Injectors In Distinct Radially Spaced Parallel Flow Combustion Products Generators Arranged To Combine Discharges Patents (Class 60/747)
  • Patent number: 6996991
    Abstract: A fuel system for a turbine engine for reducing CO emissions caused during fuel staging processes while the turbine engine operates at reduced loads. The fuel system may include a first premix injector assembly and a second premix injector assembly, each formed from one or more injectors. In at least one embodiment, the first premix injector includes four injectors assembled into two pairs, and the second premix injector includes four injectors assembled into two pairs. The two pairs of the second premix injector assembly may be positioned between the two pairs forming the first premix injector assembly, thereby reducing the interface between fueled and unfueled areas, which reduces CO emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Satish Gadde, William Ryan
  • Patent number: 6983605
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor system including a lean premix combustor and a water delivery system. The combustor is operable with a fuel/air mixture equivalence ratio less than one and the water delivery system is configured to supply at least one of water or steam to the gas turbine engine such that either the water or the steam is injected into the combustor to control emissions generated by the combustor. As a result, nitrous oxide emissions for specified turbine operating power levels are lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard B. Hook, John M. Davidson, Eric J. Kress, Jack W. Smith, Jr., James W. Stegmaier, Paul V. Heberling, David B. Patterson
  • Patent number: 6935116
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustion system having reduced emissions and improved flame stability at multiple load conditions is disclosed. The improved combustion system accomplishes this through complete premixing, a plurality of fuel injector locations, combustor geometry, and precise three dimensional staging between fuel injectors. Axial, radial, and circumferential fuel staging is utilized including fuel injection proximate air swirlers. Furthermore, strong recirculation zones are established proximate the introduction of fuel and air premixture from different stages to the combustion zone. The combination of the strong recirculation zones, efficient premixing, and staged fuel flow thereby provide the opportunity to produce low emissions combustion at various load conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Power Systems Mfg., LLC
    Inventors: Peter J. Stuttaford, Stephen Jennings, Andrew Green, Ryan McMahon, Yan Chen, Hany Rizkalla, John Carella, Vamsi Duraibabu, Martin Spalding
  • Patent number: 6931853
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor (10) having a first grouping (64) of pre-mix burners (12, 12?, 12?) having mixing passages (36) that are geometrically different than the mixing passages (38) of a second grouping (66) of pre-mix burners (14, 14?, 14?). The aerodynamic differences created by these geometric differences provide a degree of control over combustion properties of the respective flames (44, 46) produced in a downstream combustion chamber (40) when the two groupings of burners are fueled by separate fuel stages (52, 54). The geometric difference between the fuel passages of the two groupings may be outlet diameter, slope of convergence of the passage diameter, or outlet contour. The fuel injection regions (16, 18) of all of the burners may be identical to reduce cost and inventory complexity. The burners may be arranged in a ring (60) with a center pre-mix burner (68) being identical to burners of either of the groupings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventor: Robert W. Dawson
  • Patent number: 6886341
    Abstract: A gas-turbine engine combustor having a plurality of venturi mixers, each connected to an air supply path that passes air compressed by a compressor and to a supply source of gaseous fuel, which mix the air and the gaseous fuel to produce an air-fuel mixture and supply the air-fuel mixture to a combustion chamber for generating premixed combustion or diffusive combustion such that produced combustion gas is supplied to a turbine through a turbine nozzle to rotates the turbine that outputs its rotation through an output shaft, while driving the compressor by the rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsutomu Inoue, Atsushi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6871501
    Abstract: A method enables a gas turbine engine including a combustor to be operated. The combustor includes a mixer assembly including an air swirler, a premixer, a dome plate, and a heat shield. The method comprises discharging fluids from the air swirler into the premixer, and directing cooling fluids through a cooling opening defined in at least one of the swirler and the dome plate towards an upstream side of the heat shield for impingement cooling of the heat shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John D. Bibler, Timothy J. Held, Mark A. Mueller
  • Patent number: 6862888
    Abstract: This pilot nozzle has a fuel oil supply pipe disposed at the center of a heat-shielding air layer that is provided along an axial core, and a plurality of atomized-fluid supply paths are disposed in the circumferential direction of a cylinder unit that surrounds the outside of the heat-shielding air layer. The atomized-fluid supply paths and the fuel gas supply paths are disposed alternately and uniformly. Based on this structure, it is possible to take a large thickness for the heat-shielding air layer to a maximum extent in a radial direction. Therefore, it is possible to protect the fuel oil supply pipe disposed at the center, from high temperature at the outside of the pilot nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Akagi, Taku Ichiryu, Kazuhiro Matsui
  • Patent number: 6862889
    Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine engine facilitates reducing an amount of emissions from a combustor. The combustor includes a mixer assembly including a pilot mixer, a main mixer, and an annular centerbody extending therebetween. The method comprises injecting at least one of fuel and airflow into the combustor through at least one swirler positioned within the pilot mixer, and injecting fuel into the combustor through at least one swirler positioned within the main mixer, such that the fuel is directed into a combustion chamber downstream from the main mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Timothy James Held, Mark Anthony Mueller, Jun Xu
  • Patent number: 6837052
    Abstract: A fully premixed secondary fuel nozzle assembly for use in a gas turbine combustor having multiple combustion chambers, in which the products of the premixed secondary fuel nozzle assembly are injected into the second combustion chamber for supporting a pilot flame and flame transfer between combustion chambers, is disclosed. The improvement includes the elimination of the pilot fuel circuit, which previously served to establish flame in the second combustion chamber. The secondary fuel nozzle assembly includes at least one first injector extending radially outward from the fuel nozzle body for injecting all fuel from the fuel nozzle to mix with compressed air prior to combustion. The first injector can include a plurality of tubes or an annular manifold circumferentially disposed about the nozzle body. Compressed air is drawn into the nozzle body and passes through holes in an injector plate at the tip region to provide cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Power Systems Mfg, LLC
    Inventor: Vincent C. Martling
  • Patent number: 6832481
    Abstract: A performance-enhancing fuel nozzle is disclosed. The nozzle suitable for use in combustors which combine high-swirl-number combustion in a pilot zone with low-swirl-number combustion in a main combustion zone. The nozzle includes a fuel delivery member adapted for fluid communication with a fuel source and a flow conditioning member having a fuel exit port. The fuel exit port is in fluid communication with the fuel supply and is adapted to ensure that the recirculation region adjacent the nozzle tip remains flame free. In one aspect of the invention, the fuel concentration profile of the nozzle is characterized by a radially-outward region that is flammable and a radially-inward region that is substantially non-flammable. In another aspect of the invention, the fuel exit port being is disposed a radially-outward portion of the flow conditioning member. In another aspect of the invention, the flow conditioning member is characterized by a swirl number lower than about 0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Herbert Koenig, Bernd Prade
  • Publication number: 20040177615
    Abstract: A fully premixed secondary fuel nozzle assembly for use in a gas turbine combustor having multiple combustion chambers, in which the products of the premixed secondary fuel nozzle assembly are injected into the second combustion chamber for supporting a pilot flame and flame transfer between combustion chambers, is disclosed. The improvement includes the elimination of the pilot fuel circuit, which previously served to establish flame in the second combustion chamber. The secondary fuel nozzle assembly includes at least one first injector extending radially outward from the fuel nozzle body for injecting all fuel from the fuel nozzle to mix with compressed air prior to combustion. The first injector can include a plurality of tubes or an annular manifold circumferentially disposed about the nozzle body. Compressed air is drawn into the nozzle body and passes through holes in an injector plate at the tip region to provide cooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventor: Vincent c. Martling
  • Publication number: 20040163392
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor is provided with a nozzle extension tube having an inclination outward in a diameter direction of a combustor inner cylinder and in a peripheral direction of the combustor inner cylinder. As a result, the premixed gas is transformed to a spiral flow passing into a combustion chamber while turning, i.e., an outward turning flow, thereby sufficiently mixing the premixed gas while the premixed gas is flowing in the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Nishida, Katsunori Tanaka, Wataru Akizuki, Sadao Minagawa
  • Patent number: 6758045
    Abstract: A method enables a gas turbine engine multi-domed combustor including an outer liner and an inner liner that define a combustion chamber therebetween to be assembled. The method comprises coupling a first dome including a heat shield that includes an annular endbody that extends a first distance axially from the heat shield to the combustor outer liner, and coupling a second dome including a heat shield that includes an annular endbody that extends a second distance axially from the heat shield to the first dome, such that the second dome is radially aligned with respect to the first dome, and wherein the second dome second distance is less than the first dome first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mina Dimov, Paul R. Angel, Steven Marakovits, Daniel Dale Brown
  • Patent number: 6718770
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel injector conduit includes a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates. Each of the plates has a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves. Opposing grooves in each of the plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the strip from an inlet end to an outlet end. The feed strip includes a substantially straight middle portion between the inlet end and the outlet end. In one alternative, the middle portion has a radius of curvature greater than a length of the middle portion. The feed strip has at least one acute bend between the inlet end and the middle portion and a bend between the outlet end and the middle portion. The feed strip has fuel inlet holes in the inlet end connected to the internal fuel flow passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Peter Laing, Michael Peter Wrubel, Barry Walford Savel, Rex Jay Harvey, Alfred Albert Mancini, James Neil Cooper, Robert Thane Mains
  • Patent number: 6708498
    Abstract: A swirl cup for a gas turbine engine combustor includes a tubular body having an inlet at one end for receiving a fuel injection nozzle, an outlet at an opposite end for discharging the fuel, and an annular septum therebetween. A row of first swirl vanes is attached to the septum adjacent the body inlet, and a row of second swirl vanes is attached to the septum adjacent the first swirl vanes and spaced upstream from the body outlet. Air from the first and second swirl vanes is swirled directly around the injected fuel without a flow barrier or venturi therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard W. Stickles, John L. Halpin
  • Publication number: 20040040307
    Abstract: A method enables a gas turbine engine multi-domed combustor including an outer liner and an inner liner that define a combustion chamber therebetween to be assembled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Mina Dimov, Paul R. Angel, Steven Marakovits, Daniel Dale Brown
  • Publication number: 20040035114
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor comprises a premixed combustion burner disposed on the periphery of a pilot burner, an approximately cylindrical combustor liner disposed on the downstream side of the premixed combustion burner, which defines a combustion chamber in the liner. The gas turbine combustor is characterized by further comprising flame stabilizers radially disposed at the exit of the premixed combustion burner, and a fuel injection means with which the pilot burner is provided injects at least one of gas fuel and liquid fuel, in which a plurality of air nozzles are provided which are located outside the pilot burner and inside the premixed combustion burner, and which spout out air into the combustion chamber. Adequate combustion can be accomplished with a combustor which is capable of using gas fuel and liquid fuel, and at the same time, NOx can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Akinori Hayashi, Shinichi Inage, Hiromi Koizumi, Isao Takehara, Kazuyuki Ito, Toshifumi Sasao, Hidetaro Murata
  • Patent number: 6679063
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a combustion chamber head for a gas turbine with at least one combustion chamber wall 2,3, a metering panel 1, at least one heat shield 4, at least one sleeve 5 and a cowling 6, characterized in that the metering panel 1 forms one part with the combustion chamber outer wall 2 and the combustion chamber inner wall 3, in that the heat shield 4 is mounted onto the metering panel 1 from the downstream side of the metering panel 1, in that the sleeve 5 is mounted to the metering panel 1 from the upstream side, and in that the cowling 6 is separably attached to the metering panel 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventor: Michael Ebel
  • Patent number: 6672073
    Abstract: A system for supporting a plurality of fuel nozzles in a combustor includes a plurality of fuel nozzles coupled to a fuel nozzle support housing proximate an upstream end of each fuel nozzle, a plurality of swirler vanes rigidly coupled to respective fuel nozzles proximate an intermediate portion of the fuel nozzle, a plurality of shrouds rigidly coupled to respective swirler vanes, each shroud having an upstream end adjacent the intermediate portion of the fuel nozzle and a downstream end and a support plate rigidly coupled to the plurality of shrouds proximate an intermediate portion of each of the shrouds. The support plate has a perimeter approximately equal to an inside perimeter of combustor housing which allow the support plate to limit the movement and vibration of the fuel nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventor: David J. Wiebe
  • Patent number: 6634175
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor has homogenous air inflow by elimination of turbulence from the air, reducing combustion instability. A combustor 3 has, at its center, a pilot nozzle 8 and eight main nozzles 7 around the pilot nozzle 8. The air flows in around the individual nozzles 7 and 8 to the leading end of the combustor 3 so that it is used for combustion. An annular flow ring 20, having a semicirculat section, is disposed at the upstream end portion of a combustion cylinder 10, and a porous plate 50 and a surrounding rib 51 are disposed downstream of the flow ring 20. The air inflow is smoothly turned at first by the flow ring 20 and then straightened by the porous plate 50 so that the air flows without any disturbance around the individual nozzles 7 and 8 to the leading end, thereby reducing combustion instability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kawata, Shigemi Mandai, Yoshiaki Tsukuda, Eiji Akita, Hisato Arimura
  • Patent number: 6550251
    Abstract: A swirl cup for a gas turbine engine combustor includes a tubular body having an inlet at one end for receiving a fuel injection nozzle, an outlet at an opposite end for discharging the fuel, and an annular septum therebetween. A row of first swirl vanes is attached to the septum adjacent the body inlet, and a row of second swirl vanes is attached to the septum adjacent the first swirl vanes and spaced upstream from the body outlet. Air from the first and second swirl vanes is swirled directly around the injected fuel without a flow barrier or venturi therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard W. Stickles, John L. Halpin
  • Patent number: 6513334
    Abstract: A three stage lean burn combustion chamber (28) comprises a primary combustion zone (36), a secondary combustion zone (40) and a tertiary combustion zone (44). Each of the combustion zones (36, 40, 44) is supplied with premixed fuel and air by respective fuel and air mixing ducts (76, 78, 80, 92). Secondary fuel injectors (106) and two secondary fuel manifolds (105A, 105B) supply fuel into different circumferential sectors, halves, of the secondary fuel and air mixing duct (80). The secondary fuel manifolds (105A, 105B) have secondary fuel valves (107A, 107B) which supply a greater proportion of fuel to the secondary fuel manifold (105A) than the secondary fuel manifold (105B) so that there is circumferential biasing of fuel in the secondary combustion zone (40). This circumferential biasing of fuel in the secondary combustion zone (40) reduces the generation of harmful pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Brian A. Varney
  • Patent number: 6502399
    Abstract: A pre-mixture forming swirler in a gas turbine pre-mixed flame type low NOx combustor is improved so as to accelerate mixing of fuel and air and to prevent the occurrence of flame stagnation and burning of components. In particular, a three-dimensional swirler is constructed such that each swirler vane is twisted from a hub side thereof to a tip side so that a fitting angle of the tip side relative to a center axis of a fuel nozzle is larger than an angle of the hub side. Thereby, while the angle of the hub side is set smaller so that flame stagnation and burning of components resulted therefrom may be prevented from occurring, the angle of the tip side may be selected so that the shearing flow necessary for appropriate mixing of fuel and air is obtained. Thus, favorable pre-mixing is achieved, life deterioration due to burning, etc., is prevented and combustion efficiency is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigemi Mandai, Masataka Ohta, Mitsuru Inada, Shinji Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 6484489
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine operates with high combustion efficiency and low carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and smoke emissions during low, intermediate, and high engine power operations is described. The combustor includes a mixer assembly including a pilot mixer and a main mixer. The pilot mixer includes a pilot fuel injector, at least one swirler, and an air splitter. The main mixer extends circumferentially around the pilot mixer and includes a plurality of fuel injection ports and a conical air swirler upstream from the fuel injection ports. During idle engine power operation, the pilot mixer is aerodynamically isolated from the main mixer, and only air is supplied to the main mixer. During increased power operations, fuel is also supplied to the main mixer, and the main mixer conical swirler facilitates radial and circumferential fuel-air mixing to provide a substantially uniform fuel and air distribution for combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Jerome Foust, Hukam Chand Mongia
  • Patent number: 6427446
    Abstract: An improved dual-stage, dual-mode turbine combustor capable of reducing nitric oxide (NOx) emissions is disclosed. This can-annular combustor utilizes multiple, single wall sheet metal combustor liners, generally annular in shape, and each liner having multiple hole film cooling means, which includes at least one pattern of small, closely spaced film cooling holes angled sharply in the downstream direction and various circumferential angles for improved liner cooling and improved fuel/air mixing within the liner, resulting in lower NOx emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Power Systems Mfg., LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Kraft, Vincent C. Martling, Brian R. Mack, Mark A. Minnich
  • Publication number: 20020092302
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. The mixer assembly includes a mixer housing having a hollow interior, an inlet and an outlet. The housing delivers a mixture of fuel and air through the outlet to the combustion chamber for burning. The mixer assembly includes a fuel nozzle assembly mounted in the housing having a fuel passage adapted for connection to a fuel supply. The passage extends to an outlet port for delivering fuel from the passage to the hollow interior of the mixer housing. The nozzle assembly includes a plasma generator for generating at least one of a dissociated fuel and an ionized fuel from the fuel delivered through the nozzle outlet port to the hollow interior of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Inventors: Arthur Wesley Johnson, Timothy James Held, Hukam Chand Mongia, Michael Louis Vermeersch
  • Patent number: 6389798
    Abstract: A flow controller (5) for supplying air to a combustor and a combustor incorporating the same are disclosed. The flow controller comprising a conduit (6, 7, 8) and a control port (9), the conduit including a main section (8) dividing into at least two secondary sections (6, 7) at a junction and the control port being positioned in the conduit adjacent to the junction. In one embodiment, the control port is connected to a reservoir (10) wherein, in use, a change in the flow rate of a main airflow flowing through the main section of conduit causes a control airflow to flow either into or out of the control port whereby the main airflow is selectively diverted into one or other of the secondary sections of conduit. The main airflow may coanda around a surface of the main section. The control port may also be connected to the conduit further upstream of the junction so as to form a control loop (16). The main section of conduit may comprise a convergent-divergent duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Qinetiq Limited
    Inventors: John Ronald Tilston, John Austin
  • Publication number: 20020043067
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustion system comprises a cylindrical combustor, a plurality of combustion sections in an arrangement spaced apart in an axial direction of the combustor, a plurality of fuel supply lines independently connected to the combustion sections, respectively, premixed fuel supply sections respectively provided for the fuel supply lines for supplying a premixed fuel, a diffusion combustion fuel supply section for supplying a diffusion combustion fuel to the combustion sections, and a control switching over the fuel supply sections to selectively supply either one of the premixed fuel and the diffusion combustion fuel. The premixed fuel at a first combustion stage is burned while the premixed fuel of subsequent stage is ignited by a high-temperature gas generated from combustion of the premixed fuel of a preceding combustion stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 1998
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: FUKUO MAEDA, YASUNORI IWAI, YUZO SATO
  • Patent number: 6360776
    Abstract: An apparatus for mixing fuel with oxidizing agent is disclosed comprising an outer body and an inner body. The outer body has an interior surface extending between an inlet end toward an outlet end. The interior surface includes a first plurality of openings. The inner body has an exterior surface extending between the first end and the second end of the inner body. The exterior surface of the inner body includes a second plurality of openings. At least a portion of the exterior surface of the inner body is positioned within the outer body to define a mixing channel between the exterior surface of the inner body and the interior surface of the outer body. In one form the first and second plurality of openings substantially longitudinally span at least one of the outer body and the inner body. In another form the first and second plurality of openings are substantially radially oriented. In yet another form the first and second plurality of openings are offset from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Keith Alan McCormick, Duane A. Smith
  • Patent number: 6360525
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine comprises an annular combustion chamber having radially outer and inner rows of fuel injectors disposed concentrically in the combustor head wall. Injectors in one of the rows are in angular registration with spaces between injectors in the other row. Each fuel injector produces a fuel/air mixture having a swirling motion, and has a downstream mixing duct. Each mixing duct opens into the combustion chamber through the combustor head wall and has a length sufficient to allow at least partial mixing of the fuel/air mixture before entry to the combustion chamber as a divergent swirling stream. Mixing ducts in the first and second rows of injectors have longitudinal centerlines oriented to coincide with generating rays of respective first and second imaginary conical surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Alstom Gas Turbines Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Senior, Sebastian Maidhof
  • Publication number: 20020017101
    Abstract: This invention relates to a gas-turbine combustion chamber with at least one pilot burner (2) and at least one main burner (3) which are axially and radially offset relative to each other, said combustion chamber (1) comprising an outer flame-tube wall (4) and an inner flame-tube wall (5) each provided with ports for the introduction of air, and said main burner (3) being located at the outer flame-tube wall (4) and said pilot burner (2) being located at the inner flame-tube wall (5), characterized in that the outer flame-tube wall (4) is provided with a first arrangement (6) of ports and in that the inner flame-tube wall (5) is provided with a second arrangement (7) of ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: Thomas Schilling, Thomas Dorr
  • Patent number: 6298667
    Abstract: A combustor dome module includes a mixer tube having a hollow heat shield sealingly joined around the outlet end thereof. The modules may then be assembled in an array for defining the combustor dome, with each module being individually removable therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Charles Glynn, Ely Eskenazi Halila, John David Bibler, David Byron Morris
  • Publication number: 20010023590
    Abstract: A pre-mixture forming swirler in a gas turbine pre-mixed flame type low NOx combustor is improved so as to accelerate mixing of fuel and air and to prevent the occurrence of flame stagnation and burning of components. In particular, a three-dimensional swirler is constructed such that each swirler vane (101a) is twisted from a hub side thereof to a tip side so that a fitting angle (&bgr;) of the tip side relative to the center axis (C) of the fuel nozzle (102) is larger than the angle (&agr;) of the hub side. Thereby, while the angle (&agr;) of the hub side is set smaller so that flame stagnation and burning of components resulted therefrom may be prevented from occurring, the angle (&bgr;) of the tip side may be selected so that the shearing flow necessary for appropriate mixing of fuel (F) and air (A) is obtained. Thus, favorable pre-mixing is achieved, life deterioration due to the burning etc. is prevented and combustion efficiency is enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Inventors: Shigemi Mandai, Masataka Ohta, Mitsuru Inada, Shinji Akamatsu
  • Publication number: 20010023589
    Abstract: The present plasma type exhaust gas cleaning apparatus comprises a dielectric (5) arranged between a discharge electrode (7) and a ground electrode (8). The dielectric has a plurality of independent cavities (6) formed therein. The exhaust gas from combustion equipment (1) flows through the interiors of the plurality of independent cavities (6). Thus, in the plasma type exhaust gas cleaning apparatus, the discharge electrode (7) and the ground electrode (8) are securely partitioned by the cavities (6). When a voltage from a high voltage generator (9) is applied to between the discharge electrode (7) and the ground electrode (8), plasma resulting from corona discharges occurs in each individual cavity (6) without arising directly across the discharge electrode (7) and the ground electrode (8). The exhaust gas is thereby cleaned up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Inventors: Yasuki Tamura, Kojiro Okada, Kazuo Koga, Osamu Nakayama, Keisuke Kawamura, Kiyoshi Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20010022088
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor, in which plural pre-mixers that inject fuel into swirling air passages are arranged to surround a pilot burner, and a pilot flame, guided by a pilot cone in the shape of a flaring pipe and provided at the rear end of the pilot burner, is mixed with a pre-mixture blown out from the pre-mixers to obtain a combustion gas, comprising flame-stabilizing means. The flame-stabilizing means lower the disturbance in a region where the pre-mixture and the pilot flame are mixed or stabilize the pilot flame, so that the flame generated by igniting the pre-mixture with the pilot flame is stabilized. By stabilizing the flame, combustion with a leaner air-fuel ratio is possible, and thereby the amount of NOx can be decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Publication date: September 20, 2001
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shigemi Mandai, Tetsuo Gora, Katsunori Tanaka, Kouichi Nishida
  • Patent number: 6269646
    Abstract: A combustor comprises an outer combustor casing defining a plurality of circumferentially adjoining combustion chambers. Each combustion chamber comprises a dome at an upstream end and an outlet at a downstream end. A plurality of pre-mixers are joined to the combustor dome of each respective combustion chamber. The pre-mixers comprise a duct having an inlet at one end for receiving compressed air, an outlet at an opposite end disposed in flow communication with the combustion chamber and a swirler disposed in the duct adjacent the duct inlet for swirling air channeled therethrough. A fuel injector is provided for injecting fuel into the pre-mixer ducts and for mixing with the air in the ducts for flow into the combustion chamber to generate a combustion flame at the duct outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffery Allan Lovett, Masayoshi Kuwata, Anil Gulati
  • Publication number: 20010004827
    Abstract: A nozzle configuration and control methodology adapted to provide a compact means for configuring and operating an industrial gas turbine on either gaseous or liquid fuel while utilizing fuel staging to achieve very low emissions. More specifically, the outer fuel nozzles are used for delivery of a portion of the premix gaseous fuel and all liquid fuel, but not diffusion gaseous fuel. Water injection for emissions control on liquid fuel and atomizing air for the liquid fuel are also supplied entirely by the outer fuel nozzles. The central fuel nozzle is thus used for the supply of both premix gaseous fuel and all diffusion gaseous fuel. The disclosed configuration reduces the number of required fluid passages thus simplifying the endcover structure while enabling fuel staging to achieve very low emissions on gaseous fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Christian L. Vandervort, Richard S. Bourgeois
  • Patent number: 6209325
    Abstract: The combustor has three injection stages to supply fuel or a fuel/air mixture progressively to a pre-chamber or a main combustion chamber wherein the third injection stage comprises an elongated passage with an arrangement for introducing fuel into the passage. Preferably the passage extends alongside the combustion chamber and/or another passage for cooling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: European Gas Turbines Limited
    Inventor: Hisham S Alkabie
  • Patent number: 6182451
    Abstract: A hybrid combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of circularly arrayed ceramic can combustors whose outlets communicate with the inlet of an annular, metal combustor. The combustion process is continuous through the plurality of can combustors and into the single annular combustor. Preferably only fuel-rich combustion occurs within each of the can combustors, and fuel-lean combustion continues within the single annular combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventor: James L. Hadder
  • Patent number: 6155055
    Abstract: A separator (10) for a two-head combustion chamber which comprises a plurty of segments (11) that are arrayed circumferentially and spaced apart a distance (x) from one another and that are affixed to appropriately shaped sheetmetal (12, 13) of the combustion chamber. Each segment (11) is shaped as an elongated, hollow body with an upper wall (17) and a lower wall (18). The segments are cooled by air from an upstream portion of an end of the combustion chamber entering the segments (11) and exhausting by a plurality of orifices (34) in the segment walls (17, 18). The upper and lower segment walls (17) and (18) are respectively heat-protected by two sets of tiles (40, 41), each of the tiles straddling two adjacent segments, being spaced a distance from the walls (17, 18) to subtend an enclosed space (46, 47) therebetween, and having at least one tile orifice (48, 49, 50) which allows the cooling air from the segments (11) to exhaust into the heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation
    Inventor: Alexandre Forestier
  • Patent number: 6122916
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor is provided having a nozzle housing adjacent to a main combustion zone, a diffusion fuel pilot nozzle, at least one main nozzle extending through the nozzle housing and attached thereto, and a parabolic pilot cone projecting from the vicinity of an injection port of the pilot nozzle. The parabolic pilot cone has a diverged end adjacent to the main combustion zone, and a parabolic profile forming a pilot flame zone adjacent to the injection port and the diverged end. The increased volume of the pilot flame zone provide a more stable pilot flame. The more stable pilot flame and leaner fuel/air mixture reduce NO.sub.x /CO emissions. A second gas turbine combustor is provided having a fluted pilot cone. The fluted pilot cone has an undulated diverged end adjacent to the main combustion zone forming a pilot flame zone adjacent to the injection port and the undulated diverged end. The undulated diverged end of the fluted pilot cone creates turbulence in the main combustion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Amos, Mitchell O. Stokes
  • Patent number: 6105371
    Abstract: The invention relates to the control of air flows for cooling the axial walls of a high-temperature combustion chamber in which the walls are provided with through holes forming multiple perforations, and involves arranging the multiple perforations so that the cooling airflow permeability of the walls in the downstream zone of the chamber decreases in the downstream direction in order to compensate for the effects of the increase in pressure drop due to variation of the gas flow velocity. The invention is particularly applicable to sharply convergent combustion chambers such as twin-head combustion chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "Snecma"
    Inventors: Denis Roger Henri Ansart, Denis Jean Maurice Sandelis
  • Patent number: 6094916
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a lean premix module for an industrial gas turbine engine to satisfy increasingly stringent environmental requirements. A combustion system of the present invention employs a lean premix technique to meet the engine operability requirements and high power emission targets without the use of combustor diluent injection or post combustor exhaust treatment. A lean premix combustion mode is utilized to minimize primary zone combustion temperatures and limit the oxides of nitrogen production during high power engine operation. In one form of the present invention, the lean premix combustion is carried out in an off centerline silo combustor having a plurality of lean premix modules positioned parallel within a common liner. The lean premix modules receive the air from the compressor into a radial swirler and the fuel is dispensed along the radial swirler in order to be premixed with the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Allison Engine Company
    Inventors: Rahul Puri, Mohan K. Razdan, Duane A. Smith, David M. Stansel
  • Patent number: 6070412
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combustion chamber containing a number of aerohanical injectors mounted in the end of the chamber that connects the upstream end of two annular walls and which are supplied with fuel permanently during operation. The injectors are arranged in two concentric rows around the axis of symmetry and in pairs in longitudinal planes passing through the axis of symmetry. The injectors of the two rows are more or less equidistant from the outlet of the chamber and have axes directed toward the outlet. A carefully considered distribution of the primary holes, dilution holes and the air flow allows the emissions of oxides of nitrogen to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Societe National d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "Snecma"
    Inventors: Denis Roger Henri Ansart, Bruno James, Michel Andre Albert Desaulty, Richard Emile Staessen
  • Patent number: 6058710
    Abstract: An axially stepped annular combustion chamber, especially of an aircraft gas turbine, has an essentially independent main combustion chamber 5' as well as an independent pilot burner chamber 5. An appropriate design of internal limiting walls 6a, 6b of pilot burner chamber 5 ensures that the combustion gases enter the main burner zone 5' essentially in the radial direction. This ensures optimum mixing of the fuel with air in this main combustion zone and/or main combustion chamber 5', thus minimizing exhaust emissions and ensuring optimum temperature distribution at combustion chamber outlet 8. Internal limiting wall 6a can have a deflecting section 12 or outer wall section 6b can run at an angle to pilot burner lengthwise axis 3a, so that the cross section of pilot burner zone 5 is reduced in the flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH
    Inventor: Norbert Brehm
  • Patent number: 6047550
    Abstract: Lean premixed combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel and air is combined with lean direct injection of hydrocarbon fuel and air into a combustor downstream of the premixed reaction zone in order to achieve extremely low levels of emissions of oxides of nitrogen at the high combustor exit temperatures required by advanced heavy duty industrial gas turbines. One or more premixing fuel nozzles are used to supply a lean mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and air to the main or primary reaction zone of a gas turbine combustor. This lean fuel/air mixture has an adiabatic flame temperature below the temperature that would result in substantial thermal NOx formation. After this low temperature reaction has been completed, additional fuel and air are injected into the products of combustion downstream of the main reaction zone in order to raise the temperature of the mixture to the level required to operate an advanced, high efficiency, heavy duty industrial gas turbine at high load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Beebe
  • Patent number: 6047551
    Abstract: A multi-nozzle combustor comprising a pilot nozzle for flame retention and a plurality of main nozzles arranged around the pilot nozzle, each of the nozzles including an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, and an annular passage defined between the outer and inner cylinders and forming therein a mixture-evaporation region for a fuel ejected and atomized by an airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Ishiguro, Shigemi Mandai, Mitsuru Inada, Satoshi Tanimura, Kouichi Nishida
  • Patent number: 5983643
    Abstract: The invention relates to a main-burner arrangement of a combustion chamber (5), in particular for a gas turbine, at least two main-burner groups (13.1, 13.2), each comprising at least one burner (13) of the same size and geometry being provided for the purpose of equipping the combustion chamber (5), and at least one main-burner group representing the normal main burner(s) (13.1), the normal main burner(s) (13.1) producing a homogeneous flame front in the combustion chamber (5), and the other main-burner group interfering as an interference burner or burners (13.2) with the homogeneity of the flame front in the combustion chamber (5). In this burner arrangement, the interference burner(s) (13.2) is/are arranged in the combustion chamber (5) so as to be inclined or axially displaced in relation to the normal main burner(s) (13.1). This interferes with the symmetry and homogeneity of the flame front. The power of the combustion chamber is increased and pressure pulsations can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AG
    Inventor: Hans-Jurgen Kiesow
  • Patent number: 5974781
    Abstract: The instant invention is directed in general to combustors for gas turbines and, more specifically, to a hybrid can-annular combustor for axial staging in low NOx Combustion. In a preferred embodiment, the instant invention uses premixing stages at different axial positions to carry out axial staging of the heat release for increased operability, where the combustor has a first premixing means for injecting a fuel-air mixture into a can-type configuration for providing the advantages of a can-type combustor for low-load and/or low-temperature conditions and a second premixing means for injecting a fuel-air mixture into an annular-type configuration for providing the advantages of an annular-type combustor for high load and/or high temperature conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sanjay Marc Correa, Jeffery Allan Lovett
  • Patent number: 5970716
    Abstract: A double annular combustor having concentrically disposed inner and outer annular combustors including an inner dome having an inner portion and an outer portion, an outer dome having an inner portion and an outer portion, wherein the outer dome inner portion is connected to the inner dome outer portion, and a substantially annular centerbody disposed between the inner dome and the outer dome. The centerbody includes a plurality of structurally independent arcuate segments, wherein each centerbody segment is retained in position via an interference fit between a first flange of such centerbody extending downstream and a hook in the inner dome outer portion and/or via a clamping fit of a second flange of the centerbody extending upstream to a flange of the inner dome outer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James M. Forrester, Gregory A. Cimmarusti, David B. Legger, James N. Cooper, Robert J. Albers