Gas Turbine Hydrogen Injector With Serrated Disc Flame Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engines face challenges in handling and efficiently combusting gaseous hydrogen fuel due to its different flammability and combustion properties compared to liquid hydrocarbon fuels, requiring new injector designs.
Innovation Solution
The engine incorporates injectors with annular gas nozzles and hydrogen feed conduits that utilize obliquely sloped gas feed conduits and mixing chambers with discs to facilitate rapid mixing and circulation of air and hydrogen, enhanced by discs with serrated edges and hydrogen bleed holes for improved flame stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If liquid hydrocarbon fuel injectors are used for gaseous hydrogen fuel, then the existing fuel supply system can be utilized, but efficient mixing and combustion of hydrogen cannot be achieved due to different fuel properties
Solution Approach 1:
The injector design changes the physical parameters of the mixing chamber and conduit geometry to accommodate gaseous hydrogen fuel properties, enabling efficient mixing and combustion while maintaining system versatility for different fuel types
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel injection system is segmented into separate conduits for different fuels (hydrogen and hydrocarbon) with dedicated mixing chambers, allowing each fuel type to be handled with optimized parameters while maintaining overall system adaptability
2Device complexity
If hydrogen fuel is introduced without specialized mixing structures, then the injector design remains simple, but flame stability cannot be ensured due to hydrogen's different flammability properties
Solution Approach 1:
Air is pre-introduced into the mixing chamber before hydrogen fuel injection, creating a premixed environment that ensures immediate and stable combustion when hydrogen is introduced, addressing hydrogen's rapid flammability characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing chamber acts as an intermediary between the hydrogen fuel source and the combustion zone, allowing controlled mixing of hydrogen and air to achieve stable flame conditions before combustion occurs
3Device complexity
If rapid mixing of hydrogen and air is not achieved, then the mixing chamber design remains simple, but combustion efficiency decreases due to hydrogen's unique combustion characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing chamber incorporates dynamic flow elements and angled conduits that create turbulent mixing patterns, enabling rapid and thorough mixing of hydrogen and air to match hydrogen's fast combustion speed and improve combustion efficiency
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 solution enables efficient mixing and combustion of hydrogen fuel, ensuring stable flame conditions and effective fuel utilization in the combustor section.
Implementation Method 1
obliquely sloped gas feed conduits and mixing chambers with discs to facilitate rapid mixing and circulation of air and hydrogen
Implementation Method 2
enhanced by discs with serrated edges and hydrogen bleed holes for improved flame stability
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
An injector (38) for a gas turbine engine (20) includes an annular gas nozzle (42), a hydrogen feed conduit (50), and a disc (58). The annular gas nozzle (42) is disposed along a central nozzle axis (A2) and includes a forward face (44), a frustoconical interior surface (46), and gas feed conduits (48) that open at the frustoconical interior surface (46). The hydrogen feed conduit (50) extends along the central nozzle axis (A2) through the annular gas nozzle (42). The hydrogen feed conduit (50) and the frustoconical interior surface (46) define there between an annular mixing chamber (52). The hydrogen feed conduit (50) has an end portion (54) that is axially displaced from the forward face (44). The end portion (54) includes feed holes (56) that open into the mixing chamber (52). The disc (58) is disposed on the end portion (54) and is diametrically larger than the end portion (54) so as to form a forward boundary of the annular mixing chamber (52). The disc (58) may have multiple teeth, serrated edges, single or multiple bleed holes that are normal or angularly drilled to enhance fuel and air mixing, and improve flame stability.