Patent Application
20180163968
The present invention generally involves a combustor for a gas turbine. More specifically, the invention relates to a system for mitigating non-uniform flow upstream from an inlet to a premix passage of a fuel nozzle.
During operation of a gas turbine engine, pressurized air from a compressor flows into a head end volume defined within the combustor. The pressurized air flows from the head end volume into an inlet to a corresponding premix passage of a respective fuel nozzle. Fuel is injected into the flow of pressurized air within the premix passage where it mixes with the pressurized air so as to provide a fuel and air mixture to a combustion zone or chamber defined downstream from the fuel nozzle. The flow of pressurized air is typically non-uniform as it approaches the inlet to the respective fuel nozzle which may be undesirable for efficient combustor operations.
Aspects and advantages are set forth below in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice.
One embodiment of the present disclosure is a combustor. The combustor includes an inlet flow conditioner having a sleeve and a conditioner plate. The conditioner plate defines a plurality of apertures. The sleeve extends axially from the conditioner plate to a forward plate of a nozzle segment. The sleeve, the conditioner plate and the forward plate define an inlet flow plenum. The inlet flow plenum is in fluid communication with an inlet of a tube that defines a premix passage of the nozzle segment.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure is a combustor. The combustor includes an inlet flow conditioner including a sleeve and a conditioner plate. The conditioner plate defines a plurality of apertures. The sleeve extends axially from the conditioner plate to a forward plate of a fuel nozzle and forms an inlet flow plenum therein. The inlet flow plenum is in fluid communication with a plurality of premix passages which is defined by a plurality of tubes of the fuel nozzle.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will better appreciate the features and aspects of such embodiments, and others, upon review of the specification.
A full and enabling disclosure of the of various embodiments, including the best mode thereof to one skilled in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to present embodiments of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Like or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the disclosure.
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. The term “radially” refers to the relative direction that is substantially perpendicular to an axial centerline of a particular component, the term “axially” refers to the relative direction that is substantially parallel and/or coaxially aligned to an axial centerline of a particular component, and the term “circumferentially” refers to the relative direction that extends around the axial centerline of a particular component.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Each example is provided by way of explanation, not limitation. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope or spirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described generally in the context of a combustor for a land based power generating gas turbine for purposes of illustration, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to any style or type of combustor for a turbomachine and are not limited to combustors or combustion systems for land based power generating gas turbines unless specifically recited in the claims.
Referring now to the drawings,
During operation, air 20 flows into the compressor 12 where the air 20 is progressively compressed, thus providing compressed or pressurized air 22 to the combustor 14. At least a portion of the compressed air 22 is mixed with a fuel 24 within the combustor 14 and burned to produce combustion gases 26. The combustion gases 26 flow from the combustor 14 into the turbine 16, wherein energy (kinetic and/or thermal) is transferred from the combustion gases 26 to rotor blades (not shown), thus causing shaft 18 to rotate. The mechanical rotational energy may then be used for various purposes such as to power the compressor 12 and/or to generate electricity. The combustion gases 26 may then be exhausted from the gas turbine 10.
As shown in
In particular embodiments, the combustion liner 34 is at last partially circumferentially surrounded by a flow sleeve 40. The flow sleeve 40 may be formed as a single component or by multiple flow sleeve segments. The flow sleeve 40 is radially spaced from the combustion liner 34 so as to define a flow passage or annular flow passage 42 therebetween. The flow sleeve 40 may define a plurality of inlets or holes 44 which provide for fluid communication between the flow passage 42 and the high pressure plenum 30. In particular embodiments, the endcover 32 and the outer casing 28 at least partially define a head end volume or plenum 46 of the combustor 14. The head end volume 46 may be in fluid communication with the high pressure plenum 30 via the flow passage 42. In various embodiments, as shown in
A plurality of tubes 110 extends through the forward plate 102, the fuel plenum 108 and the aft plate 104. Each tube 110 includes an inlet end or opening 112 disposed at or upstream from the forward plate 102 and an outlet end or opening 114 disposed downstream and/or extending axially away from the aft plate 104. In various embodiments one or more of the tubes 110 includes one or more fuel ports or holes 116 in fluid communication with the fuel plenum 108. Each tube 110 defines a passage or premix passage 118 through the respective nozzle segment 100. In operation, fuel may be supplied to the fuel plenum 108 via a corresponding fluid conduit 50. The fuel from the fuel plenum 108 may be injected into a respective premix passage 118 via fuel port(s) 116 where it is mixed with the compressed air 22 from the high pressure plenum 30. The fuel-air mixture is then injected from the respective tube 110 outlet 114 into the combustion chamber 36 where it is burned to produce the combustion gases 26.
In various embodiments, as shown in
In particular embodiments, as shown in
Although the apertures 130 are illustrated in
A plurality of tubes 210 extends through the forward plate 202, the fuel plenum 208 and the aft plate 204. Each tube 210 includes an inlet end or opening 212 disposed at or upstream from the forward plate 202 and an outlet end or opening 214 disposed downstream and/or extending axially away from the aft plate 204. In various embodiments one or more of the tubes 210 includes one or more fuel ports or holes 216 in fluid communication with the fuel plenum 208. Each tube 210 defines a passage or premix passage 218 through the respective fuel nozzle 200.
In operation, fuel may be supplied to the fuel plenum 208 via a corresponding fluid conduit 50. The fuel from the fuel plenum 208 may be injected into a respective premix passage 218 via fuel port(s) 216 where it is mixed with the compressed air 22 from the high pressure plenum 30. The fuel-air mixture is then injected from the respective tube 210 outlet 214 into the combustion chamber 36 where it is burned to produce the combustion gases 26.
In various embodiments, as shown in
In particular embodiments, as shown in
Although the apertures 230 are illustrated in
During operation, as shown in
The apertures 124, 224 reduce non-uniformity of the compressed air 22 as it enters the respective inlet flow plenums 128, 228 from the head end volume 46. The compressed air 22 having a substantially uniform flow field, enters the inlet(s) 112, 212 of the premix passage(s) 118, 218 in a substantially uniform fashion where fuel from the respective fuel plenums 108, 208 is injected into the flow of the compressed air 22 via the fuel ports 116, 216. The fuel and compressed air 22 mix within the respective premix passages 118, 218 and the mixture is then injected into the primary combustion chamber 36 where it is burned to produce combustion gases. The reduction in non-uniformity of the compressed air 22 provided by the respective conditioner plates 126, 226 as it enters the respective inlet flow plenums 128, 228 from the head end volume 46 improves mixing of the fuel and air within the premix passages 118, 218, thereby reducing overall NOx emissions of the combustor 14.
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 language of the claims.
