Combustor Nozzle Inclined Struts for Uniform Fuel-Air Mixing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing combustor nozzles fail to achieve uniform mixing of fuel and air, leading to inefficient combustion and increased NOx emissions in gas turbines.
Innovation Solution
A combustor nozzle design featuring a fuel injection module with inclined struts and support tubes, including a main cylinder, nozzle shroud, and a fuel injection module with multiple struts and support tubes, which inject fuel through strut injection holes, and mixing bars with twisted structures to enhance fuel-air mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional combustor nozzle design is used, then the structure is simple, but fuel and air are not uniformly mixed leading to inefficient combustion and increased NOx emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel injection module is segmented into multiple struts (first struts and second struts) with separate injection functions. Each strut has specific injection holes positioned at different locations and angles, allowing staged fuel injection that promotes progressive mixing with air, thereby achieving uniform fuel-air distribution without requiring a completely redesigned complex nozzle structure
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the nozzle are given different functional qualities: the first struts have injection holes oriented in one direction while the second struts have injection holes oriented in another direction. The swirl guides on different struts are inclined at different angles, creating localized flow patterns that collectively achieve uniform mixing throughout the combustion chamber
2Ease of manufacture
If fuel injection is simplified, then the nozzle structure is easier to manufacture, but combustion efficiency decreases and NOx emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The swirl guides are pre-installed on the struts at specific inclination angles before final assembly. The injection holes are pre-positioned on each strut to create predetermined flow patterns. This preliminary configuration of mixing elements ensures that when fuel is injected, the mixing process begins immediately with the correct flow dynamics, achieving high combustion efficiency without complex real-time control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
Swirl guides with curved surfaces are incorporated on the struts to generate rotational flow patterns. The curved geometry of the swirl guides naturally induces swirling motion in the injected fuel, promoting turbulent mixing with air. This curved surface approach achieves efficient mixing using simple geometric forms that are easy to manufacture
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple injection modules are added to improve mixing, then fuel-air uniformity increases, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple injection functions are merged into a single integrated fuel injection module. The first struts and second struts are both coupled to the same main cylinder, and their injection holes work together in a coordinated manner. The swirl guides on different struts complement each other to create a unified flow pattern, achieving uniform fuel-air mixing through a single module rather than multiple separate injection systems
Solution Approach 2:
The struts serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, act as fuel delivery conduits, and incorporate swirl guides to generate rotational flow. The injection holes in the struts perform both fuel injection and flow direction control. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, maintaining simplicity while achieving precise fuel-air mixing
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 design ensures uniform injection and mixing of fuel and air, improving combustion efficiency and reducing NOx emissions by optimizing the swirl angles and flow guidance within the nozzle.
Implementation Method 1
each of the first and second struts includes a swirl guide inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction of the main cylinder
Data Source
AI summary
A combustor nozzle capable of injecting fuel uniformly, and a combustor and gas turbine including the same are provided. The combustor nozzle includes a main cylinder having a fuel passage through which fuel flows, a nozzle shroud surrounding the main cylinder, and a fuel injection module disposed between the main cylinder and the nozzle shroud to inject fuel, wherein the fuel injection module includes a plurality of first struts protruding from the main cylinder and having strut injection holes to inject fuel, a first support tube coupled to outer ends of the first struts, and a plurality of second struts protruding from the first support tube and having strut injection holes to inject fuel, and each of the first and second struts includes a swirl guide inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction of the main cylinder.