Patent Application
20160281992
The present application and the resultant patent relate generally to a gas turbine engine and more particularly relate to a gas turbine engine with an injection boss positioned on or about a transition piece of a unibody combustor liner for low combustion residence times.
A combustion section of a gas turbine engine generally includes a number of combustors arranged in an annular array about a compressor discharge casing. A typical combustor may include an end cover coupled to the compressor discharge casing, an annular cap assembly that extends radially and axially within the compressor discharge casing, an annular liner that extends downstream from the cap assembly, and a transition piece that extends between the liner and a first stage of a turbine section. An aft frame portion of the transition piece may be coupled to the turbine casing for positioning and support.
In an effort to decrease the number of individual components within the combustor of the gas turbine, the transition piece and the combustor liner may be combined into a unibody component. Late lean injectors may be positioned about the unibody liner. Due to limitations in the manufacturing processes, these injectors are currently position upstream of the transition piece. Such positioning, however, may increase the combustion residence time therein.
There is thus a desire for an improved unibody liner for a combustor. Such an improved unibody liner may have increased flexibility in the positioning of the late lean injectors including positioning the injectors about the transition piece so as to provide very low late lean injection residence times for increased performance and lower emissions.
The present application and the resultant patent thus provide a combustor. The combustor includes a unibody liner with a transition piece, a fuel injection portion, and a fuel injection opening. A fuel injection boss may be positioned within the fuel injection opening. The fuel injection boss may be manufactured in a direct metal laser melting process.
The present application and the resultant patent further provide a method of manufacturing a combustor with low secondary combustion residence times. The method may include the steps of manufacturing a fuel injection boss in a direct metal laser melting process, positioning a fuel injection opening in a transition piece of a combustor liner, welding the fuel injection boss within the fuel injection opening, and positioning a late lean fuel injector in the fuel injection boss.
The present application and the resultant patent further provide a combustor. The combustor may include a unibody liner with a transition piece, an overlapping fuel injection portion, and a fuel injection opening. A contoured fuel injection boss may be positioned within the fuel injection opening. The contoured fuel injection boss may be manufactured in a direct metal laser melting process.
These and other features and improvements of the present application and the resultant patent will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views,
The gas turbine engine 10 may use natural gas, liquid fuels, various types of syngas, and/or other types of fuels and blends thereof. The gas turbine engine 10 may be any one of a number of different gas turbine engines offered by General Electric Company of Schenectady, N.Y., including, but not limited to, those such as a 7 or a 9 series heavy duty gas turbine engine and the like. The gas turbine engine 10 may have different configurations and may use other types of components. Other types of gas turbine engines also may be used herein. Multiple gas turbine engines, other types of turbines, and other types of power generation equipment also may be used herein together.
In use, the flow of air 20 from the compressor 15 may be routed through the flow path 64. A portion of the flow of air 20 may be directed to the head end of the combustor 25 so as to reverse direction and flow through the fuel nozzles 56. The flow of air 20 may be mixed with the flow of fuel 30 in the fuel nozzles 56 such that the air and fuel may be combusted in the primary combustion zone 60. A second portion of the flow of air 20 may be directed through the late lean injectors 66 where the air may be mixed with the fuel and ignited within the secondary combustion zone 68. The flow of the combustion gases 35 from the primary combustion zone 60 and the secondary combustion zone 68 may mix and flow towards the first stage 70 of the turbine 40 so as to produce useful work.
The unibody liner 58 may include a number of fuel injection openings 82. The fuel injection openings 82 may be sized to accommodate the late lean fuel injector 66. A number of fuel injection bosses 84 may be positioned about the fuel injection openings 82 so as to position the late lean fuel injector 66 therein. The combustor 25 and the unibody liner 58 described herein are for the purpose of example only. Many other types of combustors and unibody liners may be known.
In this example, the fuel injection portion 160 of the unibody liner 110 may extend into part or all of the transition piece 170. Specifically, the fuel injection bosses 190 may be positioned within the transition piece 170 near the first stage nozzle 70 of the turbine 40. Such positioning may provide low combustion residence times therein given the proximity to the first stage 70 of the turbine 40.
The fuel injection bosses 190 may include a highly contoured shape 200. The contoured shape 200 may include a downward flange 210 extending into the fuel injection opening 180. The downward flange 210 may define an injection boss opening 220 for the late lean fuel injector 66. The fuel injection bosses 190 also may include an outwardly projecting flange 230. The outwardly projecting flange 230 may extend along the flow sleeve 62 for support therewith. The fuel injection bosses 190, and the components thereof, may have any suitable size, shape, or configuration. Other components and other configurations may be used herein.
The fuel injection bosses 190 may be manufactured in a Direct Metal Laser Melting (“DMLM”) process. Laser scanning and the DMLM processes may provide the ability to create highly contoured and accurate shapes that may be easily welded to the unibody liner 110, particularly about the transition part 170. This positioning thus provides the very low late lean injection residence times. Moreover, this positioning benefits both single and multiple planes of late lean injection within the overall combustor 100. The use of DMLM thus permits the fuel injection bosses 180 to be positioned anywhere along the unibody liner 110.
It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and the resultant patent. Numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.
