The invention relates generally to a fuel system of a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to an improved fuel conveying member thereof.
Internal passageways that are used to convey fluids necessarily cause at least some pressure loss in the fluid flow. However, for certain applications, limiting this pressure loss is of vital importance. In gas turbine engines, improvement is constantly sought with respect to internal passage design such as to limit as much as possible unwanted pressure losses in the fluid, in order to therefore maximize efficiently as much as possible.
For complex fuel conveying members having multiple interconnected fluid passages, including bends, corners, steps, etc., such fluid dynamic losses can be even more exaggerated. For example, as shown in
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a member of a gas turbine engine fuel system having an improved fuel conveying passage.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved fuel conveying member for a fuel system of a gas turbine engine.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a fuel conveying member of a gas turbine engine fuel system conducting pressurized fluid flow, the fuel conveying member comprising a body defining an L-shaped fuel flow passage internally extending at least partially therethrough, the fuel flow passage having first and second passage portions disposed transverse relative to each other and extending away from an elbow therebetween, the elbow linking and providing communication between the first and second passage portions, the first passage portion being in fluid-flow communication with an entrance of said body and having a first internal cross-sectional area and the second passage portion being in fluid-flow communication with an exit of said body and having a second internal cross-sectional area different from the first cross-sectional area, said elbow providing a first substantially smooth fluid-dynamic transition between said first and second passage portions.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of providing an internal passage within a fuel conveying member of a gas turbine engine fuel system, the internal passage being for conveying pressurized fuel flow therethrough, the method comprising: forming a first passage portion within a solid portion said fuel conveying member; forming a second passage portion within said solid portion of said fuel conveying member, the second passage portion intersecting the first passage portion such as to form an elbow therebetween, the first and second passage portions defining said internal passage and providing said internal passage with a substantially L-shaped configuration; and creating an internal radius in a transition edge within said elbow, said transition edge being defined at an intersection of a portion of inner wall surfaces of said first and second internal passages, said radiused transition edge providing a substantially smooth fluid-dynamic transition between said first and second passage portions.
Further details of these and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description and figures included below.
Reference is now made to the accompanying figures depicting aspects of the present invention, in which:
Referring to
Referring to
The elbow 62 of the L-shaped fuel flow passage 60 may be generated by the intersection of the first and second passage portions 56,64 formed within the body 58 of the manifold. The elbow 62 redirects the flow from the first passage portion 56 to the substantially perpendicularly arranged second passage portion 64. The elbow 62 provides a relatively smooth fluid-dynamic transition between the two intersecting passages 56,64 of the L-shaped fuel flow passage 60, which greatly reduces pressure losses and flow turbulence in comparison with the much more abrupt flow redirection of a T-junction configuration for example. This is especially beneficial when the downstream passage portion 64 has a different diameter than the passage portion 56 disposed on the upstream side of the elbow 62. The elbow 62 includes a radiused transition edge 66 therewith, the transition edge being defined at the intersection of the inner wall surfaces of the first passage portion 56 and the second passage portion 64. The radiused transition edge 66 further helps provide the relatively smooth fluid-dynamic transition within the angular elbow 62 located between the substantially rectilinear portions of the L-shaped fuel flow passage 60.
As seen in
Although the internal L-shaped passage 60 of the fuel manifold 50 can be formed in a number of different ways, in one embodiment at least a portion of the L-shaped passage 60 is machined within the solid body 58 of the manifold by electrical discharge machining (EDM). Thus, either the entire L-shaped passage 60 is so formed by EDM, or alternately only one passage portion thereof is formed by EDM. The elbow 62 is preferably integrally formed with at least one of the two passage portions, whether by EDM or another machining operation. The internal elbow 62 is preferably formed by EDM, as machining this smooth internal passage corner within the body of the manifold would be more difficult using standard machining operations, due in part to the relatively inaccessible nature of this portion of the passage. As depicted in
Referring to
In
Regardless of which manufacturing embodiment is chosen, the L-shaped passage 60,160,260 enables a substantially smooth fluid-dynamic transition at the corner elbow 62,162,262 thereof, such that reduced pressure losses and reduce flow turbulence occur. Any change in passage cross-sectional area is also provided with a smooth transition shape, such that the entire L-shaped passage within the fuel manifolds of the present invention improve fuel flow efficiency within such an internal fuel flow passage. Furthermore, the elbow is contiguous, and therefore leakproof relative to a design such as that shown in
When manufacturing the L-shaped passage within the solid body of the fuel manifold, the first and second passage portions are formed, either in succession or simultaneously if the manufacturing environment and equipment allows such simultaneously multiple-machining processing, such that they intersect to form an elbow therebetween, the elbow providing a substantially smooth angular redirection of fluid flow within the L-shaped passage. The step of intersecting the two passages during their forming includes creating an internal radius in a edge within the elbow of the passage, the transition edge being defined within an intersection plane at the intersection of inner wall surfaces of the first and second passage portions. The radiused transition edge helps to provide a substantially smooth fluid-dynamic transition between the first and second passage portions, which may be oriented at about 90 degrees relative to each other within the body of the fuel manifold. Either one or both of the first and second passage portions of the L-shaped passage can be formed within the body of the manifold by EDM, and the elbow portion of the L-shaped passage can be also formed by EDM, whether in a separate operation or simultaneously with the formation of one of the two passage portions with which it may be integrally formed. The first and second passage portions may also be formed, whether by EDM or traditional machining such as drilling for example, having different cross-sectional areas. In one embodiment, the second passage portion is formed having a cross-sectional area which is less than that of the first passage portion. The elbow therebetween, including the radiused transition edge therein, therefore provides a substantially smooth fluid-dynamic transition between the first and second passage portions which are both angularly oriented relative to each other and have different cross-sectional areas. The first passage portion may also be formed having first and send ends thereof, each having a different cross-sectional area. In this case, the method of forming such a first passage portion further includes forming a substantially smooth fluid-dynamic transition between these opposed and differently sized ends of the first passage portion. This may be done by EDM, or an alternate machining method.
The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without department from the scope of the invention disclosed. For example, the although the fluid flow passage 60 is described as an L-shaped passage, it is to be understood that the internal fluid flow passage formed within the body of the fuel manifold may have another different passage shape, providing it includes first and second substantially rectilinear passage portions which intersect each other and are oriented at an angle relative to each other, and having an arcuate elbow portion disposed therebetween which provides a substantially smooth fluid-dynamic transition between the two passage portions. The fluid flow passage, although described as being for directing pressurized fuel flow, may of course also be used for conducting another fluid within the body of a fluid conveying member of a gas turbine engine fuel system, whether the fuel conveying member is a fuel manifold or other fuel conveying member of the fuel system. Either the whole, or any part of, the fluid flow passage 60,160,260 may be manufactured by EDM, and having either a constant cross-sectional area, or with portions thereof having a different cross-sectional area than other portions. Still other modifications which fall within the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of a review of this disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2151540 | Varga | Mar 1939 | A |
2946185 | Bayer | Jul 1960 | A |
2959003 | Carlisle et al. | Nov 1960 | A |
3213523 | Boehler | Oct 1965 | A |
3472025 | Simmons et al. | Oct 1969 | A |
3662959 | Sample, Jr. | May 1972 | A |
3684186 | Helmrich | Aug 1972 | A |
3685741 | O'Sickey | Aug 1972 | A |
3691765 | Carlisle | Sep 1972 | A |
3879940 | Stenger et al. | Apr 1975 | A |
4070826 | Stenger et al. | Jan 1978 | A |
4100733 | Streibel et al. | Jul 1978 | A |
4229944 | Weiler | Oct 1980 | A |
4258544 | Gebhart et al. | Mar 1981 | A |
4305255 | Davies et al. | Dec 1981 | A |
4322945 | Peterson et al. | Apr 1982 | A |
4404806 | Bell, III et al. | Sep 1983 | A |
4735044 | Richey et al. | Apr 1988 | A |
5036657 | Seto et al. | Aug 1991 | A |
5097666 | Shekleton et al. | Mar 1992 | A |
5174504 | Halvorsen | Dec 1992 | A |
5253471 | Richardson | Oct 1993 | A |
5271219 | Richardson | Dec 1993 | A |
5396759 | Richardson | Mar 1995 | A |
5400968 | Sood | Mar 1995 | A |
5419115 | Butler et al. | May 1995 | A |
5423178 | Mains | Jun 1995 | A |
5570580 | Mains | Nov 1996 | A |
5579645 | Prociw et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
5598696 | Stotts | Feb 1997 | A |
5657632 | Foss | Aug 1997 | A |
5771696 | Hansel et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
5848525 | Spencer | Dec 1998 | A |
5918628 | Harding | Jul 1999 | A |
5956955 | Schmid | Sep 1999 | A |
5970716 | Forrester et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
5983642 | Parker et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
5988531 | Maden et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
5996335 | Ebel | Dec 1999 | A |
6109038 | Sharifi et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
6141968 | Gates et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6149075 | Moertle et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6240732 | Allan | Jun 2001 | B1 |
6256995 | Sampath et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
6351948 | Goeddeke | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6357222 | Schilling et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6463739 | Mueller et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6523350 | Mancini et al. | Feb 2003 | B1 |
6560964 | Steinhorsson et al. | May 2003 | B2 |
6755024 | Mao et al. | Jun 2004 | B1 |
6761035 | Mueller | Jul 2004 | B1 |
6915638 | Runkle et al. | Jul 2005 | B2 |
7028484 | Prociw et al. | Apr 2006 | B2 |
7036302 | Myers Jr. et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
7117679 | Toon et al. | Oct 2006 | B2 |
7290394 | Lehtinen | Nov 2007 | B2 |
7370477 | Roche et al. | May 2008 | B2 |
7415828 | Brown | Aug 2008 | B2 |
20030014979 | Summerfield et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20070044477 | Held et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
20090256003 | McMasters et al. | Oct 2009 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1013153 | Jul 1977 | CA |
2307186 | May 1999 | CA |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20100229555 A1 | Sep 2010 | US |