Gas Turbine Combustor Fuel Supply Manifold Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fuel supply systems for gas turbines with late lean fuel injectors are cumbersome, requiring additional space and potentially disrupting fluid flow profiles due to numerous fluid conduits and couplings, which complicates combustor design and affects overall efficiency and emissions performance.
Innovation Solution
A fuel supply system comprising a fuel distribution manifold with first and second fuel circuits extending circumferentially around the combustor, featuring primary and secondary fuel lines with flow splitters to efficiently distribute fuel to multiple fuel injectors, while a shield protects and retains thermal energy within the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If numerous fluid conduits and couplings are used to supply fuel to late lean fuel injectors, then fuel distribution capability is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fuel supply lines are merged into a single manifold structure that distributes fuel to multiple injectors. The manifold integrates what would otherwise be separate conduit systems into one unified component, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the ability to supply multiple fuel injectors positioned around the combustor.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel manifold serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a fuel distribution hub, provides structural support for fuel line connections, and enables flexible routing to multiple injectors. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated conduits for each injector, thereby reducing device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional space is allocated within the casing for fuel supply hardware, then fuel distribution system functionality is improved, but combustor size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel manifold and its associated conduits are nested within the existing combustor casing structure, utilizing available space efficiently. The fuel supply system is integrated into the combustor's internal volume rather than requiring additional external space, allowing fuel distribution functionality without increasing overall combustor size.
3Adaptability or versatility
If numerous fluid conduits and couplings are installed, then fuel delivery to multiple injectors is enabled, but fluid flow profiles within the combustor are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel supply system is extracted and positioned within the annular space between the combustor liner and outer casing, removing it from the central combustion flow path. This extraction prevents the conduits and couplings from disrupting the primary fluid flow profiles within the combustion zone while still enabling fuel delivery to multiple injectors positioned around the liner.
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
This configuration reduces the physical footprint of the fuel supply system, enhances fuel distribution efficiency, and maintains high thermodynamic performance without compromising emissions, thereby optimizing the combustor's size and fluid flow.
Implementation Method 1
a shield protects and retains thermal energy within the system
Implementation Method 2
A fuel is injected into the flow of the compressed working fluid to form a combustible mixture. The combustible mixture is burned within a combustion zone to generate combustion gases having a high temperature, pressure and velocity
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A fuel supply system 100 for a gas turbine combustor 24 includes a fuel distribution manifold 102. A first fuel circuit 104 extends from the fuel distribution manifold 102 in a first circumferential direction around an outer surface of the outer casing and provides for fluid communication from the fuel distribution manifold 102, through the outer casing and to at least one fuel injector disposed within the outer casing. A second fuel circuit 106 extends from the fuel distribution manifold 102 in a second circumferential direction around the outer surface of the outer casing. The second fuel circuit 106 provides for fluid communication from the fuel distribution manifold 102, through the outer casing and to at least one fuel injector within the outer casing. In particular configurations, the fuel supply system includes a shield 132 that surrounds at least a portion of the outer casing and at least partially encases the first fuel circuit 104 and the second fuel circuit 106.