Rtx Corporation

Gregory Boardman

Lance L Smith

Zhongtao Dai

An apparatus is provided for a turbine engine. This apparatus includes a fuel-air mixer, and the fuel-air mixer includes a mixer outlet, an annular inner passage, an air swirler, an annular fuel passage and a fuel swirler. The annular inner passage extends axially along an axis within the fuel-air mixer. The annular inner passage includes an inner passage downstream section and an inner passage upstream section fluidly coupled with the mixer outlet through the inner passage downstream section. The inner passage downstream section radially tapers and diverges radially outward away from the axis as the annular inner passage extends axially towards the mixer outlet. The air swirler is disposed with the inner passage upstream section. The annular fuel passage circumscribes the annular inner passage and extends axially within the fuel-air mixer to the inner passage downstream section. The fuel swirler is disposed with the annular fuel passage.

Fuel-air mixer for turbine engine combustion section

A method is provided for operating a turbine engine. During this method, fuel is injected into a combustion chamber of a combustor of the turbine engine. The combustion chamber extends circumferentially around a centerline. The fuel is combusted within the combustion chamber. Steam is introduced into the combustion chamber in an asymmetric pattern around the centerline.

Asymmetric introduction of steam into turbine engine combustion chamber

An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a turbine vane array and a cooling system. The turbine vane array includes an inner platform, an outer platform and a plurality of turbine vanes extending between and connected to the inner platform and the outer platform. The turbine vanes include a first turbine vane, and the first turbine vane includes a first passage and a second passage. The cooling system is configured to direct a first fluid into the first passage and a second fluid into the second passage. The first fluid includes air and steam during a first mode. The second fluid includes the air without the steam during the first mode.

Steam cooling turbine stator vane array

During a method, an aircraft powerplant is provided. The aircraft powerplant includes an injector and a fuel system configured to deliver fuel to the injector. The fuel system includes a first tank, a first circuit and a second circuit arranged in parallel with the first circuit between the first tank and the injector. The second circuit includes a second tank. The fuel is directed from the first tank to the injector during a first mode through the first circuit and independent of the second circuit. The fuel is directed from the second tank to the injector during a second mode through the second circuit and independent of the first circuit.

Aircraft fuel system with removable fuel tank

A main injector can include multiple sub-element mixers. A first sub-element mixer includes a first main air nozzle circumscribing a first main fuel nozzle. A second sub-element mixer includes a second main air nozzle circumscribing a second main fuel nozzle. An annular combustor can include a circumferential array of main injectors disposed proximate a pilot injector. Each main injector of the array of main injectors can be oriented with first sub-element mixers proximate to the pilot injector and second sub-element mixers spaced axially downstream relative to first sub-element mixers in a staged configuration.

Cluster of swirled mini-mixers for fuel-staged, axially staged combustion

A control method is provided during which a turbine engine is operated. The turbine engine includes a plurality of steam cooled zones along a flowpath within the turbine engine. Steam is distributed between the steam cooled zones based on a first distribution while the turbine engine is operating in a first mode. The steam is distributed between the steam cooled zones based on a second distribution while the turbine engine is operating in a second mode. The second distribution is different than the first distribution.

Selective steam distribution to steam cooled zones in a turbine engine

An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a combustor, a fuel-air mixer and a mixer guide. The combustor includes a bulkhead. The fuel-air mixer includes an inner passage, a sidewall and a fuel circuit. The inner passage extends axially along an axis within the fuel-air mixer. The sidewall extends circumferentially around and axially along the inner passage. The fuel circuit includes a first fuel passage and a first fuel nozzle outlet fluidly coupled with the first fuel passage. The first fuel passage is embedded within the sidewall and extends along the inner passage. The fuel circuit is configured to direct fuel into the inner passage through the first fuel nozzle outlet. The mixer guide couples the fuel-air mixer to the bulkhead. The mixer guide is configured to slide axially along the fuel-air mixer.

Fuel cooled fuel-air mixer for turbine engine combustion section

An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a housing, a combustor and a fuel injector assembly. The housing includes a case and a diffuser plenum radially within the case. The case extends axially along and circumferentially about a centerline. The combustor is disposed within the diffuser plenum. The combustor includes a bulkhead, a hood, a combustion chamber and a hood cavity. The bulkhead is axially between the combustion chamber and the hood cavity. The hood is between the hood cavity and the diffuser plenum. The fuel injector assembly projects radially into the diffuser plenum from the case. The fuel injector assembly includes a fuel nozzle and a steam nozzle. The fuel nozzle is configured to inject fuel into the combustion chamber. The steam nozzle is configured to inject steam into the hood cavity.

Injecting steam into hood cavity of turbine engine combustor

An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a housing, a combustor and a steam injector. The housing includes an air plenum. The combustor is disposed within the air plenum. The combustor includes a combustor wall and a combustion chamber. The combustor wall is disposed between the combustion chamber and the air plenum. The combustor wall includes a quench aperture that extends through the combustor wall from the air plenum to the combustion chamber. The steam injector projects partially into or through the quench aperture.

Introducing steam with quench air into turbine engine combustor

An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a housing, a combustor and a steam system. The housing includes an air plenum. The combustor is disposed within the air plenum. The combustor includes a combustion chamber and a combustor wall between the combustion chamber and the air plenum. The steam system includes a steam injector arranged within the air plenum next to the combustor wall. The steam system is configured to inject steam out of the steam injector and into the air plenum to impinge against the combustor wall.

Steam cooling turbine engine combustor wall

An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a fuel injector assembly, and the fuel injector assembly includes a fuel passage, an air passage and a steam passage. The fuel injector assembly is configured to direct fuel out of the fuel passage along an axis into a volume as a fuel flow. The fuel injector assembly is configured to direct air out of the air passage along the axis into the volume as an air flow, where the air flow circumscribes the fuel flow. The fuel injector assembly is configured to direct steam out of the steam passage along the axis into the volume as a steam flow, where the steam flow circumscribes the fuel flow and provides a radial buffer between the fuel flow and the air flow.

Fuel injector assembly for gas turbine engine with fuel, air and steam injection

An apparatus is provided for a turbine engine. This apparatus includes a fuel-air mixer. The fuel-air mixer includes an inner passage, a sidewall, a fuel nozzle, an air swirler and a first quench aperture. The inner passage extends axially along an axis within the fuel-air mixer. The sidewall extends circumferentially around and axially along the inner passage. The fuel nozzle is configured to direct fuel into the inner passage. The air swirler is configured to direct swirled air into the inner passage for mixing with the fuel. The first quench aperture is configured to direct quench air into the inner passage to quench combustion products generated by combusting a mixture of the fuel and the swirled air within the inner passage.

An apparatus is provided for a turbine engine. This apparatus includes a fuel-air mixer, and the fuel-air mixer includes an inner passage, a sidewall, a steam passage, a fuel nozzle and an air swirler. The inner passage extends axially along an axis within the fuel-air mixer. The sidewall extends circumferentially around and axially along the inner passage. The steam passage is embedded within the sidewall and extends along the inner passage. The fuel nozzle is configured to direct fuel into the inner passage. The air swirler is configured to direct swirled air into the inner passage for mixing with the fuel.

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Owens Cross Roads, AL, United States of America

Gregory Boardman