Having Bluff Flame Stabilization Means Patents (Class 60/749)
  • Patent number: 11885497
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle assembly comprising an annular slot surrounding a fuel nozzle, the annular slot having gas passages for feeding a gas into the slot and against an opposing wall of the slot. A method of operating a gas turbine engine including directing a gas flow into and across the slot against an opposing wall of the slot to generate a circulating gas flow filling the slot, the gas flow passing into the slot through one or more gas outlets within the slot and thereafter said gas flow exiting the slot into the combustion chamber, the gas outlets spaced away from the closed end of the slot. A gas turbine engine comprising a slot formed in a fuel nozzle assembly, the slot having one or more gas passages extending through a wall of the slot and feeding a gas into the slot against a another wall of the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Si-Man Amy Lao
  • Patent number: 11840967
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes: a compressor section including a compressor mean radius; a combustor section fluidly coupled downstream of the compressor section and include a combustor mean radius; and a turbine section fluidly coupled downstream of the combustor section and a turbine mid-span radius. The combustor mean radius is greater than each of the compressor mean radius and the turbine mid-span radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Peter Daniel Silkowski
  • Patent number: 11835236
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a forward liner segment having an aft end portion. The forward liner segment at least partially defines a primary combustion chamber. The combustor further includes an aft liner segment having a forward end portion. A channel is defined between the forward liner segment and the aft liner segment. The channel directs a stream of dilution air in a counter-flow or reverse direction with respect to combustion gases flowing from the primary combustion chamber during operation of the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hiranya Kumar Nath, Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Steven Clayton Vise
  • Patent number: 11713878
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, for improving the control and the efficiency of in-situ combustion (i.e. burning of oil spills atop bodies of water) of combustible waste materials on land or sea to cleanup such waste, that is also less complex than similar apparatuses, whereby the apparatus traverses over a surface containing combustible material, allowing for vortex flow incineration of the material to occur inside a combustion chamber, aided by a vortical flow of air which is controlled for greater combustion efficiency. Compared with current methods and apparatuses to cleanup similar waste, the present method requires minimal moving parts, is mobile, is low cost, is easy to construct, enables high-quality combustion, burns faster and more complete, produces low emissions, incinerates waste material on land and water, and mitigates the creation of combustion residue which thereby mitigates the adverse effects of such combustion residue that smothers ocean life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Inventor: F. Michael Lewis
  • Patent number: 11674445
    Abstract: A torch ignitor system includes a torch wall defining a combustion chamber therein with a flame outlet passing out of the torch wall downstream of the combustion chamber. A fuel injector is mounted to the torch wall to issue fuel into the combustion chamber. At least one ignitor is mounted to the torch wall, positioned to ignite fuel issued from the fuel injector. A film cooler is defined through the torch wall and is operative to issue a film of cooling air from outside the torch wall along an interior surface of the combustion chamber for cooling the torch wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev A. Prociw
  • Patent number: 11578870
    Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for spraying fuel in an augmented gas turbine engine. The embodiments may include a spray bar with a fuel injection aperture configured to inject a fuel jet into a fuel conduit; the fuel conduit having a fuel window to discharge the fuel jet into a core exhaust flow of an augmented gas turbine engine; a first channel directing a first air stream into the fuel conduit; and a second channel directing a second air stream into the fuel conduit. The first air stream and the second air stream cooperatively shape the fuel jet coming out of the fuel window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brett A. Rich, Michael A. Benjamin, Nicholas R. Overman, Aaron J. Glaser
  • Patent number: 11466856
    Abstract: An afterburner arrangement comprising: an internal casing and an external casing defining a bypass pathway between them; a mounting strut forming a structural connection between the internal casing and the external casing; and A plurality of fuel nozzles associated with the mounting strut, wherein the mounting strut at least partly houses a corresponding plurality of fuel pathways to provide fuel to the respective fuel nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Inventor: Michael Yeandel
  • Patent number: 11187411
    Abstract: A combustion chamber assembly for an engine with at least one tile component, on the cold side of which facing away from a combustion space, a positioning aid with at least two positioning elements, wherein a defined position relative to the combustion chamber component is predefined for the tile component via the contact of the at least two positioning elements on at least one contact face of the combustion chamber component in two spatial axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Michael Ebel, Kay Heinze
  • Patent number: 11137144
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor includes: a head end comprising a primary fuel nozzle; a liner defining a primary combustion zone proximate the head end and a downstream secondary combustion zone; a forward casing radially outward of and surrounding at least a portion of the liner; and an axial fuel staging system. The axial fuel staging system includes a plurality of fuel injection assemblies. Each fuel injection assembly includes a thimble assembly mounted to the liner, and an injector unit attached to the forward casing. A thimble of the thimble assembly extends through a thimble aperture in the liner. The injector unit extends through the forward casing, such that a portion of the injector unit is disposed within the thimble, and a fuel line fitting is disposed outward of the forward casing. The injector unit introduces fuel into air flowing through the thimble for injection into the secondary combustion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Bernard Wilson, James Harper, Yon Han Chong, Charlie Edmond Jones
  • Patent number: 11085642
    Abstract: A combustor includes: a fuel nozzle extending along an axis; a tubular combustor basket configured to cover the fuel nozzle; and a tubular transition piece configured to define a cooling air passage through which air from outside is introduced between the tubular transition piece and an outer circumferential surface of a leading end portion of the tubular combustor basket. The tubular transition piece extends toward a leading end side of the tubular combustor basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Issei Tamura, Keijiro Saito, Kenji Miyamoto, Yaohua Xue
  • Patent number: 10955140
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a combustor. The combustor comprises an annular combustor chamber formed between an inner liner and an outer liner spaced apart from the inner liner. An annular fuel manifold has fuel nozzles distributed circumferentially on the fuel manifold, the fuel manifold and fuel nozzles positioned entirely inside the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Oleg Morenko
  • Patent number: 10941938
    Abstract: In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a fuel injector can include an annular body defining a gas fuel inlet therein, and a structure extending radially outward from the annular body and configured to extend into an air circuit. The structure can include a gas channel defined within the structure at least partially along a radial length of the structure. The gas channel is in fluid communication with the gas fuel inlet where the structure meets the annular body. The structure also includes a slot opening defined at least partially along a radial length of the structure and configured to fluidically connect the gas channel and the air circuit to all gas fuel to effuse into the air circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Andy W. Tibbs, Gregory A. Zink, Thomas J. Ocken, Lev Alexander Prociw
  • Patent number: 10876478
    Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus for a gas turbine includes a fuel supply pipe; a first manifold connected to the fuel supply pipe and comprising a nozzle through which fuel is sprayed; a second manifold at least partially surrounding the first manifold at a predetermined interval apart from the first manifold in a radial direction, the second manifold including: an air inlet through which a first portion of air is introduced into the second manifold; and a fuel outlet where the fuel sprayed through the nozzle collides with the air thereby forming mixed fuel; and a first swirler provided at a predetermined interval apart from the second manifold in the radial direction, the first swirler configured to swirl the air toward the air inlet and the fuel outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: HANWHA AEROSPACE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung Chai Jung, Hee Ho Park, Chul Ju Ahn
  • Patent number: 10655860
    Abstract: A thrust increasing device includes: a fuel injector that ejects fuel toward a jet flow; an ignition device that is disposed downstream from the fuel injector; a cylindrical duct that surrounds a combustion region; a flame holder that is disposed in the duct; and a swirling flow generating part that maintains an axial flow of the jet flow in an axial direction of the duct in an outer region of the duct in a radial direction inside the duct and that converts the jet flow to a swirling flow centered on an axis of the duct in an inner region of the duct in the radial direction inside the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Tanaka, Jun Hosoi, Katsuyoshi Takahashi, Nagayoshi Hiromitsu
  • Patent number: 10557633
    Abstract: A combustor according to the present invention is provided with: a pilot burner (15) disposed along an axis (P); a plurality of premixing burners (16), each of which has a premixing swirler cylinder (19) and a premixing nozzle (20) disposed inside the premixing swirler cylinder (19) and that are disposed about the axis (P) in the circumferential direction so as to surround the periphery of the pilot burner (15); a substrate (23) through which the pilot burner (15) and the premixing swirler cylinders (19) are individually inserted so as to be supported therein; and stagnation eliminating blocks (27) that are provided so as to fill spaces between the premixing swirler cylinders (19) on a surface of the substrate (23) on the downstream side, wherein air film supplying ports (38) that form air films A on surfaces of the stagnation eliminating blocks (27) are formed in the stagnation eliminating blocks (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Tanaka, Keijiro Saito, Shinji Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 10215416
    Abstract: The burner of a gas turbine has a duct, a vortex generator extending in the duct and including a leading edge and a trailing edge. The trailing edge has a first order lobed shape. The first order lobed shape is defined by a second order lobed shape. Preferably a nozzle for fuel injection is connected to the vortex generator and the second order lobed shape is only provided at the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Michael Dusing, Madhavan Narasimhan Poyyapakkam, Stefan Wysocki
  • Patent number: 9713570
    Abstract: A mobile treatment apparatus for use in treating a user of the apparatus with medical or therapeutic gases, comprising a mixing unit for containing water and having a motionless mixing means; a gas cartridge unit removably mounted to the mixing unit via a cartridge piercing module, wherein a pressure-regulating valve regulates a flow rate of a gas from the cartridge through the mixing means, to achieve a specified gas-water mixture that is effective for transdermal delivery of the gas to the user; and a wearable receiver suit for forming a space around at least an area of the user's body to be treated, wherein the suit is connected to the mixing unit, for delivery of the gas to treat the area via the transdermal delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Respiderm Corporation
    Inventors: Péter Török, József Török, Tamás Török, Karsa Tímea
  • Patent number: 9388742
    Abstract: A swirler inlet valve plate for a fuel injector of a gas turbine engine includes a blocker ring and a pivot sleeve mechanically connected to the blocker ring. The blocker ring is formed from at least a portion of a toroid shape. The blocker ring includes a blocking surface perpendicular to an axis of the blocker ring formed from at least a portion of an annulus. The blocker ring also includes a flow surface, an inner circumferential surface of the toroidal shape. The pivot sleeve includes a sleeve portion extending adjacent the blocker ring. The sleeve portion includes a rotation transmission mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Georgina J. McGee, Thomas John Chipman Rogers, Anthony Fahme, Daniel Paul Panayil
  • Patent number: 9347669
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a novel apparatus and method for operating a gas turbine combustor having a structural configuration proximate a pilot region of the combustor which seeks to minimize the onset of thermo acoustic dynamics. The pilot region of the combustor includes a generally cylindrical extension having an outlet end with an irregular profile which incorporates asymmetries into the system so as to destroy any coherent structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD.
    Inventors: Peter John Stuttaford, Stephen Jorgensen, Yan Chen, Hany Rizkalla, Khalid Oumejjoud, Mirko R. Bothien
  • Patent number: 9234662
    Abstract: A fuel-air premixer for use in a combustor of a gas turbine includes an air inlet, a fuel inlet, a shroud, a central body and a cascade of vanes. The premixer mixes fuel and air in the annular mixing passage into a uniform mixture for injecting into a combustor reaction zone. The air from a compressor is injected into the mixer through an air inlet. The fuel is introduced into air stream via fuel injection holes that pass through the walls of the vanes which contain internal fuel flow passages. The flow field inside the premixer is broken up by the arrayed vanes into a series of small regions each containing a well designed small size mixing eddy which is steadily attached to the surface of the vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: The Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, The Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Yue Wang, Zongming Yu, Wenjun Kong, Baorui Wang, Yuhua Ai
  • Patent number: 9068748
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a radially inboard liner, a radially outboard liner, and a bulkhead that cooperatively define an annular combustion chamber, a plurality of first fuel injectors that are disposed in the bulkhead, and a plurality of second fuel injectors that are disposed in at least one of the inboard liner and the outboard liner aftward of the bulkhead. A method is also provided for operating the combustor of the gas turbine engine wherein fuel distribution between the forward combustion zone and the downstream combustion zone is selectively varied in response to the power operating mode of the gas turbine engine with an objective to control NOx formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: James B. Hoke
  • Patent number: 9027350
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a combustor with a combustion liner having inner and outer walls is disclosed herein. The gas turbine engine further includes a swirler system adapted to receive a fuel injector and a flow splitter operable to bifurcate an airflow exiting the swirler system into a first bifurcated flow and a second bifurcated flow. A shroud is positioned downstream of the flow splitter and is configured to deflect the first bifurcated flow in a first direction radially inward and the second bifurcated flow in a second direction radially outward. The second bifurcated flow cools both of the inner and outer walls of the combustor liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy Carl Roesler
  • Patent number: 9004912
    Abstract: A combustor includes an end cap having an upstream surface axially separated from a downstream surface. A cap shield circumferentially surrounds the upstream and downstream surfaces, tubes extend from the upstream surface through the downstream, and a plenum is inside the end cap. A first baffle extends radially across the plenum toward the cap shield, and a plate extends radially inside the plenum between the first baffle and the upstream surface. A method for supplying fuel to a combustor includes flowing a working fluid through tubes, flowing a fuel into a plenum between upstream and downstream surfaces, radially distributing the fuel along a first baffle, and axially flowing the fuel across a plate that extends radially inside the plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lucas John Stoia, Patrick Benedict Melton, James Harold Westmoreland, III
  • Patent number: 8979525
    Abstract: The invention relates to a streamlined body for influencing the flow dynamics of a fluid, wherein the streamlined body at least partly corresponds to a rotationally symmetrical airfoil. A streamlined body of this kind can be used in a number of ways, for example as an impact member, as a flow regulator or as a heat exchanger. It also evens out and accelerates flows. It is used to particular advantage in a mixing and reaction chamber for burning fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Brambel Trading Internacional LDS
    Inventors: Franz Josef Staffler, Vincenzo Branzi
  • Patent number: 8950189
    Abstract: A fuel injection array for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of bluff body injectors and a plurality of swirler injectors. A control operates the plurality of bluff body injectors and swirler injectors such that bluff body injectors are utilized without all of the swirler injectors at least at low power operation. The swirler injectors are utilized at higher power operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy S. Snyder
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20140338345
    Abstract: A jet engine flame holder bluffbody is provided that includes a leading edge that is rounded, a mid-body having a rectangular cross-section, and a trailing edge, where the trailing edge includes a rectangular cross-section having digitated cutouts from the rectangular cross-section, where the tailing edge projects upward according to a digitated cross-section, where material digits remain between consecutive pairs of the digitated cutouts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Wookyung Kim, Mark Godfrey Mungal, Heinz Guenter Pitsch
  • Patent number: 8863525
    Abstract: The present application provides a combustor. The combustor may include an air flow path with a flow of air therein. A flow obstruction may be positioned within the air flow path and cause a wake or a recirculation zone downstream thereof. A number of fuel injectors may be positioned downstream of the flow obstruction. The fuel injectors may inject a flow of fuel into the air flow path such that the flows of fuel and air in the wake or the recirculation zone do not exceed a flammability limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Kaylor Toronto, Kwanwoo Kim, Abdul Rafey Khan, Luis Flamand
  • Patent number: 8800290
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor has inboard and outboard walls. A forward bulkhead extends between the walls and cooperates therewith to define a combustor interior volume. Bluff body fuel injectors are along the bulkhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Steven W. Burd, Stephen K. Kramer, John T. Ols, Albert K. Cheung
  • Patent number: 8769955
    Abstract: A port (60) for axially staging fuel and air into a combustion gas flow path 28 of a turbine combustor (10A). A port enclosure (63) forms an air path through a combustor wall (30). Fuel injectors (64) in the enclosure provide convergent fuel streams (72) that oppose each other, thus converting velocity pressure to static pressure. This forms a flow stagnation zone (74) that acts as a valve on airflow (40, 41) through the port, in which the air outflow (41) is inversely proportion to the fuel flow (25). The fuel flow rate is controlled (65) in proportion to engine load. At high loads, more fuel and less air flow through the port, making more air available to the premixing assemblies (36).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: William F. Van Nieuwenhuizen, Timothy A. Fox, Steven Williams
  • Patent number: 8707704
    Abstract: A method of assembling a turbine engine includes defining a first chamber and defining a second chamber. The method also includes forming at least one venturi device oriented with a predetermined venturi step angle greater than approximately 48°. The method further includes coupling the first chamber in flow communication with the second chamber via the venturi device therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Derrick Walter Simons, Jeffrey Scott Lebegue, Krishna Kumar Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 8646275
    Abstract: A gas-turbine lean combustor includes a combustion chamber (2) and a fuel nozzle (1) which includes a pilot fuel injection (17) and a main fuel injection (18). The main fuel injection (18) includes central recesses (23) for a controlled inhomogeneous fuel injection, the number of said recesses on the circumference ranging from 8 to 40 and said recesses having an angle of inclination ?2 in circumferential direction of 10°??2?60° and an axial angle of inclination ?1 relative to the combustor axis (4) between ?10°??1?90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventors: Leif Rackwitz, Imon-Kalyan Bagchi, Thomas Doerr
  • Publication number: 20130213050
    Abstract: A recuperated micro gas turbine combustor has a casing, liner, fuel injector and a flame stabilization device. This flame stabilization device is characterized by a swirl strength and air passage geometry as such that the pressure loss over the device is less than 1.5%. The flame stabilization device and the fuel injector form together with the liner inlet/head hardware a single burner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Miro Turbine Technology BV
    Inventor: Micro Turbine Technology BV
  • Patent number: 8454350
    Abstract: Disclosed is a combustor including a baffle plate having at least one through baffle hole and at least one fuel nozzle extending through the at least one through baffle hole. At least one diluent shroud is affixed to the at least one baffle plate and is configured to guide a diluent flow toward a mixing chamber of the at least one fuel nozzle. Further disclosed is a method for introducing a diluent flow into a mixing chamber of a fuel nozzle including urging the diluent flow from a plenum through a baffle plate gap between a baffle plate and an outer surface of the fuel nozzle. The diluent flow is directed via at least one diluent shroud extending from the baffle plate toward a plurality of air swirler holes extending through a fuel nozzle tip. The diluent flow is flowed through the plurality of air swirler holes into the mixing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, John Joseph Lipinski, Girard Albert Simons, Abhijit Som
  • Patent number: 8327643
    Abstract: A main swirler of a triple annular configuration that is partitioned by a pre-filmer and a separator is installed in an inlet port of a main air flow channel. The vicinity of the inner wall of the main air flow channel provided with a main fuel injection port is bulged radially outward from the innermost surface (innermost surface of a small swirler) of a main swirler. Further, a distance from the main fuel injection port and the pre-filmer is set such that an effective opening area between the pre-filmer and “the inner wall of the main air flow channel provided with the main fuel injection port” is equal to an effective opening area of the small swirler. The swirling directions of the swirlers of the main swirler are “clockwise”-“counter-clockwise”-“clockwise” respectively along the radial outward direction when the swirling direction of the innermost swirler is taken as “clockwise”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Takeshi Yamamoto, Kazuo Shimodaira, Kazuaki Matsuura, Yoji Kurosawa, Seiji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8312725
    Abstract: A trapped vortex combustor. The trapped vortex combustor is configured for receiving a lean premixed gaseous fuel and oxidant stream, where the fuel includes hydrogen gas. The trapped vortex combustor is configured to receive the lean premixed fuel and oxidant stream at a velocity which significantly exceeds combustion flame speed in a selected lean premixed fuel and oxidant mixture. The combustor is configured to operate at relatively high bulk fluid velocities while maintaining stable combustion, and low NOx emissions. The combustor is useful in gas turbines in a process of burning synfuels, as it offers the opportunity to avoid use of diluent gas to reduce combustion temperatures. The combustor also offers the possibility of avoiding the use of selected catalytic reaction units for removal of oxides of nitrogen from combustion gases exiting a gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ramgen Power Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Robert C. Steele, Ryan G. Edmonds, Joseph T. Williams, Stephen P. Baldwin
  • Publication number: 20120023952
    Abstract: A nozzle for assemblies and gas turbines is provided. The nozzle exhibits destabilized flame holding characteristics, i.e., the nozzle is unable to stabilize flame up to an equivalence ratio of about 0.65. As a result, flame heat release is delayed resulting in lower peak flame temperatures and correspondingly lower NOx levels. Flame stabilization capability is retained for higher equivalence ratios to support operation of the combustor in other regions of the load range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Christian Lee Vandervort, Joel Meier Haynes
  • Patent number: 8061143
    Abstract: A gas turbine reheat system is provided with channel-shaped gutters, with a wall portion spaced from each gutter to form a space therebetween. The space is supplied with cooling air conveniently from the engine by-pass duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: Addison Charles Maguire
  • Patent number: 8061144
    Abstract: In a by-pass gas turbine engine having a lobed type by-pass air and turbine exhaust mixer unit, the reheat gutters are arranged in the mixer in the turbine exhaust duct. The gutters extend radially and are substantially Y-shaped, each of the two legs of the Y extending radially along the sides of a mixer lobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: Addison Charles Maguire
  • Publication number: 20110219776
    Abstract: A flame stabilizer is in fluid communication with a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The flame stabilizer has a body with an aerodynamic shape that creates a flow recirculation zone by injection of fluid through a plurality of holes in the body of the flame stabilizer. The aerodynamic shape of the body reduces pressure loss in the combustor, particularly when no fuel is being provided to the combustor. In addition, the magnitude of the flow recirculation zone can be modulated by selectively adjusting the flow rate of fluid through the holes, or by selectively adjusting the size of the holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Andrei Tristan Evulet
  • Patent number: 8001786
    Abstract: A combustor of gas turbine engine, including: a fuel spray portion that sprays fuel to create a diffusion combustion region in a combustion chamber, the fuel spray portion including a fuel atomizing portion that atomizes the fuel, and a diffusion passage portion disposed downstream of the fuel atomizing portion, the diffusion passage portion having a spreading trumpet-like shape and diffuses the fuel and the air; a pre-mixture supply portion that supplies a pre-mixture gas including the fuel and air to create a pre-mixture combustion region in the combustion chamber, the pre-mixture supply portion being positioned concentrically with the fuel spray portion to surround the fuel spray portion; and a fuel diffusion restraining member disposed on an inner circumferential face of the diffusion passage portion for restraining a diffusion of injected fuel by separating a stream of the injected fuel away from the inner circumferential face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeo Oda, Atsushi Horikawa, Hideki Ogata
  • Patent number: 7856828
    Abstract: A flameholder arm for an afterburner of a turbomachine, particularly a jet engine, is disclosed. The arm includes a ventilation duct which is centered and immobilized inside the arm independent of the heatshield. The duct also includes a transverse lip which includes an orifice for centering and guiding a fuel injection harness. The transverse lip prevents the harness from being positioned in any way incorrectly in the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Jacques Marcel Arthur Bunel, Nicolas Pierre-Marie Girard
  • Publication number: 20100269509
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor (10) comprises a base plate (12) from which protrude a plurality of lips (36) that surround respective apertures (16) into which are positioned downstream ends (19) of main swirler assemblies (18). The apertures (16) are arranged about a centrally positioned pilot cone (22) that comprises an inner cone (23) and an outer cone (25), defining a space (31) there between. A number of laterally directed apertures (60) are disposed along the outer cone (25) so as to direct a flow of fluid toward a near portion (38) of each lip (36), thereby perturbing pockets of high fuel-to-air mixtures between the outer cone (25) and the near region (38). The provision of such laterally directed apertures (60) reduces or eliminates flashback between the outer cone (25) and the near region (38) through such action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Inventors: Arthur J. Harris, JR., Rajeev Ohri
  • Publication number: 20100192583
    Abstract: A method for stabilizing the flame of a premixing burner, comprising a reaction chamber containing a fluid is provided. The method includes injecting an air-fuel mixture into the reaction chamber at a speed that is different from that of the fluid present in the reaction chamber, adjusting the speed such that vortices form at the boundary between the air-fuel mixture and the surrounding fluid. A premixing burner including a reaction chamber and at least one premixing spray nozzle opening into the reaction chamber is also provided. The premixing burner injects an air-fuel mixture into the reaction chamber at a speed that is different from that of the surrounding fluid, the speed being adjusted such that vortices from at the boundary between the air-fuel mixture and the surrounding fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Mariano Cano Wolff, Patrick Ronald Flohr, Matthias Hase, Martin Lenze, Jürgen Meisl, Paul Pixner, Uwe Remlinger, Kai-Uwe Schildmache, Thomas Alexis Schneider, Jaap van Kampen
  • Patent number: 7658609
    Abstract: An internal combustion burner, especially for attenuation of mineral fibers, and including a combustion chamber, into which at least one duct for feeding fuel and oxidizer opens, and provided with an expansion orifice. The combustion chamber is provided with at least one flame stabilizing element, the geometry of the walls of which is chosen to create a confinement zone in which at least part of the combustion between oxidizer and fuel takes place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Isover
    Inventors: Oleg Boulanov, Christopher Ellison, Jean-Luc Bernard
  • Patent number: 7621132
    Abstract: The subject application is directed to burners for gas turbine engines that use a pilot flame to assist in sustaining and stabilizing the combustion process. An embodiment of the disclosed burners includes, inter alia, a burner housing, a pilot combustor and a quencher. The burner housing has axially opposed upstream and downstream end portions. Additionally, the housing has at least one main fuel inlet passage and at least one main air inlet passage which are adapted to supply fuel and air respectively to an internal chamber defined in the housing. The pilot combustor is disposed along the axis of the burner housing and has an inlet for receiving a rich fuel and air mixture, a combustion chamber within which the rich fuel and air mixture is combusted into combustion products, and an outlet for exhausting the combustion products from the combustion chamber. The quencher is disposed within the internal chamber of the burner housing along the central axis and positioned at the outlet of the pilot combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignees: Delavan Inc., Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Cornwell, Vladimir Dusan Milosavljevic
  • Publication number: 20090282831
    Abstract: A modification method for reducing emissions from an annular shaped combustor of a gas turbine plant, having uniformly spaced circumferentially mounted premix burners (20), includes the steps of: removing at least one burner (20), thereby disrupting the spatial uniformity of the remaining the burners (20); and modifying the combustor air distribution system so as to compensate for the increased burner pressure drop of the remaining burners, thus enabling the modified combustor to operate at a load equivalent to the unmodified combustor. Emission reduction is enabled by the increase in the gas velocity of the burner for a given load further enabled by the flame stabilizing effect of disrupting the spatial uniformity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Oliver Riccius, Klaus Knapp, Peter Flohr
  • Patent number: 7603841
    Abstract: A trapped vortex combustor. The trapped vortex combustor is configured for receiving a lean premixed gaseous fuel and oxidant stream, where the fuel includes hydrogen gas. The trapped vortex combustor is configured to receive the lean premixed fuel and oxidant stream at a velocity which significantly exceeds combustion flame speed in a selected lean premixed fuel and oxidant mixture. The combustor is configured to operate at relatively high bulk fluid velocities while maintaining stable combustion, and low NOx emissions. The combustor is useful in gas turbines in a process of burning synfuels, as it offers the opportunity to avoid use of diluent gas to reduce combustion temperatures. The combustor also offers the possibility of avoiding the use of selected catalytic reaction units for removal of oxides of nitrogen from combustion gases exiting a gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Ramgen Power Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Robert C. Steele, Ryan G. Edmonds, Joseph T. Williams, Stephen P. Baldwin
  • Publication number: 20090211255
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor is presented, which includes a combustion chamber that is positioned downstream of a premixing chamber. The premixing chamber includes at least one opening for ingesting air. At least one primary fuel nozzle is disposed to discharge fuel into the premixing chamber. The fuel discharged from the primary fuel nozzle mixes with the ingested air in the premixing chamber to provide a fuel air mix. A secondary fuel nozzle is disposed proximate the combustion chamber to discharge fuel at the combustion chamber. A stabilizer is disposed at the secondary fuel nozzle so as to be positioned in close proximity to a flame when fuel at the secondary fuel nozzle is ignited. The stabilizer is composed of a material having the ability to absorb heat from a heat flux generated within the combustor and maintaining a temperature sufficient to sustain ignition of the flame. A method of stabilizing a flame in a gas turbine combustor is also presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Derrick Walter Simons, Geoffrey D. Myers, Larry L. Thomas, Jeffrey Lebegue
  • Publication number: 20090204306
    Abstract: A method of combustion stability control for a gas turbine engine is provided, and includes the steps of receiving by a stability controller, information regarding environmental and operating conditions, and comparing the environmental and operating conditions to pre-programmed information to determine if a likelihood of combustion instability exists. The method further includes the steps of determining optimal fuel modulation frequency and amplitude for the environmental condition to reduce combustion instability, if a likelihood of combustion instability exists, and actuating at least one fuel modulation valve to, at the optimal fuel modulation frequency and amplitude, reduce combustion instability, if a likelihood of combustion instability exists. Systems for modulating fuel flow are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: DELAVAN INC
    Inventors: Jerry Lee Goeke, Brandon Philip Williams