Outer premix barrel vent air sweep

• US 9,347,378 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cramb, Donald James, Piper, James Scott, Spivey, Sean Kelly, Ramotowski, Michael John, Mayer, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg, Ehud
• Assistant Examiner(s): Manfredi, Filippo
• Application Number:
  US13/893,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20140331677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 607/37, 607/40, 607/48
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/232 Fuel valves control of fuel supply by means of fuel metering valves F02C9/263; Draining valves or systems valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/00019 Repairing or maintaining combustion chamber liners or subparts
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A gas turbine engine outer premix barrel is disclosed. The outer premix barrel includes a body portion, a barrel portion, and a plurality of vanes. The body portion includes vent air inlets. The barrel portion extends axially aft from the body portion. The plurality of vanes extends axially forward from the body portion. Each vane includes an inward surface located at a radially inner end of the vane, and a plurality of vent passages exiting the vane at the inward surface. Each vent passage is in flow communication with at least one vent air inlet.

Claims

1. An outer premix barrel for a fuel injector of a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a body portion including vent air inlets;

a barrel portion extending axially aft from the body portion; and

a plurality of vanes extending axially forward from the body portion, each vane including

an inward surface located at a radially inner end of the vane, and

a plurality of vent passages exiting the vane at the inward surface, each vent passage being in flow communication with at least one vent air inlet;

wherein the body portion includes an annular disk shape; and

wherein each vent air inlet extends through the annular disk shape from a radial face of the annular disk shape and into one of the plurality of vanes towards a contact surface of the vane, the contact surface facing in an axial direction.

2. The outer premix barrel of claim 1, wherein each vane is a truncated wedge shape and the inward surface of each vane is located at a truncated portion of the vane.

3. The outer premix barrel of claim 1, wherein each vent passage extends from one of the vent air inlets to the inward surface located on the same vane as the vent air passage.

4. The outer premix barrel of claim 1, wherein the barrel portion includes a hollow cylinder shape.

5. The outer premix barrel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vanes are spaced apart to form primary inlets, and each vane includes a fuel supply passage extending from a contact surface towards the body portion, the contact surface being an axial surface of the vane distal to the body portion, and a plurality of fuel passages on an inlet surface of the vane, adjacent one of the primary inlets, the plurality of fuel passages being in flow communication with the fuel supply passage.

6. A fuel injector of a gas turbine engine, the fuel injector comprising:

the outer premix barrel of claim 1;

a body assembly including an injector body, the outer premix barrel being axially adjacent to the injector body and secured to the injector body; and

an inner premix tube affixed to the injector body with a retaining ring, the inner premix tube being located radially inward from the outer premix barrel;

wherein a premix tube outer surface including at least a portion of an inner surface of the outer premix barrel, and a premix tube inner surface including at least a portion of an outer surface of the inner premix tube form a premix tube.

7. A gas turbine engine including the outer premix barrel of claim 1.

8. A method for overhauling the outer premix barrel of claim 1, the method comprising:

removing the outer premix barrel from an injector;

separating the barrel end from the barrel;

joining a new barrel end to the barrel with a metal joining process.

9. A gas turbine engine outer premix barrel, comprising:

a barrel including

a body portion with an annular disk shape, the body portion including

vent air inlets extending axially through the annular disk shape,

a barrel portion extending axially aft from an aft and radially inner portion of the body portion, and

a plurality of vanes extending from the body portion opposite the barrel portion, each vane including

an inward surface located at an end of the vane and is a radially inner surface of the vane, and

a plurality of vent passages in flow communication with at least one vent air inlet, each vent passage exiting the vane at the inward surface.

10. The outer premix barrel of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of vanes has a truncated wedge shape.

11. The outer premix barrel of claim 9, further comprising a barrel end joined to the barrel at an aft end of the barrel portion, the barrel end including a shape of a frustum of a hollow cone.

12. The outer premix barrel of claim 9, wherein each vent air inlet extends into one of the plurality of vanes toward a contact surface of the vane, the contact surface being distal to and opposite the body portion.

13. The outer premix barrel of claim 9, wherein the plurality of vanes are spaced apart to form primary inlets, and each vane includes a fuel supply passage and a plurality of fuel passages extending from the fuel supply passage to an inlet surface adjacent one of the primary inlets, the plurality of fuel passages being in flow communication with the fuel supply passage.

14. A gas turbine engine, comprising:

a fuel injector including

the outer premix barrel of claim 9;

a body assembly including an injector body, wherein the outer premix barrel is secured to the injector body with bolts, and

an inner premix tube affixed to the injector body with a retaining ring, the inner premix tube being located radially inward from the outer premix barrel.

15. A method for overhauling a gas turbine engine injector, comprising:

removing an outer premix barrel from the injector, the outer premix barrel including

a barrel including

a body portion including vent air inlets,

a barrel portion extending axially aft from the body portion, and

a plurality of vanes extending axially forward from the body portion, each vane including a truncated wedge shape and a plurality of vent passages in flow communication with at least one vent air inlet, each vent passage exits the vane at an inward surface located at a truncated portion of the truncated wedge shape,

wherein the body portion includes an annular disk shape, and

wherein each vent air inlet extends through the annular disk shape from a radial face of the annular disk shape and into one of the plurality of vanes towards a contact surface of the vane, the contact surface facing in an axial direction, and

a barrel end joined to the barrel at an aft end of the barrel portion, the barrel end including a cylindrical tube shape;

separating the barrel end from the barrel;

joining a new barrel end to the barrel with a metal joining process.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein separating the barrel end from the barrel includes removing a weld from the barrel.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein joining the new barrel end to the barrel with the metal joining process includes welding the new barrel end to the barrel.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein welding the new barrel end to the barrel includes electron beam welding.