General Electric Company

James Harold Westmoreland

Patrick Benedict Melton

Gregory Allen Boardman

Ronald James Chila

Lucas John Stoia

Jeffrey Scott LeBegue

James Scott Flanagan

Sarah Lori Crothers

Thomas Edward Johnson

Geoffrey David Myers

Christian Xavier Stevenson

Keith Cletus Belsom

Anthony Wayne Krull

Timothy James Purcell

Almaz Kamilevich Valeev

John Drake Vanselow

John Alfred Simo

A system includes a multi-tube fuel nozzle. The multi-tube fuel nozzle includes multiple mixing tubes. Each mixing tube includes an annular wall disposed about a central passage and an air inlet region configured to be disposed about a fuel injector extending into the central passage. The central passage extends from an upstream end to a downstream end of the annular wall relative to a direction of flow through the central passage. The air inlet region includes an air entry surface of the annular wall that gradually decreases in diameter in the direction of flow.

System and method for tube level air flow conditioning

A system includes a multi-tube fuel nozzle. The multi-tube fuel nozzle includes multiple fuel injectors. Each fuel injector is configured to extend into a respective premixing tube of a plurality of mixing tubes. Each fuel injector includes a body, a fuel passage, and multiple fuel ports. The fuel passage is disposed within the body and extends in a longitudinal direction within a portion of the body. The multiple fuel ports are disposed along the portion of the body and coupled to the fuel passage. A space is disposed between the portion of the body with the fuel ports and the respective premixing tube.

System and method having multi-tube fuel nozzle with multiple fuel injectors

A system includes a multi-tube fuel nozzle of a turbine combustor. The multi-tube fuel nozzle includes a support structure defining an interior volume configured to receive an air flow; a plurality of mixing tubes disposed within the interior volume, wherein each of the plurality of mixing tubes comprises a respective fuel injector; and an outer annular wall configured to direct an air flow from an annulus between a liner and a flow sleeve of the turbine combustor at least partially radially inward into the interior volume through an air inlet and toward the plurality of mixing tubes, wherein the outer annular wall at least partially defines an air flow passage extending from the annulus to the interior volume.

Air diffuser for a head end of a combustor

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for premixing fuel and air prior to combustion within a combustion chamber. The system includes a plurality of fuel injectors and a plurality of mixing tubes, wherein each mixing tube has a first portion for receiving one of the plurality of fuel injectors and a second portion having a mixing chamber that is configured to mix fuel and air. The length of the mixing chamber varies among the plurality of mixing tubes to allow for different mixing times.

Fuel-air mixing system with mixing chambers of various lengths for gas turbine system

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a system having components for premixing fuel and air prior to combustion within a combustion chamber. The system includes a plurality of mixing tubes configured to receive and to mix fuel and air. Each mixing tube is paired with a fuel injector, and the fuel injector is positioned axially within a portion of the mixing tube. Fuel is injected from the fuel injector into the respective mixing tube, and air flows radially into each mixing tube through one or more apertures formed on the mixing tube. The fuel and air are mixed within the mixing tube and are deposited into a combustion chamber for combustion.

Multi-injector micromixing system

A system includes a multi-tube fuel nozzle assembly. The multi-tube fuel nozzle assembly includes a support structure defining an interior volume configured to receive an air flow. The combustor cap assembly also includes multiple mixing tubes disposed within the interior volume. Each mixing tube of the multiple mixing tubes is configured to mix air and fuel to form an air-fuel mixture. The multi-tube fuel nozzle assembly further includes a combustor cap coupled to the support structure. The combustor cap includes multiple furcating nozzles integrated within the combustor cap. Each furcating nozzle of the multiple furcating nozzles is coupled to a respective mixing tube of the multiple mixing tubes. Also, each furcating nozzle of the multiple furcating nozzles is configured to receive a flow of the air-fuel mixture and to partition the flow of the air-fuel mixture into multiple air-fuel mixture flows.

Combustor cap assembly

A system includes a combustor cap assembly for a multi-tube fuel nozzle. The combustor cap assembly includes a support structure defining an interior volume configured to receive an air flow, a plurality of mixing tubes disposed within the interior volume, wherein each of the plurality of mixing tubes comprises a respective fuel injector and is individually removable from the combustor cap assembly, an air distributor disposed within the interior volume and configured to distribute the air flow received by the interior volume to each of the plurality of mixing tubes, and a combustor cap removably coupled to the support structure.

Micromixing cap assembly

A system includes a multi-tube fuel nozzle. The multi-tube fuel nozzle includes an end cover, a first plate, and multiple tubes. The multiple tubes are disposed and supported in a floating arrangement between the end cover and the first plate. Each tube includes a forward end adjacent the end cover and an aft end adjacent the first plate.

System having multi-tube fuel nozzle with floating arrangement of mixing tubes

A combustor () includes a cap (), a liner (), a transition piece (), and a combustion chamber () located downstream from the cap () and defined by the cap and liner. A secondary nozzle () circumferentially arranged around the liner () or transition piece () includes a center body, a fluid passage through the center body, a shroud circumferentially surrounding the center body, and an annular passage between the center body and the shroud. A method for supplying fuel to a combustor () includes flowing fuel through a primary nozzle radially disposed in a breech end of the combustor and flowing fuel through a secondary nozzle () circumferentially arranged around and passing through at least one of a liner () or a transition piece. The secondary nozzle () includes a center body, a fluid passage through the center body, a shroud circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of the center body (), and an annular passage between the center body and the shroud.

Combustor and method for supplying fuel to a combustor

A combustor includes an end cover having an outer side and an inner side, an outer barrel having a forward end that is adjacent to the inner side of the end cover and an aft end that is axially spaced from the forward end. An inner barrel is at least partially disposed concentrically within the outer barrel and is fixedly connected to the outer barrel. A fluid conduit extends downstream from the end cover. A first bundled tube fuel injector segment is disposed concentrically within the inner barrel. The bundled tube fuel injector segment includes a fuel plenum that is in fluid communication with the fluid conduit and a plurality of parallel tubes that extend axially through the fuel plenum. The bundled tube fuel injector segment is fixedly connected to the inner barrel.

System for supporting a bundled tube fuel injector within a combustor

A system includes a system having an end cover of a combustor for a gas turbine. The end cover has at least one fuel plenum coupled to a plurality of fuel injectors for a multi-tube fuel nozzle having a plurality of fuel-air mixing tubes, each tube having one of the fuel injectors. At least one fuel plenum is configured to provide fuel to each of the fuel injectors.

Combustor end cover with fuel plenums

A system for reducing flame holding within a combustor includes a high pressure plenum and a head end plenum defined within the combustor. A cap assembly defines an inner plenum within the combustor and a fuel nozzle passage that extends through the cap assembly. A primary fuel nozzle has an annular burner tube that at least partially defines a premix flow passage through the cap assembly. The primary fuel nozzle and the burner tube at least partially define an inlet to the premix flow passage. A high pressure flow passage and a cooling flow passage are defined within the combustor. The high pressure flow passage defines a flow path between the high pressure plenum and the inner plenum, and the cooling flow passage defines a flow path between the high pressure plenum and the head end plenum.

System for reducing flame holding within a combustor

A system includes an end cover for a multi-tube fuel nozzle. The end cover includes a first side, a second side disposed opposite the first side, a plurality of fuel injectors disposed on the first side, and at least one pre-orifice disposed within a passage within the end cover between the first and second sides. The pre-orifice is configured to be removed through the end cover from the second side.

End cover configuration and assembly

A combustor includes an end cap having upstream and downstream surfaces and a cap shield surrounding the upstream and downstream surfaces. First and second sets of premixer tubes extend from the upstream surface through the downstream surface. A first fuel conduit supplies fuel to the first set of premixer tubes. A casing circumferentially surrounds the cap shield to define an annular passage, and a second fuel conduit supplies fuel through the annular passage to the second set of premixer tubes. A method for supplying fuel to a combustor includes flowing a working fluid through first and second sets of premixer tubes, flowing a first fuel into the first set of premixer tubes, and flowing a second fuel through an annular passage surrounding the end cap and into the second set of premixer tubes.

A cap assembly for a bundled tube fuel injector includes an impingement plate and an aft plate that is disposed downstream from the impingement plate. The aft plate includes a forward side that is axially separated from an aft side. A tube passage extends through the impingement plate and the aft plate. A tube sleeve extends through the impingement plate within the tube passage towards the aft plate. The tube sleeve includes a flange at a forward end and an aft end that is axially separated from the forward end. A retention plate is positioned upstream from the impingement plate. A spring is disposed between the retention plate and the flange. The spring provides a force so as to maintain contact between at least a portion of the aft end of the tube sleeve and the forward side of the aft plate.

Growing community of inventors

Greer, SC, United States of America

James Harold Westmoreland