Patent Application
20200217509
The present subject matter relates generally to fuel injector assemblies for heat engines. The present subject matter relates specifically to heat exchanger systems at fuel injector assemblies.
Heat engines, such as gas turbine engines, generally include fuel nozzles that generally suffer from thermal distress due to high operating temperatures in combustion chambers. Downstream portions of fuel nozzles may require cooling fluid to mitigate distress and damage due to high temperatures at the combustion chamber. Although impingement holes and cooling circuits may be provided at downstream portions of fuel nozzles, the extent of mitigation of thermal distress may be limited by the temperature of the cooling fluid. For example, fuel nozzles are often compromised by the temperature of compressed air used as cooling fluid from the compressors as well as limitations on heat transfer to fuel in the fuel nozzle, such as to avoid fuel coking.
As such, there is a need for combustion sections and fuel nozzles that provide improved cooling structures.
Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
A fuel injector heat exchanger assembly is provided, in which the fuel injector assembly includes a body defining an outer surface and an inner surface. The body includes a plurality of walls in concentric arrangement. The plurality of walls defines a plurality of passages including a first passage surrounded by a second passage, and a third passage surrounding the second passage. Each passage is fluidly segregated from one another by the plurality of walls. A first conduit wall is defined through the body from the outer surface. The first conduit wall defines a first conduit in fluid communication with the second passage. The first conduit wall fluidly segregates the first conduit from the third passage. The first conduit is configured to admit a flow of fluid from outside the fuel injector into the second passage.
In one embodiment, the fuel injector assembly includes a flange configured to couple to an outer casing. The fuel injector defines a first end proximate to the flange and a second end distal to the first end along the body. The first conduit wall is defined through the body at the first end.
In various embodiments, the body further includes a second conduit wall defined through the body from the outer surface. The second conduit wall defines a second conduit in fluid communication with the second passage. The second conduit wall fluidly segregates the first conduit from the third passage. The second conduit is configured to egress a flow of fluid from the second passage to outside the fuel injector. In one embodiment, the fuel injector assembly includes a flange configured to couple to an outer casing. The fuel injector defines a first end proximate to the flange and a second end distal to the first end along the body. The second conduit wall is defined through the body at the first end. The first conduit wall is defined through the body at the second end distal to the first conduit wall at the first end.
In one embodiment, the fuel injector assembly further includes a head extended from the body. The head defines one or more fuel outlets through which a flow of fuel egresses the first passage and the third passage. The head defines a working fluid outlet through which a flow of working fluid egresses the second passage.
In various embodiments, the fuel injector assembly further includes a fin structure comprising a plurality of fins extended from one or more of the plurality of walls into one or more of the plurality of passages, in which the plurality of fins are in adjacent circumferential arrangement relative to a reference centerline axis. In one embodiment, the plurality of fins of the fin structure is in adjacent radial arrangement relative to the reference centerline axis extended through the body. In another embodiment, the plurality of fins is arranged along the circumferential direction and the radial direction to provide a helical arrangement through one or more of the plurality of passages. In yet another embodiment, the fin structure is extended into the first passage, the third passage, or both. The first passage and the third passage are each configured provide a flow of fuel therethrough. The second passage is configured to provide a flow of working fluid defining compressed air therethrough.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a heat engine, the heat engine including an outer casing defining an exterior surface and an interior surface. The outer casing defines a diffuser cavity therewithin receiving a flow of compressed air. The fuel injector assembly is coupled to the exterior surface of the outer casing.
In one embodiment, the first conduit wall is defined through the body at the first end.
In another embodiment, the body of the fuel injector further includes a second conduit wall defined through the body from the outer surface. The second conduit wall defines a second conduit in fluid communication with the second passage. The second conduit wall fluidly segregates the first conduit from the third passage. The second conduit is configured to egress a flow of fluid from the second passage to outside the fuel injector.
In various embodiments, the second conduit wall is defined through the body at the first end. The first conduit wall is defined through the body at the second end distal to the first conduit wall at the first end. In one embodiment, the second conduit wall is defined through the body at the first end radially outward of the interior surface of the outer casing. In another embodiment, the second conduit wall is defined through the body at the first end radially outward of the exterior surface of the outer casing.
In one embodiment, the plurality of walls of the fuel injector assembly includes a first wall extended inward of and spaced apart from the inner surface of the body, wherein the first passage is defined within the first wall and a second wall extended inward of the inner surface of the body and outward of the first wall. The second wall is spaced apart from each of the inner surface of the body and the first wall. The second passage is defined between the first wall and the second wall. The third passage is defined between the second wall and the inner surface of the body. The first conduit wall is extended through the body from the outer surface and coupled to the second wall.
In one embodiment, the heat engine further includes a fuel system configured to provide one or more flows of de-oxygenated fuel to the first passage and the third passage of the fuel injector assembly. The second passage is configured to receive the flow of compressed air from the diffuser cavity via the first conduit. The fuel injector assembly is configured to egress the flow of compressed air via the second conduit. The one or more flows of fuel and the compressed air are in thermal communication within the body of the fuel injector assembly.
In various embodiments, the heat engine further includes a fin structure comprising a plurality of fins extended from one or more of the plurality of walls into one or more of the plurality of passages. The plurality of fins is in adjacent circumferential arrangement relative to a reference centerline axis. In one embodiment, the plurality of fins of the fin structure is in adjacent radial arrangement relative to the reference centerline axis extended through the body. In another embodiment, the plurality of fins is arranged along the circumferential direction and the radial direction to provide a helical arrangement through one or more of the plurality of passages.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, the terms “first”, “second”, and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components.
The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to the direction to which the fluid flows.
Approximations recited herein may include margins based on one more measurement devices as used in the art, such as, but not limited to, a percentage of a full scale measurement range of a measurement device or sensor. Alternatively, approximations recited herein may include margins of 10% of an upper limit value greater than the upper limit value or 10% of a lower limit value less than the lower limit value.
Embodiments of a fuel injector heat exchanger assembly and combustion section are provided that may provide improved cooling to the fuel injector assembly and the combustion section. The embodiments provided herein generally include a body defining an outer surface and an inner surface and including a plurality of walls in concentric arrangement defining a plurality of passages. The plurality of passages provides thermal communication (e.g., heat transfer) between a working fluid, such as compressed air from a compressor section, to a pair or more of fuels surrounding the passage through which the working fluid flows. As the compressed air is generally a significantly higher temperature from the compressor section versus the flows of fuel entering the fuel injector assembly, the fuel removes thermal energy from the working fluid. The working fluid may be provided to a head portion of the fuel injector assembly, or other portions of the combustion section or engine. The cooled working fluid may be provided to a downstream portion, such as an aft heat shield, thermally proximate to combustion gases at the combustion chamber, thereby improving fuel injector assembly durability by reducing a thermal gradient at the fuel injector assembly. In various embodiments, the fuel entering the fuel injector assembly is de-oxygenated at the fuel system such as to mitigate risks of damage at the fuel injector assembly that may be associated with the increased thermal energy received from the working fluid (e.g., coking).
Referring now to the drawings,
The core engine 16 may generally include a substantially tubular outer casing 18 that defines an annular inlet 20. The outer casing 18 encases or at least partially forms, in serial flow relationship, a compressor section having a booster or low pressure (LP) compressor 22, a high pressure (HP) compressor 24, a combustion section 26, a turbine section including a high pressure (HP) turbine 28, a low pressure (LP) turbine 30 and a jet exhaust nozzle section 32. A high pressure (HP) rotor shaft 34 drivingly connects the HP turbine 28 to the HP compressor 24. A low pressure (LP) rotor shaft 36 drivingly connects the LP turbine 30 to the LP compressor 22. The LP rotor shaft 36 may also be connected to a fan shaft 38 of the fan assembly 14. In particular embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A fuel system 300 provides one or more flows of fuel 171, 172 to one or more fuel injector assemblies 70 coupled to an exterior surface 69 of the outer casing 64 and extended therethrough. The fuel system 300 may generally define a de-oxygenating fuel system providing flows of substantially or completely de-oxygenated fuel 171, 172 to each fuel injector assembly 70. The fuel may include liquid and/or gaseous flows of fuel. In various embodiments, the flows of fuel 171, 172 are independently metered or controlled such as to provide flow rates, pressures, temperatures, or fuel types different from one another, or different to one or more of the fuel injector assemblies 70.
The fuel injector assembly 70 may extend at least partially through the dome wall 56 and provide a fuel-air mixture to the combustion chamber 62. The fuel injector assembly 70 includes a body 110 extended from the outer casing 64 and radially inward into the combustion section 26. The fuel injector assembly 70 may further include a head 113 that extends at least partially through the dome wall 56 to the combustion chamber 62.
A first end 101 of the fuel injector assembly 70 is defined at or proximate to a flange 150 of the fuel injector assembly 70 that couples to the outer casing 64. The flange 150 is generally extended from an outer wall 125 of a portion of the body 110 of the fuel injector assembly 70. In various embodiments, the outer wall 125 may define a heat shield generally protecting a fuel delivering body 110 of the fuel injector assembly 70 from thermal exposure. The fuel injector assembly 70 further defines a second end 102 distal to the first end 101 along a body 110 or head 113 of the fuel injector assembly 70. The second end 102 may generally correspond to a portion of the fuel injector assembly 70 further downstream from the outer casing 64 relative to flows of fuel 171, 172 provided therethrough to the fuel injector assembly 70. For example, the second end 102 may correspond to a radially inward portion of the body 110 from which the head 113 is extended toward the combustion chamber 62. As another example, the second end 102 may correspond to one or more fuel outlets 114 of the fuel injector assembly 70 through which flows of fuel 171, 172 are provided to the combustion chamber 62.
During operation of the engine 10, as shown in
The prediffuser 65 and CEGV 67 condition the flow of compressed air 82 to the fuel injector assembly 70. The compressed air 82 pressurizes the diffuser cavity 84. The compressed air 82 enters the fuel injector assembly 70 to mix with a liquid and/or gaseous fuel.
Referring still to
Referring now to
The plurality of walls 120 includes a first wall 121 extended inward of and spaced apart from the inner wall 123 of the body 110 relative to the first centerline axis 13. A first passage 126 is defined within the first wall 121. A second wall 122 is extended inward of the inner wall 123 of the body 110 and outward of the first wall 121 relative to the first centerline axis 13. The second wall 122 is spaced apart from the inner wall 123 of the body 110 and the first wall 121. A second passage 127 is defined between the first wall 121 and the second wall 122. A third passage 128 is defined between the second wall 122 and the inner wall 123 of the body 110. Each passage 126, 127, 128 is fluidly segregated from one another via each of the plurality of walls 120 therebetween (e.g., the first wall 121 and the second wall 122).
In various embodiments, a fourth passage 129 is defined between the inner wall 123 and the outer enclosure 124. The fourth passage 129 generally defines a volume at which a gas, such as air, or oxidizer generally, or an inert gas, surrounds the passages 126, 127, 128 within the body 110. In still another embodiment, a fifth passage 130 is defined between the outer enclosure 124 and the outer wall 125, such as to define another volume at which a gas, such as air or an oxidizer generally, surrounds the passages 126, 127, 128 within the body 110 and the fourth passage 129 surrounding the body 100.
The fuel injector assembly 70 further includes a first conduit wall 131 defined through the body 110 from the outer wall 125, the outer enclosure 124, or both, and coupled to the second wall 122. The first conduit wall 131 defines a first conduit 136 therewithin in fluid communication with the second passage 127.
During operation of the engine 10, a first flow of fuel, depicted schematically via arrows 171, is provided to the first passage 126 of the fuel injector assembly 70. A second flow of fuel, depicted schematically via arrows 172, is provided to the third passage 128 of the fuel injector assembly 70. The first flow of fuel 171 and the second flow of fuel 172 may each define one or more of a different pressure, flow rate, temperature, or fuel type (e.g., a liquid or gaseous fuel, or combinations thereof). It should be appreciated that the first passage 126 and the third passage 128 may each define different geometries (e.g., different cross sectional areas or volumes) such as to enable different pressures, flow rates, temperatures, etc. of the first flow of fuel 171 relative to the second flow of fuel 172.
A flow of a working fluid, depicted schematically via arrows 182, is provided to the second passage 127 via the first conduit 136 extended from a first opening 138 through the outer wall 125 of the body 110. In various embodiments, the working fluid is a portion of the compressed air 82 from the compressors 22, 24 (
Referring to
Referring to
In various embodiments, a working fluid outlet 115 is defined through the fuel injector assembly 70 through which the flow of working fluid 182 egresses from the fuel injector assembly 70. In one embodiment, such as depicted in regard to
In one particular embodiment, the working fluid outlet 115 is disposed at a portion of the head 113 disposed at the combustion chamber 62 (
It should be appreciated that in various embodiments, the working fluid outlet 115 may further define a fuel-air mixing outlet, such as to provide fluid communication between the working fluid 182 and one or more of the flows of fuel 171, 172 at the head 113. It should further be appreciated that fuel-air mixing may be improved via the transfer of thermal energy from the working fluid 182 to one or more of the flows of fuel 171, 172 within the fuel injector assembly 70. Such increase in thermal energy at the flows of fuel 171, 172 may improve atomization of the fuel 171, 172 as it egresses from the one or more fuel outlets 114 for ignition at the combustion chamber 62. Improved atomization may further improve emissions output or desirably alter heat release characteristics during combustion.
Referring now to
The fin structure 140 may promote and improve heat transfer from the working fluid 182 to one or more of the fuels 171, 172 flowing through the body 110. In one embodiment, such as depicted in regard to
Referring back to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring to
In another embodiment, the second conduit 137 may be disposed radially outward of the interior surface 69 and the exterior surface 71 (
Although not further depicted herein, the fuel injector assembly 70 and the combustion section 26 may include one or more seals, such as between the fuel injector assembly 70 and the outer casing 64. Additionally, in various embodiments, a heat shield 200 (
Additionally, or alternatively, the fuel injector assembly 70 may further include additional walls to define additional fluid flow passages therebetween. For example, the first passage 126 may provide a pilot fuel source, such as for promoting ignition or low- or mid-power conditions, such as idle, cruise, or other part-load conditions, or for promoting or advantageously affecting heat release characteristics at the combustion chamber 62 (e.g., pressure oscillations, acoustics, etc.). The third passage 128 may provide a main fuel source such as to provide high-power conditions at the combustion chamber 62, such as take-off or full load conditions. The plurality of walls 120 may further include a third wall or more to provide an additional pilot fuel source, thereby providing a primary and secondary pilot circuit. Embodiments of the fuel injector assembly 70 provided herein may generally provide the second passage 127 surrounded by the first and third passages 126, 128 and in thermal communication therewith. The working fluid 182, such as a portion of compressed air 82 from the compressors 22, 24, is conditioned as a cooling fluid to the head 113 of the fuel injector assembly 70, or more particularly more thermally distressed downstream portions thereof inward into the combustion chamber 62.
The fuel injector assembly 70, the combustion section 26, and the combustor assembly 50 depicted in regard to
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
