Unitary Injector Having Plural Fuel Flow Paths Patents (Class 60/742)
  • Patent number: 8966909
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing combustion dynamics includes first and second combustors arranged about an axis, and each combustor includes a plurality of tubes that extend axially through at least a portion of the combustor and a combustion chamber downstream from the plurality of tubes. A fuel injector extends through each tube to provide fluid communication into each tube at a fourth axial distance from the combustion chamber. The fourth axial distance in the first combustor is different than the fourth axial distance in the second combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sarah Lori Crothers, Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Patent number: 8959923
    Abstract: An arrangement for preparation of a fuel for combustion including a burner is provided. The arrangement includes a combustion chamber associated with the burner and in which combustion of a fuel is to take place, as well as means for supplying liquid fuel to the arrangement through an internal passage in the burner for the combustion, solid portions of the burner body being heated by the combustion, wherein the internal passage is located inside the solid portions of the burner body for receiving heat energy evaporating the fuel from these body portions, and that it includes means for conveying vaporized fuel to the combustion chamber to take part in the combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ulf Nilsson, Peter Senior
  • Patent number: 8959772
    Abstract: A multipoint injector for a turbomachine according to which any risk of fuel coking is eliminated is disclosed. The multipoint fuel which is liable to stagnate inside the circuit thereof is cooled uniformly, due to the formation of continuous baffles which each communicate with at least one separate circulation channel and of which the peripheral baffles open out into a fuel admission chamber arranged in a zone diametrically opposing the circulation channels and which communicates with the injection nozzle for pilot fuel in order to achieve uniform supply and cooling of the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Didier Hippolyte Hernandez, Thomas Olivier Marie Noel
  • Patent number: 8955328
    Abstract: A burner arrangement is provided. The burner arrangement includes a support and at least two fuel nozzles attached to the support in the direction of flow, with each fuel nozzle including a support-side section which includes a contact surface on the support side with which it rests on a supporting surface of the support, with at least two fuel nozzle tips embodied in one piece extending out from the support-side section in the direction of flow and the support-side contact surface including at least two extension parts projecting in the direction of the support, with the extension parts each embodying a channel through which fuel is fed in each case to the fuel nozzle tips through passages which are arranged in the support-side contact surface of the support-side section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Böttcher, Timothy A. Fox, Thomas Grieb, Tobias Krieger, Stephen A. Ramier
  • Patent number: 8955329
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle assembly has been conceived for a combustor in a gas turbine including a first passage and fourth passage connectable to a source of gaseous fuel, a second passage connectable to a source of a gaseous oxidizer, and a third passage coupled to a source of a diluent gas, wherein the first passage is a center passage and is configured to discharge gaseous fuel from nozzles at a discharge end of the center passage, the second passage is configured to discharge the gaseous oxidizer through nozzles adjacent to the nozzles for the center passage, the third passage discharges a diluent gas through nozzles adjacent to the nozzles for the second passage, and the fourth passage is configured to discharges the gaseous fuel downstream of the discharge location for the first, second and third passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Predrag Popovic, Abinash Baruah
  • Patent number: 8938968
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Johannes Buss, Andrea Ciani, Michael Düsing, Adnan Eroglu
  • Patent number: 8925323
    Abstract: A system includes a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a center body configured to receive a first portion of air and to deliver the air to a combustion region. The fuel nozzle also includes a swirler configured to receive a second portion of air and to deliver the air to the combustion region. The swirler includes an outer shroud wall, an inner hub wall, and a swirl vane. The swirl vane includes a radial swirl profile at a downstream edge of the swirl vane. The radial swirl profile includes a region extending from the outer shroud wall to a first transition point and a second region extending from the transition point to the inner hub wall. At least one of the first and second regions is substantially straight and at least one of the first and second regions is arcuate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Baifang Zuo
  • Patent number: 8925325
    Abstract: Combustion systems and the related methods operate to supply a stream of combustion products to a turbine in a gas turbine engine by forming an outer recirculation zone of recirculating combustion products within a combustor and by forming an inner recirculation zone inboard of the outer recirculation zone. The inner and outer recirculation zones are formed by imparting swirl to compressor discharge air passing through an outer air swirler and an inner air swirler radially inboard of the outer air swirler. Fuel is injected from an outer fuel injector into the outer recirculation zone, and fuel is also injected from an inner fuel injector into the inner recirculation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas R. Overman, John Earl Short
  • Patent number: 8925324
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes a compressor section, a combustor operatively connected to the compressor section, an end cover mounted to the combustor, and an injection nozzle assembly operatively connected to the combustor. The injection nozzle assembly includes a plurality of mixing tube elements. Each of the plurality of mixing tube elements includes a conduit having a first fluid inlet, a second fluid inlet arranged downstream from the first fluid inlet, a discharge end arranged downstream from the first and second fluid inlets, and a vortex generator arranged between the first and second fluid inlets. The vortex generator is configured and disposed to create multiple vortices within the conduit to mix first and second fluids passing through each of the plurality of mixing tube elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Chunyang Wu, Baifang Zuo
  • Publication number: 20150000286
    Abstract: A combustor includes an end cover having an outer side and an inner side, an outer barrel having a forward end that is adjacent to the inner side of the end cover and an aft end that is axially spaced from the forward end. An inner barrel is at least partially disposed concentrically within the outer barrel and is fixedly connected to the outer barrel. A fluid conduit extends downstream from the end cover. A first bundled tube fuel injector segment is disposed concentrically within the inner barrel. The bundled tube fuel injector segment includes a fuel plenum that is in fluid communication with the fluid conduit and a plurality of parallel tubes that extend axially through the fuel plenum. The bundled tube fuel injector segment is fixedly connected to the inner barrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Patrick Benedict Melton, James Harold Westmoreland, III, James Scott Flanagan
  • Patent number: 8919673
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle includes a fuel plenum, an outer body surrounding the fuel plenum, and bore holes that extend longitudinally through the outer body. The fuel nozzle also includes means for fixedly attaching the fuel plenum to the outer body and passages that provide fluid communication between the fuel plenum and the bore holes. A method for manufacturing a fuel nozzle includes drilling bore holes longitudinally through an outer body and drilling passages in the outer body to the bore holes. The method further includes inserting a fuel plenum into the outer body, wherein the passages provide a fluid communication between the bore holes and the fuel plenum, and attaching the fuel plenum to the outer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Karthik Subramanian, Bryan Wesley Romig
  • Patent number: 8919127
    Abstract: A system includes a gas turbine combustor, which includes a combustion liner disposed about a combustion region, a flow sleeve disposed about the combustion liner, an air passage between the combustion liner and the flow sleeve, and a structure between the combustion liner and the flow sleeve. The structure obstructs an airflow through the air passage. The gas turbine combustor also includes a wake reducer disposed adjacent the structure. The wake reducer directs a flow into a wake region downstream of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Patrick Benedict Melton, Ronald James Chila, Abdul Rafey Khan, Carolyn Ashley Antoniono
  • Patent number: 8904800
    Abstract: A combustor dome heat shield and a louver are separately metal injection molded and then fused together to form a one-piece combustor heat shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Bhawan B. Patel, Lorin Markarian, Melissa Despres
  • Patent number: 8899049
    Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes a combustor having an end cover and at least one fuel nozzle assembly extending from an inner face of the end cover. A cartridge may extend through the end cover and into the fuel nozzle assembly. The cartridge may define an opening for receiving light emitted from within the combustor. Additionally, a fiber optic cable may be disposed within the cartridge and may be configured to capture at least a portion of the light received through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anthony Wayne Krull, Nan Zong, Danielle Marie Kalitan
  • Patent number: 8893500
    Abstract: A dual fuel injector for a gas turbine engine includes a central cavity extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end, and a first fuel discharge outlet configured to direct a first fuel into the central cavity at the first end. The fuel injector may also include a first air discharge opening circumferentially disposed about the first fuel discharge outlet and configured to direct a first quantity of air into the central cavity, and a second air discharge opening circumferentially disposed about the central cavity and configured to discharge a second quantity of air into the central cavity downstream of the first air discharge outlet. The fuel injector may further include a second fuel discharge outlet circumferentially disposed about the central cavity and configured to discharge a second fuel therethrough. The second fuel may be different from the first fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventor: Gareth W. Oskam
  • Publication number: 20140318137
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle apparatus includes: a fuel distributor including an annular distributor ring, an aft interior mounting surface; and a pilot supply tube; a venturi defining a splitter with a first bore, and axially spaced-apart forward and aft exterior mounting surfaces; and a swirler including second bore and a forward interior mounting surface. The pilot supply tube is received in the second bore, outer ends of the inner vanes are received in the first bore; and the forward and aft exterior mounting surfaces of the venturi are received in the forward and aft interior mounting surfaces, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Marie Ann McMasters, Michael A. Benjamin, Alfred Mancini, Steven Joseph Lohmueller
  • Patent number: 8869534
    Abstract: A burner for a gas turbine including a main burner and a pilot burner is provided. The main burner has a supporting structure, a heat shield and a holder for the heat shield, and wherein the holder is at least partially located within the supporting structure and the heat shield is at least partially located within the holder. The heat shield is fastened to the holder by a force-fit and/or a frictional connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Böttcher, Thomas Grieb, Jens Kleinfeld, Tobias Krieger, Sabine Tüschen, Ulrich Wörz
  • Patent number: 8850822
    Abstract: A system includes a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a hub having an axis, a shroud disposed about the hub, an airflow path between the hub and the shroud, multiple vanes extending between the hub and the shroud, and a first fuel path leading to multiple first fuel outlets disposed on the multiple vanes. The fuel nozzle also includes a second fuel path leading to multiple second fuel outlets disposed on at least one of the hub and/or the shroud, wherein the multiple second fuel outlets are disposed at an axial distance upstream from a downstream end of the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nishant Govindbhai Parsania, Ajay Pratap Singh
  • Patent number: 8850821
    Abstract: A system includes a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a hub, a shroud disposed about the hub, an airflow path between the hub and the shroud, multiple first fuel outlets disposed on the hub, and multiple swirl vanes disposed in the airflow path downstream from the multiple first fuel outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abdul Rafey Khan, Bradley Donald Crawley, Donald Mark Bailey, Ajay Pratap Singh
  • Publication number: 20140283524
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle system for enabling a gas turbine to start and operate on low-Btu fuel includes a primary tip having primary fuel orifices and a primary fuel passage in fluid communication with the primary fuel orifices, and a fuel circuit capable of controlling flow rates of a first and second low-Btu fuel gases flowing into the fuel nozzle. The system is capable of operating at an ignition status, in which at least the first low-Btu fuel gas is fed to the primary fuel orifices and ignited to start the gas turbine, and a baseload status, in which at least the second low-Btu fuel gas is fired at baseload. The low-Btu fuel gas ignited at the ignition status has a content of the first low-Btu fuel gas higher than that of the low-Btu fuel gas fired at the baseload status. Methods for using the system are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Suhui LI, Joel Meier HAYNES, Ping YU, Wei Chen, David Leach, John Joseph Lipinski, Manuel Moises Cardenas, JR., Wenjie Wu, Qingguo Zhang
  • Publication number: 20140260302
    Abstract: The present application and the resultant patent provide a diffusion combustor fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine. The fuel nozzle may include one or more gas fuel passages for one or more flows of gas fuel, a swirler surrounding the one or more gas fuel passages and positioned about a downstream face of the fuel nozzle, a number of swirler gas fuel ports defined in the swirler, and a number of downstream face gas fuel ports defined in the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. The swirler may include a number of swirl vanes and a number of air chambers defined between adjacent swirl vanes. The present application and the resultant patent further provide a method of operating a diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Arvind Venugopal Menon, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Predrag Popovic, Abinash Baruah
  • Patent number: 8820087
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling delivery of fuel to a dual stage nozzle in the combustor of a gas turbine. A liquid fuel is conveyed from a single stage fuel supply through a plurality of primary fuel supply lines to a first nozzle stage including a plurality of primary nozzles. A predetermined operating condition of the gas turbine is identified and a signal is produced in response to the identified operating condition. The signal effects actuation of valves located on secondary fuel supply lines extending from each of the primary fuel supply lines to supply fuel to respective secondary nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: William R. Ryan
  • Publication number: 20140238026
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle includes a center body that extends axially along an axial centerline for a length. A shroud circumferentially surrounds the center body for at least a portion of the length of the center body. A plurality of helical passages circumferentially surround the center body along at least a portion of the length of the center body, and a fuel port in each helical passage has a different convective time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, James Harold Westmoreland, III, Sarah Lori Crothers, Ronald James Chila
  • Patent number: 8806747
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus of an improved cooling structure having cooling passages are provided. A method includes forming pilot holes with an electrical discharge machine (EDM) drill near a heated flow surface. The pilot holes are then shaped with a wire EDM into cooling passages having a desired shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel P. Guinan, James B. Philpott, Henry K. Webster, Christopher Gettinger
  • Patent number: 8806871
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine is disclosed, the fuel nozzle comprising at least one unitary component made using a rapid manufacturing process. In one aspect, the rapid manufacturing process is a laser sintering process. Unitary components disclosed include a conduit, swirler, distributor, venturi and a centerbody.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Marie Ann McMasters, Michael A. Benjamin, Alfred Mancini, Steven Joseph Lohmueller
  • Publication number: 20140223913
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel injector stem includes a single piece of material with a flange, a center body, a gas gallery, and a fluid passage. The flange includes a cylindrical shape, a plurality of mounting holes and a handle hole. The center body extends from a flange cap in the flange axial direction. The gas gallery is adjacent the center body and distal to the flange. The. gas gallery includes a ring shape oriented transverse to the flange and includes a gallery opening. The fluid passage extends through the flange, center body, and gas gallery and is in flow communication with the gallery opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Inventors: Robert James Fanella, Donald Lee Seybert, Thomas John Chipman Rogers, Anthony Fahme
  • Patent number: 8800289
    Abstract: A nozzle includes a fuel plenum and an air plenum downstream of the fuel plenum. A primary fuel channel includes an inlet in fluid communication with the fuel plenum and a primary air port in fluid communication with the air plenum. Secondary fuel channels radially outward of the primary fuel channel include a secondary fuel port in fluid communication with the fuel plenum. A shroud circumferentially surrounds the secondary fuel channels. A method for mixing fuel and air in a nozzle prior to combustion includes flowing fuel to a fuel plenum and flowing air to an air plenum downstream of the fuel plenum. The method further includes injecting fuel from the fuel plenum through a primary fuel passage, injecting fuel from the fuel plenum through secondary fuel passages, and injecting air from the air plenum through the primary fuel passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Edward Johnson, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Jonathan Dwight Berry
  • Patent number: 8763401
    Abstract: There is provided an integrated fuel nozzle and ignition assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising a body having a fuel nozzle portion and an igniter portion. The fuel nozzle portion defines a fuel passage extending therethrough between a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet for directing a fuel flow into a combustion chamber. The igniter portion projects laterally from the fuel nozzle portion on a side thereof and comprises an igniter receiving cavity positioned adjacently and laterally on a side of the fuel passage. The assembly further comprises an igniter secured in the igniter receiving cavity for igniting the fuel flow discharged by the fuel passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Bhawan B. Patel, Enzo Macchia, Oleg Morenko, George Guglielmin
  • Patent number: 8752387
    Abstract: Fuel control arrangements for gas turbine engines generally comprise an injector and a fuel control valve. Typically the fuel control valve is controlled in terms of fuel demand through fuel pressure presented to the valve. Fuel demand may vary and in such circumstances stagnation of fuel adjacent to the valve may cause degradation of the fuel and therefore spurious operational performance. By providing a dedicated working fluid, and typically hydraulic, pressure to the valve a variable aperture port can be displaced to alter the fuel flow configuration within the valve. In such circumstances different fuel valve conditions can be generated by altering the available area of aperture in the port to divert or present fuel to the injector between and across first or primary fuel paths and second or pilot fuel paths as required. Thus more flexibility with regard to fuel presentation to the injector is achieved as well as consistency with respect to avoiding fuel degradation as fuel demand varies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Mark Scully
  • Patent number: 8752386
    Abstract: A fuel injector for use in a gas turbine engine combustor assembly. The fuel injector includes a main body and a fuel supply structure. The main body has an inlet end and an outlet end and defines a longitudinal axis extending between the outlet and inlet ends. The main body comprises a plurality of air/fuel passages extending therethrough, each air/fuel passage including an inlet that receives air from a source of air and an outlet. The fuel supply structure communicates with and supplies fuel to the air/fuel passages for providing an air/fuel mixture within each air/fuel passage. The air/fuel mixtures exit the main body through respective air/fuel passage outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignees: Siemens Energy, Inc., Mikro Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Fox, Reinhard Schilp, Domenico Gambacorta
  • Patent number: 8752389
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle configured to channel fluid toward a combustion chamber within a gas turbine engine and a method for assembling the same are provided. The fuel nozzle includes a first hollow tube fabricated from a first material that has a first coefficient of thermal expansion and a second tube fabricated from a second material that has a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion. The second tube is coupled within the first tube such that the first tube substantially circumscribes the second tube, and the second tube thermally expands approximately at a same rate as the first tube during fuel nozzle operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Geoffrey D. Myers, Scott Simmons, Stephen R. Thomas, Donald Mark Bailey
  • Patent number: 8739543
    Abstract: A method for operating a burner including a burner outlet opening with at least two sectors, each sector is assigned at least one fuel nozzle, is provided. The method is characterized in that fuel is supplied separately to the fuel nozzles of different sectors. Also described is a burner which includes at least two sectors wherein each sector is assigned at least one fuel nozzle. The burner includes at least two separate fuel supply lines and a device for adjusting the fuel mass flow which flows through the respective fuel supply line. The fuel supply lines supply fuel to the fuel nozzles of different sectors. Also described is a gas turbine which is fitted with at least one burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eberhard Deuker, Anil Gulati, Andreas Heilos
  • Patent number: 8733105
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a fuel spray nozzle of a gas turbine engine combustor is provided. The fuel injector has an annular flow passage which conveys fuel to a prefilming lip at an end of the flow passage. The fuel injector also has plurality of fuel distributor slots which are circumferentially spaced around and in fluid communication with the other end of the flow passage to deliver respective fuel streams into the flow passage. The slots are configured so that the fuel streams enter the flow passage at a swirl angle of at least 80° relative to the axis of the flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Ian James Toon
  • Patent number: 8726668
    Abstract: A pilot fuel injector tip includes concentric primary and secondary pilot fuel nozzles having a circular primary exit axially aft and downstream of an annular secondary exit respectively. A fuel nozzle assembly includes a pilot swirler flowpath section having an annular inwardly tapering conical flowpath section surrounding primary and secondary exits. An inwardly tapering conical wall section radially inwardly bounding flowpath section defines a conical surface. Exits are located at or axially forward or upstream of the conical surface. An annular secondary fuel supply passage in secondary pilot fuel nozzle includes a secondary fuel swirler with an array of helical spin slots that may have rectangular cross sections. A chamfered leading edge of an annular wall section disposed between an outer pilot swirler and an inlet to an injector cooling flowpath surrounding the second pilot swirler includes a radially inwardly facing conical chamfered surface for deflecting dirt from cooling flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Alfred Albert Mancini
  • Publication number: 20140123654
    Abstract: A fuel metering valve system for use with a flow of fuel in a gas turbine engine may include a number of orifice plate lines, a number of differently sized orifice plates, and a number of orifice plate line valves. One of the orifice plate line valves opens and closes one of the orifice plates on the orifice plate lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANPY
    Inventors: Alan James Kemmerer, Michael Feinstein
  • Patent number: 8713908
    Abstract: An arrangement for a combustion chamber the arrangement comprising a combustion chamber, an injector for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber and an igniter for supplying a spark for igniting fuel so injected, wherein the injector has a passage through which air is supplied to the combustion chamber in use, the igniter being positioned upstream of the combustion chamber such that a spark generated by the igniter is conveyed along the passage by the injector air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Stephen C. Harding
  • Patent number: 8701414
    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: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Eads Space Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Gotzig, Dieter May
  • Publication number: 20140090394
    Abstract: A fuel injector nozzle assembly includes a body extending along an axis and a core swirl plug positioned at least partially within the body. The core swirl plug has a flow modifying structure configured to swirl fuel at a location upstream from a distal end of the nozzle assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Inventors: Kevin Joseph Low, James B. Hoke, Aleksandar Kojovic, Andrew Manninen, Sander Niemeyer
  • Patent number: 8683810
    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: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: EADS Space Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Gotzig, Dieter May
  • Patent number: 8677756
    Abstract: A burner, such as for a secondary combustion chamber of a gas turbine with sequential combustion having first and second combustion chambers, includes an injection device for introducing at least one gaseous fuel into the burner. The injection device has at least one body which is arranged in the burner with at least one nozzle for introducing the gaseous fuel into the burner. The body is configured as a streamlined body 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 burner. The at least one nozzle has its outlet orifice at or in a trailing edge of the streamlined body. The body has two lateral surfaces substantially parallel to the main flow direction. At least one vortex generator is located on at least one lateral surface upstream of the at least one nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Madhavan Poyyapakkam, Anton Winkler, Khawar Syed, Adnan Eroglu, Andrea Ciani
  • Patent number: 8677760
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of operating a secondary fuel nozzle for a turbomachine combustor including delivering a flow of pilot fuel through a pilot fuel channel toward a combustion zone and delivering a flow of air through a plurality of transfer passages arranged around the pilot fuel channel toward the combustion zone. The flow of pilot fuel and the flow of air are combusted in the combustion zone, and a flow of transfer fuel is delivered through the plurality of transfer passages for combustion. A secondary fuel nozzle includes a pilot fuel channel extending along the fuel nozzle to deliver a flow of pilot fuel to a combustion zone. A plurality of transfer passages are arranged around the pilot fuel channel and are configured to deliver a flow of air for combustion with the flow of pilot fuel and to deliver a flow of transfer fuel to the combustion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abdul Rafey Khan, Christian Xavier Stevenson, Willy Steve Ziminsky
  • Patent number: 8667800
    Abstract: A flameless burner for a gas turbine engine includes a burner body having a longitudinal axis, an upstream section and a downstream section. The upstream section of the burner body defines a primary swirl generating chamber having air swirlers associated therewith. The primary swirl generating chamber is adapted and configured to receive compressor discharge air through the air swirlers. The strong swirl of the compressor discharge air forms a recirculation zone that entrains combustion product gases toward the burner body. Fuel injectors are operatively connected to the downstream section of the burner body for issuing fuel into the recirculated combustion product gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Cornwell, Nicholas R. Overman, Ephraim Gutmark
  • Patent number: 8661779
    Abstract: A fuel injector (36) for alternate fuels (26A, 26B) with different energy densities. Vanes (47B) extend radially from a fuel delivery tube structure (20B) with first and second fuel supply channels (19A, 19B). Each vane has first and second radial passages (21A, 21B) communicating with the respective fuel supply channels, and first and second sets of apertures (23A, 23B). The first fuel supply channel, first radial passage, and first apertures form a first fuel delivery pathway providing a first fuel flow rate at a given fuel delivery pathway backpressure that is essentially common to both sets of fuel delivery pathway apertures. The second fuel supply channel, second radial passage, and second apertures form a second fuel delivery pathway providing a second fuel flow rate that may be at least 1 about twice the first fuel flow rate at the given fuel delivery pathway backpressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter R. Laster, Weidong Cai, Timothy A. Fox, Kyle L. Landry
  • Patent number: 8661824
    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: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: Robert R. Pelletier, Michael K. Teter
  • Patent number: 8661822
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a variable geometry resonator configured to couple to a fluid path upstream from a combustor of a turbine engine. The variable geometry resonator is configured to dampen pressure oscillations in the fluid path and the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ilya Slobodyanskiy, John Lipinski, Shiva Srinivasan, Dmitry Tretyakov
  • Patent number: 8650881
    Abstract: A method for controlling a gas turbine combustion system includes supplying an ultra low calorific fuel to a combustor of the combustion system through a first fuel circuit, controlling a supply of the ultra low calorific fuel through a second fuel circuit as required to control the volumetric flow of the ultra low calorific fuel through the combustor, and combusting the ultra low calorific fuel in the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Willy Steve Ziminsky, Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8640463
    Abstract: A swirler for fuel injection in a gas turbine engine includes a frustoconical swirler body. A first and a second air flow path direct air in generally opposed circumferential directions into the swirler. These air paths intermix and create turbulence. As this turbulence encounters fuel droplets, the fuel is atomized, and uniformly distributed within the air flow. A shear layer is created adjacent an inner surface of the swirler body. In a separate feature, a third air flow path is directed into the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Albert K. Cheung
  • Publication number: 20140026578
    Abstract: A combustor nozzle assembly includes: a nozzle mounting base which blocks a combustor insertion opening formed in a turbine casing; a nozzle rod which passes through the nozzle mounting base and has a rod tip portion and a rod base end portion; an oil fuel pipe which is as a whole inserted into the nozzle rod, which has a pipe tip portion and a pipe base end portion, in which fuel is supplied to the inside through the rod base end portion, and which injects the fuel from the pipe tip portion through the rod tip portion; and an O-ring which is disposed in the rod base end portion and suppresses leakage of fuel to the pipe tip portion side between the inner periphery side of the nozzle rod and the outer periphery side of the oil fuel pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shin Kato, Yoshitaka Terada, Takashi Onozuka
  • Patent number: 8616003
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly comprises a first-fuel-inlet tube, a second-fuel-inlet tube, and a plate stack. The nozzle-plate stack (100) defines a central circuit, corner air circuits, a first fuel circuit and a second fuel circuit. The fuel circuits include a swirl chamber in which the fuel is swirled prior to being merged with the central circuit. The corner air circuits merge with the central circuit downstream of the fuel circuits' merge and provide an additional swirling component to further shape the fuel-air stream prior to ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Hollon, Adel B. Mansour, Erlendur Steinthorsson
  • Patent number: 8607569
    Abstract: A method of assembling a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes coupling a combustor in flow communication with a compressor such that the combustor receives at least some of the air discharged by the compressor. A fuel nozzle assembly is coupled to the combustor and includes at least one fuel nozzle that includes a plurality of interior surfaces, wherein a thermal barrier coating is applied across at least one of the plurality of interior surfaces to facilitate shielding the interior surfaces from combustion gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Andrew Helmick, Thomas Edward Johnson, William David York, Benjamin Paul Lacy