The present invention provides a gas turbine combustor that has a fuel injection nozzle using a fluid other than liquid fuel to atomize the liquid fuel and that can suppress a reduction in power generation efficiency resulting from a heat loss while promoting the atomization of the liquid fuel. The gas turbine combustor is adapted to mix liquid fuel with combustion air led from a compressor, burn the mixture, and supply combustion gas generated to a gas turbine. The gas turbine combustor includes a fuel injection nozzle that atomizes the liquid fuel into fine liquid droplets. The fuel injection nozzle includes a first system adapted to supply the liquid fuel and a second system adapted to supply a fluid for atomizing the liquid fuel. Low-boiling liquid fuel is supplied to the second system as the fluid. The second system is adapted to heat and supply the low-boiling liquid fuel.

Gas turbine combustor

An air fuel mixer is disclosed having a mixing duct, a shroud surrounding the upstream end of the mixing duct having contained therein a fuel manifold in flow communication with a fuel supply and control means, a set of inner and outer counter-rotating swirlers adjacent the upstream end of the mixing duct, hollow vanes in at least the outer swirler having passages therethrough in fluid communication with the fuel manifold to inject fuel into the mixing duct, and a hub separating the inner and outer swirlers to allow independent rotation thereof, wherein high pressure air from a compressor is injected into the mixing duct through the swirlers to form an intense shear region and fuel is injected into the mixing duct from the swirler vanes so that the high pressure air and the fuel is uniformly mixed therein so as to produce minimal formation of pollutants when the fuel/air mixture is exhausted out the downstream end of the mixing duct into the combustor and ignited. Further, the air fuel mixer of the present invention may include passages in the wall of the mixing duct in fluid communication with the fuel manifold, a centerbody in the mixing duct having a passage therethrough to admit air into the downstream end of the mixing duct, and tubes extending from the passages in the swirler vanes and/or mixing duct wall to inject liquid fuel downstream of the swirlers.

Air fuel mixer for gas turbine combustor

The present invention relates to heat shield panels or liners to be used in combustors for gas turbine engines. The heat shield panels each comprise a hot side and a cold side and at least one isolated cooling chamber on the cold side. Each cooling chamber has a plurality of cooling film holes for allowing a coolant, such as air, to flow from the cold side to the hot side. A combustor having an arrangement of heat shield panels or liners is also described.

Heat shield panels for use in a combustor for a gas turbine engine

A fuel injector (22) for a combustor and a gas turbine engine, comprises a nozzle tip assembly protruding through the combustor wall (28) into the chamber, the nozzle tip (26) including a first air passage (60) forming an annular array, a second air passage made up of an annular array of individual air passages (62) spaced radially from the first air passage (60), both communicating the pressurized air from outside the combustor wall (28) into the combustor. Fuel is injected through an annular fuel nozzle (54) between the first air passage (60) and the second air passages (62). Third air passages (64) are arranged in annular array in the injector tip (26) spaced radially outwardly from the second air passages (62) whereby the third passages (64) are arranged to shape the mixture of atomized fuel and air and to add supplemental air to the mixture.

Gas turbine fuel injector

A combustor for a gas turbine engine having a porous outer metallic shell and a thin-walled, nonporous ceramic liner whose backside is impingement cooled, with only primary and secondary openings in the ceramic liner for delivering pressurized primary air and dilution air to the combustion zone.

Thin wall combustor with backside impingement cooling

An air blast fuel supply system for a gas turbine engine comprises a floating swirler separated from the fuel injector and means for radially supporting both the swirler and fuel injector for free radial movement with respect to a combustor dome; a fuel atomization lip on the floating swirler is located in spaced overlying relationship to a tangential fuel director to form an annular fuel film at the outlet of the fuel injector and an outer annular air flow directing lip on the floating swirler directs inlet air flow against the fuel film as it leaves the atomization lip. The fuel injector includes a nozzle tube that slips to permit free axial movement of said fuel injector with resepct to the dome and wherein the tangential fuel director maintains the annular fuel film throughout axially shifted positions of said nozzle tube. This allows the fuel nozzle to be inserted through a small opening in the engine case while maintaining the integrated relationship with the swirler attached to the combustor. The fuel atomization lip has an outlet edge thereon and an outer annular air flow directing lip has outlet edge thereon maintained at a constantly fixed dimensional relationship therebetween throughout axial shifted positions of the nozzle tube whereby the fuel break-up point for atomization of fuel and air remains the same with respect to the combustor during engine operation.

Integrated, replaceable combustor swirler and fuel injector

A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a tubular, multi-layered porous metal wall with pores and cavities for distribution of compressor discharge air into a combustion chamber and wherein a rigid combustor support ring connects one end of the porous wall to fixed support components of the gas turbine engine; the combustor assembly further including a porous metal transition member for joining the tubular porous metal wall to a downstream nozzle plate; the transition member including free formed side walls and top and bottom walls without substantial reduction in permeability due to forming and each of the transition walls further including a sharp radius bend at the side edge thereof defining a compressed porous metal section for connection to an adjacent sharp radius bend by means of a longitudinal seam weld along the length thereof to maximize the flow of secondary cooling air into the hot combustion gases passing from the outlet of the combustion chamber of the apparatus.

Porous laminated combustor structure

A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a tubular, multi-layered porous metal wall with pores therethrough for distribution of compressor discharge air into a combustion chamber and wherein a rigid combustor support ring is connected to one end of the wall to receive an inlet diffuser member including an ovate inlet and a circular outlet connected to the support ring for axially directing primary air flow into the combustion chamber; and the diffuser member including a flow divider on one outer surface thereof including means for fixedly securing the inlet diffuser member with respect to a wall of a gas turbine engine and wherein coacting means are provided between the inlet diffuser member and the rigid combustor support ring of the combustor to radially connect it in place at one end thereof and wherein further coacting means are provided between the inner engine wall and a portion of the porous sleeve for axially indexing of the combustor assembly.

Avrum S. Herman

Papers

Integrated, replaceable combustor swirler and fuel injector

Porous laminated combustor structure

Combustor support structure