fuel passages. The first fuel introduction location is located radially about the fuel nozzle and is connected with a fuel passage. The second fuel introduction location is located at an end of the fuel nozzle and is connected with another fuel passage such that the fuel passage connected to the first fuel introduction location is separate from the fuel passage connected to the second fuel introduction location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel D. Vandale, Derrick Simons, Alberto Jose Negroni, Carey Romoser
  • Publication number: 20100307159
    Abstract: An improved fuel spray nozzle for a gas turbine engine is proposed, in order to address problems associated with the nozzles being wetted with fuel purged from fuel lines upon engine shutdown. The nozzle has a heat shield provided around a fuel discharge orifice, the heat shield incorporating a sliding expansion joint and having a drip collar arranged to cover the expansion joint so as to protect it from being wetted by fuel ejected through the fuel discharge orifice and falling on the heat shield. The fuel spray nozzle is particularly suited to marine or industrial gas turbine engines having a plurality of radially oriented combustion chambers with respective fuel spray nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Ian J. Toon
  • Publication number: 20100300104
    Abstract: A burner incorporating a pilot cone and a mounting insert is provided. The pilot cone is constructed as a pilot cone assembly which is decoupled from the mounting insert. Further, an operating method for increasing the service life of a burner which incorporates a pilot cone assembly and a mounting insert is provided. The pilot cone assembly has a cone side and incorporates at least one further side where the further side is arranged to be essentially parallel to one of the sides of the mounting insert and spaced apart from it, so that between the further side and the side of the mounting insert there is a defined gap. In an operation of the burner, the gap is significantly reduced by the thermal expansion in at least at one point of contact between the further side and the side of the mounting insert. Finally, an assembly method is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Andreas Böttcher, Thomas Grieb, Matthias Hase, Peter Kaufmann, Werner Krebs, Tobias Krieger, Patrick Lapp, Mark F. Rubio, Udo Schmitz, Daniel Vogtmann, Ulrich Wörz
  • Publication number: 20100300105
    Abstract: An airblast fuel nozzle assembly (10) comprising a sleeve structure having a series of coaxial sleeves forming an inner-air circuit, an outer-air circuit, a main-fuel-feed circuit, and a pilot-fuel-feed circuit. The pilot-fuel-feed circuit includes a channel (44), and a discharge region (45) with exits (46). The exits (46) have a combined cross-sectional area that is substantially less than the cross-sectional area of the channel (44) upstream of the discharge region (45). In this manner, the pilot-fuel-feed circuit itself can provide a relatively large pressure drop across the channel region (44), and thereby assist in self atomization during ignition stages of engine operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Robert R. Pelletier, Michael K. Teter
  • Publication number: 20100293954
    Abstract: The structure and operation of a fuel nozzle for a gas turbine combustor is disclosed where the fuel nozzle provides for flameholding protection and, more specifically, to such a nozzle that provides for nondestructive protection from flamebolding. The nozzle provides for differential thermal expansion between tubes forming fuel passages to allowing for the nondestructive venting of fuel during a flameholding condition. Upon extinguishing the flameholding condition, the nozzle returns to normal operating condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: STANLEY KEVIN WIDENER
  • Publication number: 20100293956
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle auxiliary vane comprising a vane mountable base comprising a fuel inlet, wherein the vane mountable base is configured to mount to a surface of a main vane disposed in an airflow path of a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle auxiliary vane also includes a body extending from the vane mountable base, wherein the body comprises a fuel passage that turns from the fuel inlet to a fuel outlet, and the fuel outlet has a fuel outlet direction generally crosswise to a fuel inlet direction through the fuel inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Vaibhav Nadkarni
  • Patent number: 7836699
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine swirler/nozzle apparatus has a swirler having a central axis and a nozzle. The nozzle has an outlet end with a plurality of outlets about the central axis and having an asymmetry about the central axis. The apparatus may be formed as a reengineering of a baseline apparatus having a symmetric nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Charles B. Graves
  • Publication number: 20100287937
    Abstract: A flame-holding control method in a gas turbine having a combustor can and a fuel nozzle disposed in the combustor can. The method can include performing a first scheduled injection of a diluent stream into the nozzle, checking to see if a time period has exceeded a time threshold and in response to the time period being greater than that the time threshold, performing a second scheduled injection of the diluent stream into the nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Thomas Thatcher, Joel Meador Hall, Andrew Mitchell Rodwell
  • Publication number: 20100287938
    Abstract: The present application provides a cross flow vane for a turbine. The cross flow vane may include a number of jets positioned therein and a divider positioned within one or more of the jets so as to form a number of fuel slots therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ramanand Singh, Mahesh Bathina
  • Patent number: 7832377
    Abstract: A fuel injector is provided. The fuel injector includes an injector support and a heat shield coupled to the injector support. The heat shield only interacts with the injector support by way of contacts such as point contacts, line contacts or surface contacts. Further, the heat shield includes a body portion, a radially extending flared end portion and a radially directed shoulder interposed between the body portion and the flared end portion. The shoulder portion acts as a flexure point that flexes and absorbs thermal expansion of the heat shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Woodward Governor Company
    Inventors: Fei Philip Lee, Paul G. Hicks
  • Patent number: 7810336
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to a system and method for introducing fuel to the flow of air along a surface upstream of a combustion area. Fuel injectors can be used to deliver fuel to the air flow at or near the boundary layer of the air flow. The fuel injectors are ideally located substantially outside of the flow path. Many benefits can be realized by keeping the injectors out of the flow path including avoidance of potential excitations and smaller pressure drops in the flow. The potential of flame from the combustion area traveling upstream to the fuel injector can be minimized by creating a disturbance in the boundary layer of the flow downstream of the fuel injectors. Such disturbances can be achieved by placing a turbulence generator in the boundary layer. The turbulence generator can be a surface protrusion or a fluid cross-flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Ricardo F. Moraes
  • Publication number: 20100251720
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine comprises a housing stem and a nozzle, the nozzle including an internal wall in heat transfer relation with fuel flowing through the nozzle, and an external wall in heat transfer relation with ambient air. The internal and external walls have downstream tip ends that are relatively moveable at an interface due to relative thermal growth during operation of the engine. An internal insulating gap is disposed between the internal and external walls to provide a heat shield for the internal wall, and a bellows internal to the injector has an upstream end sealingly attached to an upstream portion of one of the internal and external walls, and a downstream end sealingly attached to a downstream portion of the other wall to fluidly separate the insulating gap from any fuel entering into the nozzle through the interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2007
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Robert R. Pelletier, Ravi Gudiapti, Kenneth W. Cornett
  • Publication number: 20100236246
    Abstract: An exemplary burner of a gas turbine includes a tubular body with an inlet for an entrance of an air flow, downstream of inlet vortex generators, and a lance projecting into the tubular body and having a terminal portion extending along a longitudinal axis of the burner which is provided with nozzle groups for injecting fuel into the tubular body. The nozzle groups can lay in an injection plane perpendicular to the axis of the terminal portion of the lance. Downstream of the lance, the burner has an outlet. A ratio x/L between an axial distance x between the side trailing edge of the vortex generator and the injection plane, and the length L of the tubular body can be less than approximately 0.1052.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Johannes BUSS, Andrea CIANI, Michael DÃœSING, Adnan EROGLU
  • Publication number: 20100229558
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods and apparatus for providing a sacrificial shield for a fuel injector are provided. According to one example embodiment, a method for shielding a fuel injector associated with a combustion device is provided. The method can include providing at least one shield support device operable to mount to a tip of a fuel injector. The method can also include mounting a plurality of shields to the at least one support device, wherein each of the plurality of shields is spaced apart from each respective adjacent shield by at least one segmentation, and wherein each of the plurality of shields is operable to reduce heat exposure to the tip of the fuel injector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul Stephen Dimascio, Monty Lee Harned
  • Publication number: 20100229559
    Abstract: Turbomachine, comprising a combustion chamber provided with systems (132, 132?) for injecting fuel into the chamber, and with at least one spark plug (144), the injection system (132) located as close as possible to the spark plug being configured in order to produce a pool (166) of fuel having an angle of opening (?) of a greater value than that (?) of the pools (166?) produced by the other injection systems (132?), and having a flow of fuel greater than that of the other injection systems (132?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventors: Dominique Maurice Jacques LAINS, Denis Jean Maurice Sandelis
  • Publication number: 20100218503
    Abstract: A combustor may include an outer liner having a first row and a second row of circumferentially distributed air admission holes. The second row of the outer liner may be downstream of the first row of the outer liner, and the air admission holes of the first row of the outer liner may be larger than the air admission holes of the second row of the outer liner. An inner liner is circumscribed by the outer liner and has a third and fourth row of circumferentially distributed air admission holes. The air admission holes of the third row of the inner liner may be larger than the air admission holes of the fourth row of the inner liner. The inner and outer liners may form a combustion chamber, and at least a portion of the air admission holes of the first, second, third, or fourth rows may be plunged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Bronson, Frank Joseph Zupanc
  • Patent number: 7784282
    Abstract: A fuel injector is provided. The fuel injector includes a nozzle, a cooling assembly, and a tip coupled to the nozzle. The tip includes a base including a cooling channel defined therein, a first transition member extending outwardly from the base and in flow communication with the cooling channel, and a second transition member extending outwardly from the base and in flow communication with the cooling channel, wherein the base, the first transition member, and the second transition member are formed integrally together. The tip is configured to couple to the cooling assembly to channel a flow of cooling fluid through the cooling channel via the first transition member and the second transition member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Purdue Masso, Monty Harned, Shashishekara Sitharamarao Talya
  • Publication number: 20100212325
    Abstract: Fuel and air are injected in a first poloidal flow in a first poloidal direction within a first annular zone of an annular combustor. A first combustion gas from the at least partial combustion of the fuel and air is discharged into an annular transition zone of the annular combustor and transformed to a second combustion gas therein within an at least partial second poloidal flow followed by an at least partial third poloidal flow in the annular transition zone, wherein the direction of the second poloidal flow is opposite to that of the first and third poloidal flows. The second combustion gas is discharged into a second annular zone of the annular combustor, and then transformed to a third combustion gas therein before being discharged therefrom, responsive to which a back pressure is generated in the annular combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: WILLIAMS INTERNATIONAL, CO., L.L.C.
    Inventors: Jamey J. CONDEVAUX, Lisa M. SIMPKINS, John SORDYL
  • Patent number: 7775052
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for actively controlling combustion in a gas turbine engine, which includes a fuel injector for issuing fuel into a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine. The fuel injector has a dynamic pressure sensor for measuring acoustic pressure within the combustion chamber and a flame sensor for observing flame characteristics within the combustion chamber. The system further includes a high speed valve assembly for controlling flow of fuel to the injector and an electronic controller associated with the fuel injector for commanding the valve assembly to deliver fuel to the fuel injector at a commanded flow rate, based upon input from the sensors in the fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignees: Delavan Inc, Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Cornwell, Douglas C. Myhre, O. Harald Eriksen, Jerry L. Goeke
  • Publication number: 20100186413
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes a compressor, a combustor operatively connected to the compressor, an end cover mounted to the combustor, and an injection nozzle assembly operatively connected to the combustor. The injection nozzle assembly includes a cap member having a first surface that extends to a second surface. The cap member further includes a plurality of openings. A plurality of bundled mini-tube assemblies are detachably mounted in the plurality of openings in the cap member. Each of the plurality of bundled mini-tube assemblies includes a main body section having a first end section and a second end section. A fluid plenum is arranged within the main body section. A plurality of tubes extend between the first and second end sections. Each of the plurality of tubes is fluidly connected to the fluid plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Thomas Edward Johnson, Baifang Zuo, William David York, Jong Ho Uhm
  • Publication number: 20100186414
    Abstract: Discloses a technique for application of an external electric field to a mixture of atomized air, molecularized with fuel to a specific predetermined density, in an annular turbine combustor configuration. An electric current is distributed into the atomized air by a plurality of ion plasma fuel injector devices to affect the propagation speed, stability, flame size and shape and combustion chemistry of the fuel air mixture at the flame front.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: SONIC BLUE AEROSPACE, INC.
    Inventor: Richard H. Lugg
  • Patent number: 7762070
    Abstract: A pilot nozzle heat shield includes a body having a first end for receiving a pilot nozzle and a second end including a flow tip. The body includes a plurality of internal turbulators circumferentially disposed about the internal peripheral surface of the body. The flow tip includes a proximal periphery and a distal periphery. A plurality of flow ports are circumferentially spaced about the proximal periphery of the flow tip. The flow tip includes a plurality of slots. Each slot extends distally from one of the flow ports to the distal periphery of the flow tip, which defines an aperture. The plurality of slots define a plurality of tangs; each tang is defined between a pair of neighboring slots. A plurality of turbulators can be disposed about the inner peripheral surface of the heat shield body at the tangs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Dawson, Richard E. King, Jr., Raman Ras, Richard L. Sanford
  • Patent number: 7762073
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine includes a pilot mixer, a main mixer, and a fuel manifold. The pilot mixer includes: an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior, a primary fuel injector mounted in the pilot housing, a plurality of axial swirlers positioned upstream from the primary fuel injector, and a plurality of secondary fuel injection ports for introducing fuel into the hollow interior of the pilot housing. The main mixer includes: a main housing surrounding the pilot housing and defining an annular cavity, a plurality of fuel injection ports, and at least one swirler positioned upstream from the plurality of fuel injection ports. The fuel manifold is in flow communication with the plurality of secondary fuel injection ports in the pilot mixer and the plurality of fuel injection ports in the main mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Shui-Chi Li, Shih-Yang Hsieh, George Chia-Chun Hsiao, Hukam Chand Mongia
  • Patent number: 7762071
    Abstract: An injection device including at least one injection plate adjacent a combustion space of a combustion chamber, and at least one first injection nozzle including a first entry bore having a first discharge into the combustion chamber, and a first orifice bore, having a cross-sectional dimension less than or equal to the first entry bore, coaxially arranged with the first entry bore and remote from the first discharge. At least one second injection nozzle includes a second entry bore having a second discharge into the combustion chamber, and a second orifice bore, having a cross-sectional dimension less than or equal to the second entry bore, coaxially arranged with the second entry bore and remote from the second discharge. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: EADS Space Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Gotzig, Dieter May