General Electric Company

George Chia-Chun Hsiao

Hukam Chand Mongia

Shui-chi Li

Shih-Yang Hsieh

Alfred Albert Mancini

William Joseph Myers, Jr

Michael Anthony Benjamin

Beverly Stephenson Duncan

William Joseph Myers

A method for actively controlling fuel flow from a fuel pump to a mixer assembly of a gas turbine engine combustor, where the mixer assembly includes a pilot mixer and a main mixer. The pilot mixer further includes an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior, a primary fuel injector mounted in the pilot housing and adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel to the hollow interior of the pilot housing, a plurality of axial swirlers positioned upstream from the primary fuel injector. The fuel flow control apparatus further includes: at least one sensor for detecting dynamic pressure in the combustor; a fuel nozzle; and, a system for controlling fuel flow supplied by the fuel nozzle through the valves. The fuel nozzle includes: a feed strip with a plurality of circuits for providing fuel to the pilot mixer and the main mixer; and, a plurality of valves associated with the fuel nozzle and in flow communication with the feed strip thereof. The control system activates the valves in accordance with signals received from the pressure sensor.

Method and apparatus for actively controlling fuel flow to a mixer assembly of a gas turbine engine combustor

A fuel nozzle centerbody is provided that includes a cylindrical cross-sectional area, and a baffle co-axially aligned within the centerbody. The baffle includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced apertures configured to channel an airflow radially outward such that the channeled airflow impinges a centerbody inner surface.

Fuel nozzle centerbody and method of assembling the same

An apparatus for actively controlling fuel flow from a fuel pump to a mixer assembly of a gas turbine engine combustor, where the mixer assembly includes a pilot mixer and a main mixer. The pilot mixer further includes an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior, a primary fuel injector mounted in the pilot housing and adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel to the hollow interior of the pilot housing, a plurality of axial swirlers positioned upstream from the primary fuel injector. The fuel flow control apparatus further includes: at least one sensor for detecting dynamic pressure in the combustor; a fuel nozzle; and, a system for controlling fuel flow supplied by the fuel nozzle through the valves. The fuel nozzle includes: a feed strip with a plurality of circuits for providing fuel to the pilot mixer and the main mixer; and, a plurality of valves associated with the fuel nozzle and in flow communication with the feed strip thereof. The control system activates the valves in accordance with signals received from the pressure sensor.

A mixer assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine includes a pilot mixer, a main mixer, and a fuel manifold. The pilot mixer includes: an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior, a primary fuel injector mounted in the pilot housing, a plurality of axial swirlers positioned upstream from the primary fuel injector, and a plurality of secondary fuel injection ports for introducing fuel into the hollow interior of the pilot housing. The main mixer includes: a main housing surrounding the pilot housing and defining an annular cavity, a plurality of fuel injection ports, and at least one swirler positioned upstream from the plurality of fuel injection ports. The fuel manifold is in flow communication with the plurality of secondary fuel injection ports in the pilot mixer and the plurality of fuel injection ports in the main mixer.

Pilot mixer for mixer assembly of a gas turbine engine combustor having a primary fuel injector and a plurality of secondary fuel injection ports

A mixer assembly for use in a combustor of a gas turbine engine, including a pilot mixer, a main mixer, and a fuel manifold positioned between the pilot mixer and the main mixer. The pilot mixer further includes an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior and a pilot fuel nozzle mounted in the pilot housing and adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel to the hollow interior of the pilot housing. The main mixer further includes a main housing surrounding the pilot housing and defining an annular cavity, a plurality of fuel injection ports for introducing fuel into the cavity, and a swirler arrangement including at least three swirlers positioned upstream from the plurality of fuel injection ports, wherein each swirler of the swirler arrangement has a plurality of vanes for swirling air traveling through the respective swirler to mix air and the droplets of fuel dispensed by the fuel injection ports. The swirlers are oriented substantially radially to a centerline axis through the mixer assembly or at an acute angle to the centerline axis through the mixer assembly. Alternatively, at least two swirlers are included substantially parallel to the centerline axis through the mixer assembly along with one or more radial or conical swirlers. In another alternative, the swirler arrangement includes a first swirler oriented substantially parallel to a centerline axis through the mixer assembly, a second swirler oriented at an acute angle to the centerline axis through the mixer assembly, and a third swirler oriented substantially radially to the centerline axis through the mixer assembly.

Mixer assembly for combustor of a gas turbine engine having a plurality of counter-rotating swirlers

A swirler arrangement for a mixing assembly of a gas turbine engine combustor, where the swirler arrangement has a centerline axis therethrough, including: a swirler housing including an outer radial wall and an upstream wall; a first plurality of vanes incorporated into the outer radial wall, wherein the first plurality of vanes are oriented at a first angle with respect to an axis through the outer radial wall; and, a second plurality of vanes incorporated into the outer radial wall, wherein the second plurality of vanes are oriented at a second angle with respect to the through the outer radial wall. A first type of passage is defined between adjacent first and second vanes having a first configuration and a second type of passage is defined between adjacent first and second vanes having a second configuration so that air flowing through the swirler arrangement is swirled in a desirable manner. The axis through the outer radial wall may be oriented either substantially radially to the centerline axis or at an acute angle to the centerline axis.

Swirler arrangement for mixer assembly of a gas turbine engine combustor having shaped passages

A mixer assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine includes a pilot mixer, a main mixer, and a fuel manifold positioned between the pilot mixer and main mixer. The pilot mixer includes an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior and a pilot fuel nozzle mounted in the housing and adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel to the hollow interior of the pilot housing. The main mixer includes: a main housing surrounding the pilot housing and defining an annular cavity; a plurality of fuel injection ports for introducing fuel into the cavity; a post member associated with and extending from each fuel injection port to an inner surface of said annular cavity, the post member including an inner passage therethrough in flow communication with the fuel injection port; a passage surrounding each post member, wherein air is provided therefrom to envelop fuel injected into the annular cavity; and, a swirler arrangement including at least one swirler positioned upstream from the fuel injection ports, wherein each swirler of the arrangement has a plurality of vanes for swirling air traveling through such swirler to mix air and the droplets of fuel dispensed by the fuel injection ports. The air through the passages is either injected substantially straight through or swirled a predetermined amount.

Growing community of inventors

West Chester, OH, United States of America

George Chia-Chun Hsiao