Woodward, Inc.

Woodward Governor Company

Fei Philip Lee

Paul G Hicks

Bidhan Dam

Jimroy Arner McCormack

Erik Pederson

Logan Oonk

Michael Stratton

Conor Riordan

Chi-Ming Lee

Daniel L Bulzan

Kenneth N Houtman

Hukam Chand Mongia

Ralph J Worthington

Kathleen M Tacina

Jimroy Mccormack

A turbine combustor assembly includes a fuel/air mixer assembly having a plurality of fuel/air mixer elements and a fuel injector coupled to the fuel/air mixer assembly. Each of the fuel/air mixer elements includes: a fuel/air mixer body having an internal cavity extending axially between an air inlet and an air outlet; and a prefilmer residing within an interior cavity of the fuel/air mixer body, the prefilmer including an axial inner air flow passage extending coaxially with an axial centerline of the internal cavity of the fuel/air mixer body and a radial fuel injection port into the air flow passage. The fuel injector is arranged to direct fuel into a plurality of the fuel/air mixer elements via the fuel injection port of the prefilmer of each fuel/air mixer element.

Prefilming fuel/air mixer

A torch igniter includes an auxiliary fuel injector; an ignition source; and an igniter body carrying the auxiliary fuel injector and the ignition source. The igniter body includes an auxiliary combustion chamber having a side wall extending axially from a first end wall to a second end wall. In some examples, at least a portion of the side wall includes a distributed pattern of cooling apertures, with each of the cooling apertures extending obliquely from an outer surface of the side wall to an inner surface of the side wall. In some examples, the second end wall defines a fluid outlet leading to an outlet tube in fluid communication with the primary combustion chamber, at least a portion of the outlet tube including a distributed pattern of dilution apertures.

Auxiliary torch ignition

A torch igniter includes an auxiliary fuel injector; an ignition source; and an igniter body carrying the auxiliary fuel injector and the ignition source. The igniter body includes an auxiliary combustion chamber having a side wall extending axially from a first end wall to a second end wall, the side wall defining an interior cavity between the first and second end walls. The igniter body further includes a premixing cup residing within the interior cavity including a cylindrical wall radially surrounding the auxiliary fuel injector and an auxiliary air inlet, the cylindrical wall of the premixing cup protruding axially outward relative to the first end wall of the auxiliary combustion chamber through a portion of the interior cavity to delineate a premixing zone radially inward of the cylindrical wall and a recirculation zone radially outward of the cylindrical wall.

Auxiliary Torch Ingnition

A gas turbine combustor assembly includes a primary combustion chamber in fluid communication with a primary fuel injector and a primary air inlet. A torch igniter is carried by the primary combustion chamber, and includes an auxiliary combustion chamber housing comprising a mixing chamber and a throat region converging downstream of the mixing chamber. An air swirler including a plurality of swirl openings surrounding an outlet of an auxiliary fuel injector is coupled to the auxiliary combustion chamber proximate the mixing chamber. An ignition source projects into the mixing chamber of the auxiliary combustion chamber.

Torch igniter

A gas turbine combustor assembly has a fuel/air mixer assembly with a plurality of fuel/air mixer elements. Each fuel/air mixer element defines an air flow passage therethrough. A fuel injector is coupled to the fuel/air mixer assembly. The fuel injector has a tip portion with a plurality of fuel outlets arranged to direct fuel into the air flow passages of the air/fuel mixer elements. Each of the fuel/air mixer elements has at least one outlet arranged to supply fuel to the element.

Multi-swirler fuel/air mixer with centralized fuel injection

A gas turbine combustor assembly includes a fuel injector, a dome stator around the fuel injector, and a dome sleeve coupled to the dome stator. The dome sleeve defines an air inlet opening with the dome stator, and is carried to move with respect to the dome stator to change a flow area of the air inlet opening. The dome sleeve also defines a nozzle sloping downstream from the air inlet opening toward an outlet of the combustor assembly. The sloping nozzle defines an annular pinch gap adjacent an outlet of the fuel injector, and is coupled to move with the dome sleeve to change a flow area through the pinch gap.

Gas turbine engine flow regulating

In some aspects, a gas turbine combustor assembly is arranged around a longitudinal axis. The gas turbine combustor comprises a first fuel/air mixer assembly, the mixer assembly comprising a first fuel injector and a plurality of first mixer elements, each mixer element defining an air flow passage therethrough having an outlet in a first plane. A second fuel/air mixer assembly comprises a second fuel injector and a plurality of second mixer elements, and each second mixer element defines an air flow passage therethrough having an outlet in a second plane, longitudinally offset from the first plane.

Combustor with staged, axially offset combustion

The disclosure provides a fuel injection nozzle. The fuel injection nozzle includes a nozzle body, with the nozzle body defining a central bore. A fuel atomizer is disposed in the central bore. The fuel atomizer defines a spill-return bore and a swirl chamber. The swirl chamber is in fluid communication with the central bore. The spill-return bore includes a return swirler approximate the swirl chamber. An air supply pump is coupled to the fuel atomizer and is in fluid communication with the spill-return bore. The air supply pump is configured to selectively inject air into the swirl chamber through the spill-return bore.

Dual action fuel injection nozzle

Integrally formed, multi zone fuel manifolds for gas turbine engines and methods of construction are provided. The fuel manifold includes a plurality of annular channel members positioned adjacent each other, aligned and coupled together at the inner and outer peripheral sides thereof, with each pair of channel members defining a separate fluid conduit or passage within the manifold assembly. The fuel manifold can be constructed of any number of stacked and secured channel members to provide a compact multi zone fuel manifold having the desired number of fluid conduits or passages with a minimum number of sealed joints.

Multi passage fuel manifold and methods of construction

A fluid transfer system having improved stress accommodation properties and thermal insulation properties is provided. The fluid transfer system includes a fluid transfer conduit comprising a plurality of concentric tubes configured to divide and distribute an axial stress induced in the fluid transfer conduit to each of the tubes and a vacuum cavity between the fluid transfer conduit and a structural support of the fluid transfer system to insulate fluid from a surrounding environment.

Multi-tubular fluid transfer conduit

A fuel injector is provided. The fuel injector includes an injector support and a heat shield coupled to the injector support. The heat shield only interacts with the injector support by way of contacts such as point contacts, line contacts or surface contacts. Further, the heat shield includes a body portion, a radially extending flared end portion and a radially directed shoulder interposed between the body portion and the flared end portion. The shoulder portion acts as a flexure point that flexes and absorbs thermal expansion of the heat shield.

Thermal protection for fuel injectors

A fuel injector and turbine engine incorporating the fuel injector are provided. The fuel injector includes an active cooling system that insulates fuel flowing through the fuel injector from heat energy within the turbine engine. The cooling system includes a cooling air passage that includes an inlet and an outlet. The inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with the interior of an engine case of the turbine engine. The inlet is at a higher air pressure location than the outlet such that air is siphoned through the cooling air passage. A portion of the cooling air passage includes a heat exchanger for extracting heat energy from the cooling air. The cooling air passes through the fuel injector after it has passed through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is positioned external to the engine case and in thermal communication with the ambient.

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Holland, MI, United States of America

Fei Philip Lee