Parker-hannifin Corporation

Other

Aluminum Company of America

Alcoa Inc.

Adel B Mansour

Rex Jay Harvey

Michael A Benjamin

Robert R Pelletier

Jeffrey R Lehtinen

Peter Laing

Erlendur Steinthorsson

Luther Wirtz

David Tibbs

Jon Stockill

Robert L Kozarek

David D Leon

Peter V Buca

Andrew M Odar

Norman Chigier

Brian P Hollon

Michael Kenneth Teter

Barry Walford Savel

Raman Ras

Jeffrey M Melzak

Robert R Tacina

Thomas A Burke

Kim L Aiken

James F Duncan

Jeffery R Lehtinen

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft having a fuel nozzle including a fuel swirler and/or an outer air swirler. The fuel swirler may include a manifold for receiving fuel from a fuel conduit, and a plurality of fuel passages to direct fuel from the manifold to discharge orifices that direct fuel with swirling flow. The fuel swirler may be configured to provide uniform spray while minimizing recirculation zones; reduce residence time as fuel enters the manifold; minimize flow disruptions, boundary layer growth, and/or pressure drop as fuel flows through the fuel passages; reduces coking internally of the nozzle; reduces thermal stresses; and is simple and low-cost to manufacture. The outer air swirler may include first and second outer air swirler portions with respective vanes and air passages that provide swirling air flow. The outer air swirler may be configured to improve atomization and spray uniformity with a wide spray angle; and minimize flow disruptions for enhancing flow performance.

Airblast fuel nozzle

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft having a fuel nozzle including a fuel swirler and/or an outer air swirler. The fuel swirler may include a manifold for receiving fuel from a fuel conduit, and a plurality of fuel passages to direct fuel from the manifold to discharge orifices that direct fuel with swirling flow. The fuel swirler may be configured to provide uniform spray while minimizing recirculation zones; reduce residence time as fuel enters the manifold; minimize flow disruptions, boundary layer growth, and/or pressure drop as fuel flows through the fuel passages; reduces coking internally of the nozzle; reduces thermal stresses; and is simple and low-cost to manufacture.

Provided is an injector () having a plurality of injector modules () that include a spray cup having a chamber and a plurality of radial air passages for directing air radially into the chamber, and a pressure swirl atomizer attached to the spray cup and having a fluid passage for directing fluid axially into chamber and an air passage for directing air axially into the chamber. By providing radial and axial air flow and axial fuel flow into the chamber, the fuel may be mixed to prevent local hot spots that lead to high NOx emissions, and a stable flame may be maintained without autoignition and flashback. The axial air flow also prevents recirculation zones from forming at a base of the spray cup, provides improved atomization and enhanced combustion.

Direct injection multipoint nozzle

A nozzle assembly comprises a first-fuel-inlet tube, a second-fuel-inlet tube, and a plate stack. The nozzle-plate stack () defines a central circuit, corner air circuits, a first fuel circuit and a second fuel circuit. The fuel circuits include a swirl chamber in which the fuel is swirled prior to being merged with the central circuit. The corner air circuits merge with the central circuit downstream of the fuel circuits' merge and provide an additional swirling component to further shape the fuel-air stream prior to ignition.

Nozzle assembly

A force sensor utilizing force sensing element to generate an output signal that is commensurate with the force applied to the sensor. The force sensor includes a support element coupled to a resilient deflectable portion and at least one pivotable arm portion extending from the resilient deflectable portion; and a force sensing element supported by the base element and operably coupled to the at least one pivotable arm portion, wherein the force sensing element outputs an output signal that is proportional to a force applied to the at least one pivotable arm portion. The force sensor may be used a mass flow meter by coupling a fluid passage to the force sensor. The structure of the force sensor makes use of mechanical amplification to greatly increase the sensitivity of the sensor.

Low-power force sensor

An atomizing injector includes a metering set having a swirl chamber, a spray orifice and one or more feed slots etched in a thin plate. The swirl chamber is etched in a first side of the plate and the spray orifice is etched through a second side to the center of the swirl chamber. Fuel feed slots extend non-radially to the swirl chamber. The injector also includes integral swirler structure. The swirler structure includes a cylindrical air swirler passage, also shaped by etching, through at least one other thin plate. The cylindrical air swirler passage is located in co-axial relation to the spray orifice of the plate of the fuel metering set such that fuel directed through the spray orifice passes through the air swirler passage and swirling air is imparted to the fuel such that the fuel has a swirling component of motion. At least one air feed slot is provided in fluid communication with the air swirler passage and extends in non-radial relation thereto. Air supply passages extend through the plates of the metering set and the swirler structure to feed the air feed slot in each plate of the swirler structure.

Integrated fluid injection air mixing system

An injector assembly includes a barrel-shaped housing and an injector, the injector including a feed ring formed of multiple, etched, T-shaped plates. A plurality of nozzles are arranged in an evenly-spaced array around the injector and direct fluid radially inward into the central annulus of the injector assembly. The injector includes an air inlet port with an internal feed passage fluidly connected to swirl chambers and exit orifices to provide individual sprays of fuel from the nozzles. Integral air swirlers impart a swirling component of motion to the fuel sprays. A venturi configuration is provided by the housing. The nozzles are provided along the venturi configuration, which maintains fluid separation from the walls of the housing downstream from the venturi.

Macrolaminate radial injector

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine includes a bulkhead having adjacent angled wall segments, each of which includes an injector opening. Fuel injectors are supported by the bulkhead on adjacent wall segments. Each fuel injector includes an inlet fitting including ports for receiving fuel, a feed stem extending through the opening, and a manifold supported at the downstream end of the feed stem and including a plurality of manifold segments. Each manifold segment includes a plurality of nozzles arranged in a linear, planar array; with each nozzle including a fuel distribution assembly and an air swirler assembly. The manifold segments are supported at angles to one another, such that that the sprays from one array of nozzles in one segment are provided in a different direction than the sprays from another array of nozzles in an adjacent manifold segment.

Macrolaminate direct injection nozzle

A multi-function spray nozzle for engine applications useful as a cooling device to introduce a fluid into the fluid stream of the engine, and as a cleaning device to introduce a fluid to clean internal components of the engine. The nozzle includes a multi-layered arrangement of etched plates defining flow paths for the first and second fluids. Non-radial feed slots direct the first fluid into a cylindrical swirl chamber. The swirling fluid exits the swirl chamber through a spray orifice or a prefilmer, depending on whether the nozzle is configured as a simplex or prefilmer nozzle. Other non-radial feed slots direct the second fluid inward, downstream of the first fluid, to create a fine dispersion of droplets for fluid stream cooling purposes. During cleaning, only the first fluid is introduced through the nozzle, which results in a larger droplet size suitable for cleaning purposes of the internal components of the engine.

Multi-function simplex/prefilmer nozzle

An injector includes a plurality of flat, circular plates which provide fuel delivery and cooling of the injector. Fuel delivery passages in the plates have swirl chambers and spray orifices which are formed by chemical etching. A pair of fuel delivery plates define a fuel cavity therebetween, and include a plurality of radially-outwardly extending spokes, with the spokes from one fuel plate in adjacent, surface-to-surface relation with opposing spokes from the adjacent fuel plate. A fuel passage is defined between each of the opposing spokes, leading from the fuel cavity to a fuel outlet opening at the distal end of each spoke. A fuel tube delivers fuel to the fuel cavity between the plates, from where the fuel is then directed through the outlet openings. Downstream plates shape the fuel into appropriate sprays for ignition. An upstream cooling plate assembly directs air against the upstream fuel plate, and radially outwardly along the spokes of the upstream plate. The air is delivered through an air tube, concentric with the fuel delivery tube.

Injector with active cooling

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft has an inlet fitting, a fuel nozzle, and a housing stem with an internal conduit fluidly interconnecting the nozzle and fitting. The fuel nozzle includes a fuel swirler, which includes a plenum for receiving fuel from the conduit. A plurality of fuel passages direct fuel from the plenum to discharge orifices. The downstream ends of the passages are angled such that a swirl component is imparted to fuel exiting the discharge orifices. The swirling fuel is then applied to a prefilmer, which outwardly surrounds the fuel swirler. The passages in the fuel swirler are arranged such that the discharge orifices surround the entire nozzle for the even distribution of fuel. The plenum and passages are dimensioned and configured to receive and distribute the fuel for uniform spray patternization and low pressure drop, which provides improved combustion and flame stability.

Pure airblast nozzle

Integrated fuel injection and mixing system with impingement cooling face

A hybrid atomizing fuel nozzle includes a stem with primary and secondary fuel circuits. A nozzle assembly fixed at the downstream end of the stem includes primary and secondary nozzle portions. A shroud and swirler assembly surrounds the nozzle assembly, and includes an annular body with a prefilmer surface. A radial inflow swirler in the annular body directs a first swirling air flow radially inward toward the secondary nozzle portion. An outer air swirler disposed in surrounding relation to the annular body provides a converging second swirling air flow downstream of the prefilmer surface. Discrete fuel passages direct fuel streams outward and downstream toward and against the prefilmer surface. The fuel passes through the first air flow and is evenly distributed across the prefilmer surface in a thin continuous sheet. The first and second air flows then cause the sheet to form a conical spray of atomized fuel.

Growing community of inventors

Mentor, OH, United States of America

Adel B Mansour