General Electric Company

Gregory Earl Jensen

Mark William Pinson

William Thomas Ross

Jason Charles Terry

A fuel nozzle for use in a gas turbine includes a pre-mix flow passage for directing a flow segment of a flow of a working fluid through the fuel nozzle. A first swirler vane and a second swirler vane extend within the pre-mix flow passage. The first swirler vane provides a first wake region within the flow segment. The second swirler vane provides a second wake region within the flow segment. A fuel injection peg is disposed downstream from the first swirler vane and the second swirler vane. The fuel injection peg is positioned within the flow segment between the first wake region and the second wake region.

Fuel nozzle having swirler vane and fuel injection peg arrangement

A method of operating a combustor having a central nozzle and a plurality of outer nozzles surrounding the central nozzle is provided. The method includes providing a liquid fuel to only the plurality of outer nozzles at a specified total energy input. The method includes decreasing the liquid fuel to the plurality of outer nozzles while simultaneously increasing a gas fuel to the central nozzle and the plurality of outer nozzles to substantially maintain the specified total energy input. The method includes supplying a fuel-air ratio of the gas fuel to the central nozzle that exceeds a threshold value such that a central nozzle flame is anchored. An air-fuel ratio of the gas fuel to the plurality of outer nozzles is less than the threshold value such that a plurality of outer nozzle flames are lifted until a purge flow is supplied to the outer nozzles.

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Greenville, SC, United States of America

Gregory Earl Jensen