The present disclosure relates to a fuel injector having a purge circuit for an aircraft turbine engine.
The prior art includes in particular the documents FR-A1-2 971 039, FR-A1-3 013 805 and FR-A1-3 067 792.
A mixture of compressed air and suitable fuel is typically injected into a turbine engine combustion chamber using one or more injectors. The injectors are, for example, attached to a casing and pass through orifices in a chamber wall for the fuel ejection into the chamber as a jet of fuel droplets. A fuel injector 10, for example with flat jet, such as the one shown in
The body may comprise an air cooling circuit coaxial with the fuel circuit, as described in DE-10.2017. 200106-A1, DE-10.2013.208069-A1 and JP-2003.247425-A.
The body 12 may also comprise at least one integrated air purge circuit which comprises an internal cavity 22 connected to air inlet orifices 24 located on the body and at least one air outlet 26 located at the end 16, as described in EP 2.244.014-A2.
This air circuit has only a purging function and the present disclosure provides an improvement to this technology which allows the operation of a fuel injector to be optimised in a simple, effective and economical manner.
The present disclosure proposes a fuel injector for an aircraft turbine engine, comprising a tubular body having an axis of elongation A and comprising a first longitudinal end for supplying fuel and a second longitudinal end for ejecting a jet of fuel, the body further comprising an integrated purge air circuit which comprises an internal cavity which is in fluid communication with air supply orifices located on the body and which comprises an annular portion extending around the axis of elongation, the annular portion being connected to air outlet channels opening at the second end, characterised in that air flow disruptors are provided projecting into the annular portion of the internal cavity.
These flow disruptors allow to confer on the air circuit at least one additional function with respect to the purging function. For example, the disruptors can promote the exchange of heat between the air and the body of the injector and thus participate in the cooling of the body of the injector. They can also facilitate the propagation of the jet of fuel and thus optimise the performances of the combustion chamber equipped with this injector.
The injector according to the disclosure may comprise one or more of the following features, taken in isolation from each other or in combination with each other:
The present disclosure also relates to an aircraft turbine engine, comprising a combustion chamber equipped with at least one injector.
The disclosure will be better understood and other details, characteristics and advantages of the disclosure will become clearer on reading the following description made by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the annexed drawings in which:
The combustion chamber 130 is disposed within a casing 132 of the turbine engine and comprises a wall 134 internally defining a combustion space into which a mixture of air and fuel is injected and burned.
The fuel is injected into the chamber 130 via one or more injectors 110 which are attached here to the casing 132 and which pass through a port 136 in the wall 134.
The or each injector 110 is of the type shown in
It comprises a body 112 of generally elongated shape having an axis of elongation A, this body 112 comprising a first longitudinal end 114 for supplying fuel and a second longitudinal end 116 for ejecting a jet of fuel. This second end 116 comprises a nozzle formed by a tubular portion 120 of generally elongated shape having an axis of elongation B substantially perpendicular to the axis of elongation A (
Preferably, the body 112 and the tubular portion 120 are made of metal and are obtained in a single piece by machining a metal block, preferably by additive manufacturing.
The first longitudinal end 116 of the body 112, which here comprises a base 138 for attaching to the casing 132, may also be made in a single piece with the body 112. This attachment base 138 comprises a collar extending around the axis A and pierced with orifices for the passage of screws for attaching the injector to the casing 132.
The body 112 includes an internal longitudinal bore 118 extending along and at the axis A, between the first and second longitudinal ends, and in fluid communication with the ends of the tubular portion 120.
The body 112 also includes an internal cavity of air passage 122, which includes an annular portion 139 extending around the bore 118 and channels 140 which open at the end 116 to form the aforementioned purge air outlets. In the example shown, the cavity portion 122 extends along a part of the length of the body 112. It extends to the second longitudinal end 116 of the body 112 and is connected to two channels 140 diametrically opposed with respect to the axis A, which open at this end 116 so that the air is expelled from the injector. When a jet of fuel is ejected from the injector, this jet is surrounded by the air expelled from the same injector. When the injector is not expelling fuel, the expelled air purges the fuel system from the injector. The air then expels the last drops of fuel and cleans the fuel ejection slot 125 of the tubular portion 120. The air passage cavity 122 is thus likened to a purge circuit.
At the end opposite the tubular portion 120, the cavity 122 is in fluid communication with an annular row of air supply orifices 124 formed at the periphery of the body and extending around the axis of elongation A.
This annular portion 139 is here defined between two cylindrical surfaces 152, 154 extending around each other and around the axis A.
The disruptors 150 comprise first annular fins 150a projecting from the inner cylindrical surface 152, and second annular fins 150b projecting from the outer cylindrical surface 154.
The fins 150a are axially spaced from each other along the axis A. The fins 150b are also axially spaced apart along this axis A and extend in transverse planes passing substantially between the fins 150a.
The fins 150a, 150b may be rectangular, triangular or trapezoidal in axial cross-section. The fins 150a may have a different cross-sectional shape to the fins 150b, as in the example shown. They may have a thickness or axial dimension substantially equal to their height or radial dimension (measured from the axis A).
The number of fins 150a, 150b on each surface 152, 154 is for example between 3 and 15 and preferably between 5 and 10.
In operation, the air entering the portion 139 of the cavity 122, through the orifices 124, has to bypass the fins 150a, 150b and suffers pressure losses due to the baffle effect. This phenomenon contributes to the cooling of the body 112 of the injector 110.
Each of the channels 140 comprises projecting disruptors 156.
The disruptors 156 of each of the channels 140 comprise several partitions, which are here parallel to each other and substantially parallel to the axis A.
The number of disruptors 156 or partitions per channel 140 is for example between 3 and 10.
In operation, the air leaving the purge circuit is guided by the partitions so as to optimise the formation and diffusion of the fuel jet, for example in the direction of a spark plug of the combustion chamber 130 equipped with the injector 110.
The injector 110 according to the disclosure may be produced by additive manufacturing, for example, and is advantageously monobloc.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1908419 | Jul 2019 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/FR2020/051274 | 7/16/2020 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2021/014074 | 1/28/2021 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
20090044538 | Pelletier et al. | Feb 2009 | A1 |
20100269507 | Khan | Oct 2010 | A1 |
20140190168 | Shershnyov et al. | Jul 2014 | A1 |
20150285504 | Melton | Oct 2015 | A1 |
20170328568 | Portillo Bilbao | Nov 2017 | A1 |
20190346140 | Kiener | Nov 2019 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
10 2013 208 069 | Nov 2014 | DE |
10 2017 200 106 | Jul 2018 | DE |
2 244 014 | Oct 2010 | EP |
2 971 039 | Aug 2012 | FR |
3 013 805 | May 2015 | FR |
3 059 047 | May 2018 | FR |
3 067 792 | Dec 2018 | FR |
2003-247425 | Sep 2003 | JP |
2015-127633 | Jul 2015 | JP |
Entry |
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International Search Report dated Nov. 2, 2020, issued in corresponding International Application No. PCT/FR2020/051274, filed Jul. 16, 2020, 7 pages. |
Written Opinion dated Nov. 2, 2020, issued in corresponding International Application No. PCT/FR2020l051274, filed Jul. 16, 2020, 6 pages. |
English translation of Written Opinion dated Nov. 2, 2020, issued in corresponding International Application No. PCT/FR2020/051274, filed Jul. 16, 2020, 5 pages. |
International Preliminary Report on Patentability dated Jan. 25, 2022, issued in corresponding International Application No. PCT/FR2020/051274, filed Jul. 16, 2020, 7 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220282869 A1 | Sep 2022 | US |