General Electric Company

Timothy James Purcell

Lucas John Stoia

Heath Michael Ostebee

Patrick Benedict Melton

Ronald James Chila

Donald Mark Bailey

Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam

Jonathan Dwight Berry

Richard Martin DiCintio

Bruno Schuermans

David William Cihlar

Baifang Zuo

Jeffrey Scott LeBegue

James Harold Westmoreland

Kassy Moy Hart

Mark William Pinson

Sven Georg Bethke

Elizabeth Leigh Exley

Brandon Lamar Bush

An object includes an annular outer body having an end and an interior surface; a first annular inner body disposed inside the annular outer body, the first annular inner body having an exterior surface defining a first annular passage with the interior surface of the annular outer body. The first annular passage includes a first plurality of outlets formed on the end of the annular outer body, the first annular passage receiving a coolant and discharging the coolant adjacent the end of the annular outer body. The object also includes a second annular inner body disposed inside the first annular inner body, the second annular inner body defining a second annular passage with the first annular inner body. Further, the object includes a third annular inner body disposed inside the second annular inner body, with the third annular inner body defining a third annular passage with the second annular inner body; and a fourth annular passage opposite and surrounded by the third annular passage. The object further includes a plurality of suspension elements connecting the interior surface of the annular outer body to the exterior surface of the first annular inner body, each suspension element including a first end connected to a first position on the first inner annular body and a second end connected to a second position on the annular outer body, wherein each first position is angularly circumferentially offset from each second position; and each suspension element is configured to substantially rigidly locate a position of the annular outer body relative to the first annular inner body in axial and lateral directions while permitting controlled deflection in a radial direction wherein the first position of each suspension element is angularly circumferentially offset to provide an imbalanced suspension capable of addressing an imbalanced loading, wherein each suspension element has an at least partially tear-shaped cross-section, and each of the second annular passage, the third annular passage, and the fourth annular passage includes a plurality of outlets formed through the annular outer body, adjacent the end, each of the plurality of outlets for each of the second annular passage, the third annular passage, and the fourth annular passage delivering a gas or fuel adjacent the end of the annular outer body.

Object with tear-shaped suspension for annular bodies

A fuel nozzle assembly includes a fuel plenum for delivering fuel to a combustion zone of a combustor. At least one narrow-band acoustic damper is provided in the fuel nozzle assembly. The narrow-band acoustic damper is tuned to dampen pressure oscillations within the combustor. The narrow-band acoustic damper may be a quarter-wave tube mounted to a cap plate within or adjacent to the fuel nozzle assembly.

Fuel nozzle with narrow-band acoustic damper

A combustion system includes a head end comprising a liquid fuel cartridge. The liquid fuel cartridge has liquid fuel injection ports and is configured to produce combustion products via a diffusion flame. A liner is configured to deliver the combustion products from the head end to an aft frame, and an injector having an outlet is located along the liner between the head end and the aft frame. The injector outlet delivers a stream of oxidant inwardly into the liner, such that a mixedness and a velocity of the combustion products are increased prior to the combustion products reaching the aft frame. A method of producing combustion products having characteristics of a premixed flame in a liquid fuel combustion system is also provided herein.

System and method for combusting liquid fuel in a gas turbine combustor with staged combustion

An object includes a fluid chamber extending between a first surface and a vertically opposed second surface, the first surface including a fluid passage opening therethrough. A self-breaking support, initially configured to support the first surface, once broken creates a broken support disposed between the first surface and the vertically opposed second surface. The support includes: a base having a first end coupled to the first surface and a second opposing end. The first end of the base is wider than the second end, and a fluid passage extends through the first base for fluidly coupling the fluid chamber and the fluid passage opening in the first surface. A self-breaking link is disposed between the second opposing end of the first base and the second surface.

Additive manufactured object with self-breaking support with fluid passage

A combustor includes an inlet flow conditioner. The inlet flow conditioner includes a sleeve that circumferentially surrounds a portion of a fuel nozzle assembly and that extends from a forward end of a combustion liner to an inner surface of an end cover. The sleeve defines a plurality of apertures circumferentially spaced about the sleeve. A portion of the inner surface of the end cover and the sleeve define a head end volume of the combustor. An inlet to a premix passage of at least one fuel nozzle of the fuel nozzle assembly is disposed within and is in fluid communication with the head end volume.

Combustor inlet flow conditioner

An endcover assembly for a combustor includes an endcover and a fuel nozzle rigidly connected to the endcover. The fuel nozzle includes a plurality of tubes that extends axially through a first plate, a fuel plenum and a second plate where each tube includes an inlet defined upstream of the first plate and an outlet disposed downstream from the second plate. The endcover assembly further includes an inlet flow conditioner having a forward end connected to the endcover and an aft end axially spaced from the forward end. The inlet flow conditioner circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the fuel nozzle. A support plate is joined to the aft end of the inlet flow conditioner. Each tube of the fuel nozzle extends through a corresponding tube hole defined by the support plate. The fuel nozzle is connected to the support plate.

Endcover assembly for a combustor

The present disclosure provides assemblies for cooling a liquid fuel cartridge unit within a combustor head end. In one embodiment, the cooling is accomplished passively as air from the head end air plenum is directed into a cooling channel radially outward of a liquid fuel delivery conduit. In another embodiment, the cooling of the liquid fuel cartridge unit is accomplished actively as air is directed through a first air flow conduit radially inward of the liquid fuel delivery conduit and then redirected through a second air flow conduit radially outward of the liquid fuel delivery conduit.

Cooling of liquid fuel cartridge in gas turbine combustor head end

A liquid fuel cartridge unit for a gas turbine combustor includes a cartridge tip having an aft plate and a side wall circumscribing the aft plate. First injection ports are defined through the side wall, and second injection ports are defined through the side wall upstream of the first injection ports, relative to fuel flow through the cartridge tip. Nested conduits extend into the cartridge tip with the concentric conduits defining therebetween respective flow passages. The first injection ports are in fluid communication with a first flow passage, and the second injection ports are in fluid communication with a second flow passage. A method of assembling the liquid fuel cartridge unit is also provided.

Liquid fuel cartridge unit for gas turbine combustor and method of assembly

A fuel nozzle assembly includes a forward plate and an aft plate which is axially spaced from the forward plate. The aft plate includes a first side surface and a second side surface. A cooling air plenum is defined within the bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly and is at least partially defined by the aft plate. A plurality of tubes extends through the forward plate, the cooling air plenum and the aft plate. A micro-cooling channel is disposed along the second side surface of the aft plate and is in fluid communication with the cooling air plenum and is in fluid communication with an exhaust aperture. A cover plate is connected to the aft plate and covers the micro-cooling channel.

Fuel nozzle assembly with micro-channel cooling

A bundled tube fuel nozzle includes a forward plate, a first intermediate plate and an outer sleeve defining a fuel plenum, a second intermediate plate axially spaced from the first intermediate plate where the first intermediate plate, the second intermediate plate and the outer sleeve define a purge air plenum, an aft plate axially spaced from the second intermediate plate where the second intermediate plate, the aft plate and the outer sleeve define a cooling air plenum and an annular wall that extends from the second intermediate plate to the aft plate. The annular wall defines a cooling flow channel within the bundled tube fuel nozzle. A plurality of apertures is defined proximate to a cool side of the aft plate and provide for fluid communication between the cooling flow channel and the cooling air plenum.

Bundled tube fuel nozzle with internal cooling

A bundled tube fuel nozzle includes a forward plate, an intermediate plate, an aft plate and an outer sleeve. The forward plate, the intermediate plate and the outer sleeve define a fuel plenum therebetween. An aft plate axially is spaced from the intermediate plate and the intermediate plate, the aft plate and the outer sleeve define a cooling air plenum. A plurality of tubes extends through the forward plate, the fuel plenum, the intermediate plate, the cooling air plenum and the aft plate. Each tube of the plurality of tubes extends through a respective tube opening defined by the aft plate. A radial gap is defined between an outer surface of each tube and an inner surface of the respective tube opening. The plurality of tubes comprises at least one tube that is radially loaded against the inner surface of the respective tube opening.

Bundled tube fuel nozzle with vibration damping

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.

Growing community of inventors

Greenville, SC, United States of America

Timothy James Purcell