Parker-hannifin Corporation

Robert R Pelletier

Adel B Mansour

Jeffrey R Lehtinen

Michael Kenneth Teter

Luther Wirtz

Jon Stockill

David Tibbs

Kenneth W Cornett

Peter J Stroempl

Kiran Patwari

Raman Ras

Michael Peter Wrubel

Andrew Eric Mau

Charles Raymond Bovard

Jonathan M Golightly

John M Obeidin

Michael Carrel

Antony William Newman

James R Pavlik

Ravi Gudiapti

Ravi Gudipati

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft having a fuel nozzle including a fuel swirler and/or an outer air swirler. The fuel swirler may include a manifold for receiving fuel from a fuel conduit, and a plurality of fuel passages to direct fuel from the manifold to discharge orifices that direct fuel with swirling flow. The fuel swirler may be configured to provide uniform spray while minimizing recirculation zones; reduce residence time as fuel enters the manifold; minimize flow disruptions, boundary layer growth, and/or pressure drop as fuel flows through the fuel passages; reduces coking internally of the nozzle; reduces thermal stresses; and is simple and low-cost to manufacture. The outer air swirler may include first and second outer air swirler portions with respective vanes and air passages that provide swirling air flow. The outer air swirler may be configured to improve atomization and spray uniformity with a wide spray angle; and minimize flow disruptions for enhancing flow performance.

Airblast fuel nozzle

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft having a fuel nozzle including a fuel swirler and/or an outer air swirler. The fuel swirler may include a manifold for receiving fuel from a fuel conduit, and a plurality of fuel passages to direct fuel from the manifold to discharge orifices that direct fuel with swirling flow. The fuel swirler may be configured to provide uniform spray while minimizing recirculation zones; reduce residence time as fuel enters the manifold; minimize flow disruptions, boundary layer growth, and/or pressure drop as fuel flows through the fuel passages; reduces coking internally of the nozzle; reduces thermal stresses; and is simple and low-cost to manufacture.

Provided is a flexible hose assembly having a flexible tube for conveying fuel through a first fuel passage formed interiorly of the flexible tube and a flexible hose surrounding the flexible tube and forming therewith a second fuel passage. The flexible tube provides internal support for the flexible hose while also allowing for flow of fuel through the second fuel passage and the fuel passages are separate from one another along a length of the flexible hose assembly. When one of the fuel passages is in a low flow or no flow condition, fuel flowing through the other of the fuel passages acts to cool the fuel passage in the low flow or no flow condition to prevent stagnant fuel in the passage from heating up and coking.

Flexible hose assembly with multiple flow passages

Provided is a flexible hose assembly having an inner nipple coupled to an inner flexible hose and an outer nipple at least partially surrounding the inner nipple and being coupled to an outer flexible hose, wherein a first fluid flowing through the inner nipple is directed outward in-between the inner and outer flexible hoses and a second fluid flowing in-between the inner and outer nipples is directed inward to the inner flexible hose. By directing the second fluid inward and the first flow outward, the outer flexible hose is prevented from collapsing on the inner flexible hose when pressure of the second fluid flowing through the inner flexible hose is greater than a pressure of the first fluid flowing through the outer flexible hose.

Concentric flexible hose assembly

Provided is a fuel manifold with more than one fuel circuit for connecting a fuel source or fuel sources to at least one fuel injector, the fuel manifold having an inner tube for conveying fuel through a first fuel passage formed interiorly of the inner tube and an outer tube forming with a slot along a length of the inner tube a second fuel passage. If one of the fuel passages is in a low flow or no flow condition, fuel flowing through the other of the fuel passages acts to cool the fuel passage in the low flow or no flow condition to prevent stagnant fuel in the passage from heating up and coking.

Multiple circuit fuel manifold

An airblast fuel nozzle assembly () comprising a sleeve structure having a series of coaxial sleeves forming an inner-air circuit, an outer-air circuit, a main-fuel-feed circuit, and a pilot-fuel-feed circuit. The pilot-fuel-feed circuit includes a channel (), and a discharge region () with exits (). The exits () have a combined cross-sectional area that is substantially less than the cross-sectional area of the channel () upstream of the discharge region (). In this manner, the pilot-fuel-feed circuit itself can provide a relatively large pressure drop across the channel region (), and thereby assist in self atomization during ignition stages of engine operation.

Airblast fuel nozzle assembly

A nozzle assembly () comprising a first inlet tube (), a second inlet tube (), and a nozzle (). The nozzle () is formed from a stack of plates (-) which are joined together in face-to-face contact. The plates (-) collectively have openings which define a nozzle outlet, a first inlet, a second inlet, a first circuit from the first inlet to the nozzle outlet, a second circuit from the second inlet to the nozzle outlet, and a fluid-outlet chamber through which both the first circuit and the second circuit pass. The nozzle assembly () can be used as a fuel injector for a gas turbine engine, with jet fuel being supplied to the first circuit during start-up and low power conditions and jet fuel being supplied to both the first circuit and the second circuit during high power conditions.

Nozzle with a plurality of stacked plates

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine comprises a housing stem and a nozzle, the nozzle including an internal wall in heat transfer relation with fuel flowing through the nozzle, and an external wall in heat transfer relation with ambient air. The internal and external walls have downstream tip ends that are relatively moveable at an interface due to relative thermal growth during operation of the engine. An internal insulating gap is disposed between the internal and external walls to provide a heat shield for the internal wall, and a bellows internal to the injector has an upstream end sealingly attached to an upstream portion of one of the internal and external walls, and a downstream end sealingly attached to a downstream portion of the other wall to fluidly separate the insulating gap from any fuel entering into the nozzle through the interface.

Fuel injector nozzles for gas turbine engines

A fuel injector nozzle for dispensing fuel in the combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine, comprises a fluid feed conduit having at least one internal channel for the passage of fluid from an inlet end to an outlet end of the fluid feed conduit. The fluid feed conduit has a first annular segment receiving fluid from the inlet end and a second annular segment fluidly connected to receive fluid from the first annular segment at a junction having a circumferential length less than the circumferential lengths of the first and second annular segments. The second annular segment includes fluid dispensing openings to dispense fluid from the conduit, and the first and second annular segments are coaxial and axially separated for relative movement over a major portion of the second segment to accommodate differential thermal expansion.

Fuel injector nozzle with macrolaminate fuel swirler

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft, and more particularly a novel and unique heatshield structure for a fuel nozzle wherein a labyrinth seal is uniquely provided in the nozzle to isolate a portion of an insulating gap from an interface whereat fuel may enter the insulating gap, and the insulating gap is provided with a positive purge flow for forcing vapors out of the insulating gap.

Fuel injector nozzles, with labyrinth grooves, for gas turbine engines

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft has an inlet fitting, a fuel nozzle, and a housing stem fluidly interconnecting and supporting the nozzle on the fitting. An internal heatshield assembly comprising an internal fuel conduit extends in a bore in the housing stem. An upper end of the fuel conduit has a rigid, fluid-tight connection with a fuel inlet passage in the fitting, while the lower end of the fuel conduit has a rigid, fluid-tight connection with the fuel nozzle. The bore closely surrounds the fuel conduit and a stagnant air gap is provided between the internal walls of the bore and the outer surface of the fuel conduit. The fuel conduit has a coiled portion to allow for thermal expansion.

Internally heatshielded nozzle

A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft has an inlet fitting, a fuel nozzle, and a housing stem fluidly interconnecting and supporting the nozzle on the fitting. An internal heatshield assembly comprising an internal fuel conduit extends in a bore in the housing stem. An upper end of the fuel conduit has a rigid, fluid-tight connection with a fuel inlet passage in the fitting, while the lower end of the fuel conduit has a rigid, fluid-tight connection with the fuel nozzle. The bore closely surrounds the fuel conduit and a stagnant air gap is provided between the internal walls of the bore and the outer surface of the fuel conduit. The bore can be completely enclosed with a vacuum drawn in the bore, or can be open at its lower end to an air swirler in the fuel nozzle. The fuel conduit can have a single or dual internal fuel flow passages, and a coiled or convoluted portion within an enlarged cavity in the bore to allow for thermal expansion of the fuel conduit. The fuel injector can be easily assembled with the engine combustor using a flange extending outwardly from the housing stem, and can be easily disassembled for inspection or replacement.

An airblast fuel nozzle has an injector head with an outer air flow through an outer air flow swirler, an intermediate fuel flow through an intermediate fuel swirler, and an inner air flow through an inner air swirler. A heatshield assembly protects the intermediate fuel swirler from hot air passing through the inner air swirler. The heatshield assembly includes an inner heatshield extending from the inlet end of the fuel swirler to the outlet end of the fuel swirler, and an intermediate heatshield disposed between the inner heatshield and the fuel swirler. According to one embodiment, the inner heatshield is connected, such as by brazing, at its downstream end to the intermediate heatshield, and at its upstream end to the fuel swirler. The upstream connection to the fuel swirler is preferably at or downstream from the midpoint of the fuel swirler. An air gap is provided between the inner heatshield and the intermediate heatshield, and between the intermediate heatshield and the fuel swirler. According to a second embodiment, the intermediate heatshield is connected at its downstream end to the downstream end of the fuel swirler, and at its upstream end to the inner heatshield, at a location at or downstream from the midpoint of the inner heatshield. An air gap is also provided between the inner heatshield and the intermediate heatshield, and between the intermediate heatshield and the fuel swirler. The intermediate heatshield allows axial and radial expansion of the inner heatshield without affecting the fluid flow through the fuel passage or the inner air passage, has reduced stress concentration at the connection point, and has increased cycle life without fatigue failure.

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Chardon, OH, United States of America

Robert R Pelletier