SWIRLER, COMBUSTION CHAMBER, AND GAS TURBINE WITH IMPROVED SWIRL

• US 20120017595A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Liu, Kexin
• Granted Patent: US 9,222,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/737
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/02 Premix gas burners, i.e. in which gaseous fuel is mixed with combustion air upstream of the combustion zone
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/14 by using swirl vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/286 having fuel-air premixing devices F23R3/30 takes precedence

Abstract

A swirler for mixing fuel and air is provided. The swirler includes a plurality of vanes positioned radially around a central axis of the swirler and a plurality of mixing channels for mixing fuel and air. At least one mixing channel of the plurality of mixing channels is defined by opposite walls of two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes. The at least one mixing channel includes at least one fuel injection opening arranged at an upstream sections of the at least one mixing channel. The at least one mixing channel also includes an axial swirler arranged at a downstream section of the at least one mixing channel.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A swirler for mixing fuel and air, comprising:

a plurality of vanes positioned radially around a central axis of the swirler,

a plurality of mixing channels for mixing fuel and air, wherein at least one mixing channel of the plurality of mixing channels defined by opposite walls of two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes,

wherein the at least one mixing channel comprises at least one fuel injection opening arranged at an upstream section of the at least one mixing channel, and

wherein the at least one mixing channel further comprises an axial swirler extending between the walls of the two adjacent vanes, the axial swirler being arranged at a downstream section of the at least one mixing channel.

17. The swirler according to claim 16, wherein the axial swirler is arranged substantially perpendicular to the walls of the two adjacent vanes.

18. The swirler according to claim 16, wherein the axial swirler comprises a plurality of swirler airfoils.

19. The swirler according to claim 18, wherein the axial swirler comprises a rectangular solid frame surrounding the plurality of swirler airfoils.

20. The swirler according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of swirler airfoils have an elliptical outer perimeter connected to the solid frame via the outer perimeter.

21. The swirler according to claim 20, wherein elliptical outer perimeter is circular in shape.

22. The swirler according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of swirler airfoils have a rectangular outer perimeter connected to the solid frame via this outer perimeter.

23. The swirler according to claim 20, wherein rectangular outer perimeter is square in shape.

24. The swirler according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of swirler airfoils is arranged to provide a mixing channel individual rotating airflow for the at least one mixing channel.

25. The swirler according to claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of swirler airfoils has a straight leading edge.

26. The swirler according to claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of swirler airfoils has a curved leading edge.

27. The swirler according to claim 16, wherein a first one of the at least one fuel injection opening is arranged to inject liquid fuel into an air flow flowing through the at least one mixing channel or through any one of the plurality of mixing channels.

28. The swirler according to claim 16, wherein a second one of the at least one fuel injection opening is arranged to inject gaseous fuel into the air flow flowing through the same one of at least one mixing channel or through any one of the plurality of mixing channels.

29. The swirler according to claim 27, wherein a second one of the at least one fuel injection opening is arranged to inject gaseous fuel into the air flow flowing through the same one of at least one mixing channel or through any one of the plurality of mixing channels.

30. The swirler according to claim 16, further comprising at least one further fuel injection opening arranged at a downstream section of the at least one mixing channel, further downstream of the axial swirler.

31. The swirler according to claim 30, wherein the further fuel injection opening is configured such that the fuel injection is controllable separately from the at least one fuel injection opening.

32. A combustion chamber comprising:

a swirler for mixing fuel and air, the swirler comprising;

a plurality of vanes positioned radially around a central axis of the swirler,

a plurality of mixing channels for mixing fuel and air, wherein at least one mixing channel of the plurality of mixing channels defined by opposite walls of two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes,

wherein the at least one mixing channel comprises at least one fuel injection opening arranged at an upstream section of the at least one mixing channel, and

wherein the at least one mixing channel further comprises an axial swirler extending between the walls of the two adjacent vanes, the axial swirler being arranged at a downstream section of the at least one mixing channel.

33. The combustion chamber according to claim 32, further comprising a burner-head, the burner-head comprising at least one additional fuel injection opening arranged downstream of the plurality of mixing channels for mixing fuel and air.

34. A gas turbine comprising:

at least one combustion chamber, the at least one combustion chamber comprising;

a swirler for mixing fuel and air, the swirler comprising;

a plurality of vanes positioned radially around a central axis of the swirler,

a plurality of mixing channels for mixing fuel and air, wherein at least one mixing channel of the plurality of mixing channels defined by opposite walls of two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes,

wherein the at least one mixing channel comprises at least one fuel injection opening arranged at an upstream section of the at least one mixing channel, and

wherein the at least one mixing channel further comprises an axial swirler extending between the walls of the two adjacent vanes, the axial swirler being arranged at a downstream section of the at least one mixing channel.