Concentric Dual Fuel Nozzle for Gas Turbine Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dual fuel nozzles for gas turbine engines require separate passages for gas and liquid fuels, leading to increased size and costly redesigns, especially when operating with both natural gas and liquid fuels, as well as water injection, which complicates the combustor and diffuser case design.
Innovation Solution
A fuel nozzle design featuring an outer air swirler defining an annular air passage, an inner air swirler defining an annular fuel gas passage, and an annular liquid passage between the inner air swirler and an air inflow tube, with a tube within a housing to communicate liquid into the annular liquid passage and gas into the annular fuel gas passage, allowing for multiple exits that can be parallel, radially, or transverse to the axis, and incorporating a helical inflow vane for efficient fuel and air mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate passages for gas and liquid fuels are used in conventional dual fuel nozzles, then the nozzle can operate with both natural gas and liquid fuels, but the nozzle size increases and costly redesign of combustor and diffuser case is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested concentric passages where the liquid fuel passage is positioned inside the gas fuel passage. The inner tube carries liquid fuel through the center, while the annular space around it carries gas fuel. This nesting arrangement allows both fuel types to be accommodated within a compact cylindrical envelope, avoiding the need for larger separate passages while maintaining dual fuel compatibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate passages for gas and liquid fuels are used in conventional dual fuel nozzles, then the nozzle can operate with both natural gas and liquid fuels, but costly redesign of combustor and diffuser case is required
Solution Approach 1:
The concentric passage design creates a universal fuel nozzle that can operate with liquid fuel, gas fuel, or both simultaneously by simply controlling which passages receive fuel. This multi-functional capability allows the same nozzle hardware to serve multiple fuel configurations, eliminating the need for costly redesigns when transitioning between fuel types and reducing manufacturing complexity.
3Volume of moving object
If concentric passages are used for both liquid and gas fuel, then the nozzle envelope remains the same for industrial and aero engines, but efficient fuel-air mixing must be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs different swirler designs at different radial positions to optimize local flow characteristics. The outer swirler creates a strong outer swirl for gas fuel mixing, while the inner swirler creates an inner swirl for liquid fuel atomization and mixing. This localized differentiation of flow qualities ensures efficient fuel-air mixing for each fuel type within the compact concentric structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes helical vanes and curved passages to create rotational flow patterns. The helical inflow vanes at the inlet and curved swirler passages generate centrifugal forces that enhance fuel atomization and air-fuel mixing. These curved geometries transform the linear flow into rotational motion, improving mixing efficiency within the constrained concentric passage geometry.
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 design enables efficient fuel-air mixing, reduces NOx emissions, and maintains the same nozzle envelope for both industrial and aero engines, allowing for commonality and reducing the need for costly redesigns of the combustor and diffuser case.
Implementation Method 1
An outer air swirler along an axis to define an outer annular air passage. An inner air swirler is along the axis to define an annular fuel gas passage around the axis between the outer air swirler and the inner air swirler.
Implementation Method 2
a helical inflow vane is included within the air inflow tube
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel nozzle is provided for a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The fuel nozzle includes an outer air swirler along an axis. The outer air swirler defines an outer annular air passage. An inner air swirler along the axis defines an annular fuel gas passage around the axis between the outer air swirler and the inner air swirler. An annular liquid passage is defined between the inner air swirler and an air inflow tube. A tube is within a housing to define an annular gas passage around the tube. The tube is operable to communicate a liquid into the annular liquid passage and the annular gas passage is operable to communicate a gas into the annular fuel gas passage.