Radially Stacked Fuel Injection Module for a Segmented Annular Combustion System

• US 20170276361A1
• Filed: 03/21/2017
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Berry, Jonathan Dwight, Hughes, Michael John
• Granted Patent: US 10,520,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/62 Mixing devices; Mixing tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/64 with injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/00001 Arrangements using bellows, e.g. to adjust volumes or reduce thermal stresses
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/28 characterised by the fuel supply burners F23D
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/286 having fuel-air premixing devices F23R3/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/34 Feeding into different combustion zones
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/346 for staged combustion
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/42 characterised by the arrangement or form of the flame tubes or combustion chambers
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/46 Combustion chambers comprising an annular arrangement of several essentially tubular flame tubes within a common annular casing or within individual casings

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a radially stacked fuel injection module for a segmented annular combustion system. The fuel injection module includes a bundled tube fuel nozzle portion and a plurality of fuel injection lances. In one instance, a first set of fuel injection lances and a second set of fuel injection lances share a housing with the bundled tube fuel nozzle. The first and second sets of fuel injection lances are radially stacked, each set of lances being in communication with a respective injector fuel plenum. The fuel injection lances deliver fuel to a respective premixing channel formed between the side walls of an integrated combustor nozzle, an aft end of which defines a turbine nozzle. In another instance, the bundled tube fuel nozzle may be provided as a radially inner fuel nozzle and a radially outer fuel nozzle, each with a respective bundled tube fuel plenum.

Claims

1. A fuel injection module, comprising:

a bundled tube fuel nozzle portion including a plurality of tubes that extends through a bundled tube fuel plenum defined within a housing body of the fuel injection module; and

a plurality of fuel injection lances extending from the housing body, wherein a first subset of fuel injection lances is in fluid communication with a first injector fuel plenum defined within the housing body, and a second subset of fuel injection lances is in fluid communication with a second injector fuel plenum defined within the housing body.

2. The fuel injection module as in claim 1, wherein the fuel injection lances of the plurality of fuel injection lances are radially stacked.

3. The fuel injection module as in claim 1, further comprising a first conduit in fluid communication with a fuel supply and with the first injector fuel plenum.

4. The fuel injection module as in claim 3, wherein the first conduit comprises an outer tube concentrically surrounding an inner tube, wherein the inner tube defines an inner fuel circuit, and the inner tube and the outer tube define an outer fuel circuit therebetween, and wherein one of the inner fuel circuit and the outer fuel circuit extends between the fuel supply and the first injector fuel plenum, and another of the inner fuel circuit and the outer fuel circuit extends between the fuel supply and the bundled tube fuel nozzle portion of the fuel injection module.

5. The fuel injection module as in claim 4, wherein the bundled tube fuel plenum comprises a first bundled tube fuel plenum and a second bundled tube fuel plenum, the first bundled tube fuel plenum and the second bundled tube fuel plenum being radially arranged as a radially inner tube bundle fuel plenum and a radially outer tube bundle fuel plenum, and wherein the outer fuel circuit is in fluid communication with the first bundled tube fuel plenum.

6. The fuel injection module as in claim 3, further comprising a second conduit in fluid communication with a fuel supply and with the second injector fuel plenum.

7. The fuel injection module as in claim 6, wherein the second conduit comprises an outer tube concentrically surrounding an inner tube, wherein the inner tube defines an inner fuel circuit and the inner tube and the outer tube define an outer fuel circuit therebetween, wherein one of the inner fuel circuit and the outer fuel circuit extends between the fuel supply and the second injector fuel plenum, and another of the inner fuel circuit and the outer fuel circuit extends between the fuel supply and the bundled tube fuel nozzle portion of the fuel injection module.

8. The fuel injection module as in claim 7, wherein the bundled tube fuel plenum comprises a first bundled tube fuel plenum and a second bundled tube fuel plenum, and wherein the outer fuel circuit is in fluid communication with the second bundled tube fuel plenum.

9. The fuel injection module as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of fuel injection lances includes an intermediate subset of fuel injection lances disposed radially between the first subset of fuel injection lances and the second subset of fuel injection lances.

10. The fuel injection module as in claim 9, wherein the intermediate subset of fuel injection lances is in fluid communication with a fuel supply via a third injector fuel plenum defined within the housing body.

11. The fuel injection module as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of fuel injection lances is positioned circumferentially between a first subset of tubes and a second subset of tubes of the bundled tube fuel nozzle portion of the fuel injection module.

12. An annular combustion system segment, comprising:

a first integrated combustor nozzle including an inner liner segment, an outer liner segment, a pressure side wall, a suction side wall, a plurality of premixing channels defined between the pressure side wall and the suction side wall, and a downstream end portion defining a first turbine nozzle, wherein the plurality of premixing channels comprises a radially inner subset of premixing channels and a radially outer subset of premixing channels;

a first fuel injection module extending radially upwardly from the inner liner segment towards the outer liner segment, wherein the first fuel injection module includes a bundled tube fuel nozzle portion and a first plurality of fuel injection lances, wherein each fuel injection lance of the first plurality of fuel injection lances is in fluid communication with a respective premixing channel of the radially inner subset of premixing channels; and

a second fuel injection module extending radially upwardly from the first fuel injection module toward the outer liner segment, wherein the second fuel injection module includes a bundled tube fuel nozzle portion and a second plurality of fuel injection lances, wherein each fuel injection lance of the second plurality of fuel injection lances is in fluid communication with a respective premixing channel of the radially outer subset of premixing channels.

13. The annular combustion system segment as in claim 12, wherein the first plurality of fuel injection lances and the second plurality of fuel injection lances are radially stacked.

14. The annular combustion system segment as in claim 12, wherein the first plurality of fuel injection lances is in fluid communication with a first injector fuel plenum defined within a housing body of the first fuel injection module.

15. The annular combustion system segment as in claim 14, further comprising a first conduit in fluid communication with a fuel supply and with the first injector fuel plenum.

16. The annular combustion system as in claim 15, wherein the first conduit comprises an outer tube concentrically surrounding an inner tube, wherein the inner tube defines an inner fuel circuit, and the inner tube and the outer tube define an outer fuel circuit therebetween, and wherein one of the inner fuel circuit and the outer fuel circuit extends between the fuel supply and the first injector fuel plenum, and another of the inner fuel circuit and the outer fuel circuit extends between the fuel supply and the bundled tube fuel nozzle portion of the first fuel injection module.

17. The annular combustion system segment as in claim 12, wherein the second plurality of fuel injection lances is in fluid communication with a second injector fuel plenum defined within a housing body of the second fuel injection module.

18. The annular combustion system segment as in claim 17, further comprising a second conduit in fluid communication with a fuel supply and with the second injector fuel plenum.

19. The annular combustion system segment as in claim 18, wherein the second conduit comprises an outer tube concentrically surrounding an inner tube, wherein the inner tube defines an inner fuel circuit, and the inner tube and the outer tube define an outer fuel circuit therebetween, and wherein one of the inner fuel circuit and the outer fuel circuit extends between the fuel supply and the second injector fuel plenum, and another of the inner fuel circuit and the outer fuel circuit extends between the fuel supply and the bundled tube portion of the second fuel injection module.