General Electric Company

Ge Infrastructure Technology, LLC

Jayaprakash Natarajan

Lucas John Stoia

Seth Reynolds Hoffman

Richard Martin DiCintio

Ronnie Ray Pentecost

Jun Cai

Wei Zhao

Thomas Edward Johnson

Heath Michael Ostebee

Mark Allan Hadley

Yimin Huang

Michael John Hughes

Willy Steve Ziminsky

Abdul Rafey Khan

Sven Georg Bethke

Geoffrey David Myers

Jeffrey Scott LeBegue

David Leach

Mark William Pinson

Jason Nathaniel Cook

Andrew Grady Godfrey

Valerie Suzanne Vernet

Jeffrey Scott Lebegue

Richard Martin Dicintio

Wei Chen

Mark Allen Hadley

An igniter for a combustor of a turbomachine includes a fuel inlet in fluid communication with a mixing plenum. The mixing plenum is positioned upstream of a mixing channel. An air inlet is in fluid communication with the mixing plenum and an ignition source is in operative communication with the mixing channel. The igniter may include a mounting flange configured for coupling the igniter to the combustor. The ignition source may be positioned proximate to a downstream end of the mixing channel and upstream of the mounting flange. The mixing channel may define a venturi shape. The venturi shape includes a converging section between an upstream end of the mixing channel and a venturi throat.

Torch igniter for a combustor

A combustor having bundled tube fuel nozzles is provided. At least one of the fuel nozzles has a dynamics-mitigating adapter removably coupled thereto. The adapter includes a mounting body defining at least one flow passage aligned with an inlet of at least one tube of the at least one fuel nozzle. The at least one flow passage extends an axial length of the at least one tube. The adapter may include extenders aligned with each tube of the fuel nozzle, and the extenders may have identical or different lengths. Adapters may be used for each fuel nozzle of the combustor. The mounting body may be a monolithic unit through which the flow passages are defined or may include a plurality of extenders affixed to and extending upstream of the mounting body.

Dynamics-mitigating adapter for bundled tube fuel nozzle

A method of operating a rotary machine below a minimum emissions compliance load in a response mode includes reducing a fuel split to zero. The fuel split apportions a total flow of fuel to the combustor between a first combustion zone and a second combustion zone. The method also includes determining a current operating temperature of the first combustion zone using a digital simulation of the rotary machine. The method further includes determining a target operating temperature of the first combustion zone. The target operating temperature enables the rotary machine to operate below a traditional Minimum Emissions Compliance Load (MECL) while still in compliance with emissions standards. The method also includes channeling a first flow of fuel to the first combustion zone. The first flow of fuel decreases the temperature of the first combustion zone to the target operating temperature.

Systems and methods for extended emissions compliant operation of a gas turbine engine

A fuel injector is provided for the radial introduction of a fuel/air mixture to a combustor. The fuel injector includes a frame having interior sides defining an opening for passage of a first fluid; at least one fuel injection body; and a conduit fitting. The at least one fuel injection body is coupled to the frame and positioned within the opening, thereby defining flow paths for the first fluid. The at least one fuel injection body defines a fuel plenum, and a set of fuel injection holes are defined through an outer surface of the at least one fuel injection body. The conduit fitting is coupled to the frame and conveys fuel from a fuel supply line to the fuel plenum. Fuel and the first fluid mix in the flow paths and are delivered through the outlet to the combustor.

Fuel injectors and methods of use in gas turbine combustor

A fuel injector for a gas turbine combustor includes a fuel conduit fitting and a nozzle having an inlet portion defining a mixing chamber therein. The inlet portion includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vanes that define a plurality of inlet flow paths within the mixing chamber. Each vane has at least one port defined therein that is in flow communication with the fuel conduit fitting such that fuel from the fuel conduit fitting is dischargeable into at least one of the inlet flow paths via the at least one port. The resulting fuel/air mixture is delivered into a secondary combustion zone of the gas turbine combustor. A gas turbine including the fuel injector and a method of fabricating the fuel nozzle are also provided.

Fuel injectors and methods of fabricating same

A fuel injector for a gas turbine combustor includes side wall fuel injection bodies extending between opposite end walls. Each side wall fuel injection body defines a fuel plenum and includes an outer surface defining fuel injection ports in communication with the fuel plenum. One or more fuel injection bodies extending between the end walls are positioned between the side wall fuel injection bodies. Each fuel injection body defines a fuel plenum and includes an outer surface defining fuel injection ports in fluid communication with the fuel plenum. A conduit fitting coupled to the frame is fluidly connected to the respective fuel plenums. The fuel injection ports fluidly communicate with air flow paths defined between the fuel injection bodies and the side wall fuel injection bodies. A combustor for a gas turbine includes a liner and an axial fuel staging system with the present fuel injector.

Premixing fuel injectors and methods of use in gas turbine combustor

A combustion liner assembly includes a combustion liner having an upstream end portion and a downstream end portion and a resonator disposed proximate to the upstream end portion of the combustion liner. The resonator includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced inlet apertures disposed along a radially outer surface of the resonator, an air chamber defined within the resonator and a plurality of outlet apertures disposed along a radially inner surface of the resonator. The plurality of inlet apertures provide for fluid flow into the air chamber and the plurality of outlet apertures provide for fluid flow out of the air chamber and into a radial flow passage defined within the combustor.

Combustion dynamics mitigation system

A system for dissipating fuel egress includes a fuel injector and a fuel supply assembly. The fuel supply assembly has a fuel supply line that provides fuel and a purge air conduit arranged co-axially around the fuel supply line, thereby defining an annular channel around the fuel supply line. The fuel injector includes a perimeter body, a fuel injection port associated with the perimeter body, and an internal mixing chamber downstream of the fuel injection port in a direction of fuel flow. The fuel supply line provides fuel to the fuel injection port. The perimeter body of the fuel injector defines a fuel egress passage therethrough, which has an inlet in fluid communication with the annular channel and an outlet in fluid communication with the mixing chamber. A gas turbine combustor having an axial fuel staging (AFS) system with the present fuel egress dissipation system is also provided.

System for dissipating fuel egress in fuel supply conduit assemblies

A fuel injector is provided and includes a member defining a flowpath through which a first fluid flows, the flowpath having a cross-section with transverse elongate and short axes, a head defining a plenum storing a supply of a second fluid and a system fluidly coupled to the flowpath and the plenum to inject the second fluid from the plenum and into the flowpath at first and second locations along the elongate axis. The injected second fluid is formed into jets at the first and second locations, the first fluid entrains the jets such that the injected second fluid flows through the flowpath and mixes with the first fluid, and the short axis has a sufficient dimension such that the jets remain spaced from a sidewall of the member.

Fuel injector

A fuel injector having an injector body, a mixing circuit, and at least one injector is provided. The injector body has a plurality of manifolds, an inlet, and an outlet. The manifolds are configured for receiving fuel, and the inlet is configured for receiving air. The mixing circuit is positioned within the injector body. The mixing circuit is configured for receiving fuel from at least one of the manifolds, and air from the inlet to create an air-fuel mixture that exits the outlet. The least one fuel injector is positioned radially outwardly from the mixing circuit. The at least one injector receives fuel from at least one of the plurality of manifolds and injects fuel to the outlet.

Growing community of inventors

Greer, SC, United States of America

Jayaprakash Natarajan