Combustor Cap Assembly Cooling and Mixing for Gas Turbines
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Solution Overview
Problem
The design and construction of fuel nozzle assemblies in gas turbine engines are complex, costly, and affect emissions and component lifespan, necessitating improvements in their design and construction for better efficiency and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A combustor cap assembly with integrated cooling features, including mixing tubes and nozzles that mix air and fuel, and internal cooling cavities and channels to facilitate zero cross-flow impingement cooling, reducing the need for airflow and extending equipment life while minimizing emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional fuel nozzle assembly design is used, then manufacturing cost and complexity are high, but structure simplification and cost reduction are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple components (combustor cap, nozzles, cooling features) into a single unified structure. The combustor cap assembly combines the cap body, multiple nozzles, and cooling cavities/channels into one integrated component that can be removed as a single unit, thereby simplifying manufacturing and reducing assembly complexity while lowering costs
Solution Approach 2:
The combustor cap assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it distributes fuel through integrated nozzles, provides internal cooling through built-in cavities and channels, and acts as a removable service unit. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying both manufacturing and maintenance
2Reliability
If combustor cap operates without internal cooling, then structure is simpler, but component lifespan and reliability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor cap assembly includes self-contained cooling cavities and channels that use impingement air flow to cool the cap internally during operation. The cooling system is integrated into the cap structure itself, allowing the component to self-regulate its temperature without external cooling systems, thereby extending lifespan while maintaining reasonable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the combustor cap by introducing internal cooling cavities and channels that modify the temperature distribution within the cap. This parameter change (temperature control) directly improves component reliability and lifespan by preventing thermal degradation
3Ease of repair
If fuel nozzle assembly is designed for easy maintenance, then removal and installation are simpler, but manufacturing complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel nozzle assembly is segmented into a removable combustor cap assembly that can be easily detached and replaced. This segmentation allows the cap (with integrated nozzles and cooling features) to be removed as a single serviceable unit, greatly simplifying maintenance and repair operations while the internal complexity remains contained within the modular cap component
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The combustor cap assembly simplifies the structure, reduces manufacturing costs, and enhances durability and reliability by effectively cooling itself and reducing emissions, thereby improving the overall performance and longevity of gas turbine engine components.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the cooling cavities includes an inlet disposed on the first surface and configured to receive impingement air flow into the combustor cap
Implementation Method 2
The combustor cap is configured to internally cool itself via one or more cooling features integrated within the combustor cap
Implementation Method 3
each mixing tube is configured to mix air and fuel to form an air-fuel mixture
Implementation Method 4
multiple mixing tubes disposed within the interior volume, wherein each mixing tube is configured to mix air and fuel
Data Source
AI summary
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. The combustor cap assembly also includes multiple mixing tubes disposed within the interior volume, wherein each mixing tube is configured to mix air and fuel to form an air-fuel mixture. The combustor cap assembly further includes a combustor cap removably coupled to the support structure. The combustor cap includes multiple nozzles integrated within the combustor cap. Each nozzle of the multiple nozzles is coupled to a respective mixing tube of the multiple mixing tubes. The combustor cap is configured to internally cool itself via one or more cooling features integrated within the combustor cap.