Turbine fuel delivery apparatus and system

• US 8,037,689 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hall, Joel Meador, Yerokhin, Sergey Konstantinovich, Hadley, Mark Allan, Meshkov, Sergey Anatolievich, Oskin, Sergey Adolfovich
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg; Ehud
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi; Young
• Application Number:
  US11/842,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20090049838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 607/37, 607/40, 607/46, 607/47, 607/34, 607/48
• US Class Current: 60/737
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/14 by using swirl vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/28 characterised by the fuel supply burners F23D

Abstract

A fuel nozzle for a turbine is disclosed. The fuel nozzle includes a housing, a plurality of fuel passages disposed within the housing, and a plurality of air passages disposed within the housing. A total flow area of the plurality of fuel passages is substantially equal to a total flow area of the plurality of air passages.

Claims

1. A fuel nozzle for a turbine, the fuel nozzle comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of fuel passages disposed within the housing, each fuel passage having an opening, whereby fuel flows through each of the fuel passages and each of the respective openings in predominantly axial and circumferential directions; and

a plurality of air passages disposed within the housing, each air passage having an opening, whereby air flows through each of the air passages and each of the respective openings in predominantly axial and circumferential directions,

wherein each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages is disposed between two consecutive air passages of the plurality of air passages, and

wherein a total flow area of the plurality of fuel passages is substantially equal to a total flow area of the plurality of air passages.

2. The fuel nozzle of claim 1, wherein:

a flow area of each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages is substantially equal to a flow area of each air passage of the plurality of air passages.

3. The fuel nozzle of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of a fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages and an air passage of the plurality of air passages comprises four sides.

4. The fuel nozzle of claim 3, wherein:

each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages and each air passage of the plurality of air passages comprise four sides.

5. The fuel nozzle of claim 1, wherein the turbine further comprises a combustion chamber and wherein:

the plurality of fuel passages are disposed circumferentially within the housing, each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber; and

the plurality of air passages are disposed circumferentially within the housing, each air passage of the plurality of air passages being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, a fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages being disposed between two consecutive air passages of the plurality of air passages.

6. The fuel nozzle of claim 5, wherein:

each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages is disposed adjacent to and between two air passages of the plurality of air passages.

7. The fuel nozzle of claim 6, wherein:

each air passage of the plurality of air passages is disposed adjacent to and between two fuel passages of the plurality of fuel passages, thereby providing an adjacent alternating arrangement of each air passage of the plurality of air passages and each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages.

8. The fuel nozzle of claim 5, wherein:

the housing comprises a surface defining a bore passing through the nozzle, the bore being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber.

9. The fuel nozzle of claim 1, wherein:

a fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages comprises a helical fuel passage; and

an air passage of the plurality of air passages comprises helical air passage.

10. The fuel nozzle of claim 1, wherein air enters each of the plurality of the air passages with an inward radial flow component and is then directed to flow axially within each of the plurality of the air passages.

11. The fuel nozzle of claim 9, wherein:

each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages comprises the helical fuel passage; and

each air passage of the plurality of air passages comprises the helical air flow path.

12. A combustor for a turbine, the combustor comprising:

an outer liner and an inner liner defining a combustion chamber therebetween; and

a plurality of fuel nozzles in fluid communication with the combustion chamber;

wherein each fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles comprises;

a housing;

a plurality of fuel passages disposed within the housing, each fuel passage having an opening, whereby fuel flows through each of the fuel passages and each of the respective openings in predominantly axial and circumferential directions; and

a plurality of air passages disposed within the housing, each air passage having an opening, whereby air flows through each of the air passages and each of the respective openings in predominantly axial and circumferential directions,

wherein each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages is disposed between two consecutive air passages of the plurality of air passages, and

wherein a total flow area of the plurality of fuel passages is substantially equal to a total flow area of the plurality of air passages.

13. The combustor of claim 12, wherein:

at least one of a fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages and an air passage of the plurality of air passages comprise four sides.

14. The combustor of claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of fuel passages are disposed circumferentially within the housing, each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber; and

the plurality of air passages are disposed circumferentially within the housing, each air passage of the plurality of air passages being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, a fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages being disposed between two consecutive air passages of the plurality of air passages.

15. The combustor of claim 14, wherein:

each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages is disposed adjacent to and between two air passages of the plurality of air passages.

16. The combustor of claim 15, wherein:

each air passage of the plurality of air passages is disposed adjacent to and between two fuel passages of the plurality of fuel passages, thereby providing an adjacent alternating arrangement.

17. The combustor of claim 12, wherein:

a fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages comprises a helical fuel passage; and

an air passage of the plurality of air passages comprises a helical air passage.

18. The combustor of claim 17, wherein:

each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages comprises the helical fuel passage; and

each air passage of the plurality of air flow passages comprises the helical air passage.

19. A fuel nozzle for a turbine, the fuel nozzle comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of fuel passages disposed circumferentially within the housing, each fuel passage having an opening, whereby fuel flows through each of the fuel passages and each of the respective openings in predominantly axial and circumferential directions; and

a plurality of air passages disposed circumferentially within the housing, each air passage having an opening, whereby air flows through each of the air passages and each of the respective openings in predominantly axial and circumferential directions,

wherein a total flow area of the plurality of fuel passages is substantially equal to a total flow area of the plurality of air passages,

wherein each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages is disposed between two consecutive air passages of the plurality of air passages; and

wherein each air passage of the plurality of air passages is disposed adjacent to and between two fuel passages of the plurality of fuel passages, thereby providing an adjacent alternating arrangement of each air passage of the plurality of air passages and each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages.

20. The fuel nozzle of claim 19, wherein:

a fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages comprises a helical fuel passage; and

an air passage of the plurality of air passages comprising a helical air passage.

21. The fuel nozzle of claim 20, wherein:

each fuel passage of the plurality of fuel passages comprises the helical fuel passage; and

each air passage of the plurality of air passages comprises the helical air passage.