Micro-mixer with Segmented Fuel Passages for Gas Turbine Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbines face inefficiencies in mixing compressed air with fuel before combustion, which affects the combustion process and overall energy production, particularly in premixed combustion schemes aimed at reducing emissions.
Innovation Solution
A micro-mixer design with a mixing passage, fuel supply passages that cross each other, and fluid mixers with baffle, mesh, or steel wire members to enhance fuel-air mixing, integrated into a combustor assembly within the gas turbine, ensuring effective fuel injection and mixing before combustion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional mixing methods are used in gas turbines, then the device complexity is low, but the combustion efficiency and mixing effectiveness are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing device is segmented into multiple functional components: fuel supply passages with multiple fuel supply ports, baffle members with through-holes, mesh members, and steel wire members. Each segment performs a specific mixing function, creating a multi-stage mixing process that enhances combustion efficiency while managing complexity through modular functional division
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional single-dimension mixing to multi-dimensional mixing by arranging fuel supply passages, baffle members, mesh members, and steel wire members in three-dimensional space. The fuel supply passages extend in different directions, and the baffle/mesh/wire members create multiple flow paths, adding spatial dimensions to the mixing process
2Object-generated harmful factors
If fuel and air are not thoroughly mixed, then the device complexity is low, but emissions increase and combustion efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs porous-like structures including mesh members with multiple openings, baffle members with through-holes, and steel wire members that create numerous flow paths. These porous-structured components thoroughly mix fuel and air by forcing the flow through multiple small openings, reducing emissions through complete combustion while containing the complexity within compact mixing elements
Solution Approach 2:
The baffle members, mesh members, and steel wire members act as intermediary structures between the fuel supply passages and the combustion chamber. These intermediaries facilitate thorough mixing by creating turbulence and multiple flow paths, ensuring homogeneous fuel-air mixture that reduces harmful emissions
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple fuel supply ports are used, then the mixing homogeneity is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel supply system is segmented into multiple fuel supply passages, each with multiple fuel supply ports positioned at different locations and angles. This segmentation allows precise control over fuel injection patterns, achieving homogeneous mixing by distributing fuel across multiple injection points rather than relying on a single complex injection system
Solution Approach 2:
The invention varies parameters such as the number, position, and orientation of fuel supply ports across different fuel supply passages. By changing these parameters, the system achieves homogeneous mixing through multiple injection angles and locations, while each individual passage remains relatively simple in structure and manufacturable
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 micro-mixer design effectively mixes compressed air with fuel, improving combustion efficiency and reducing emissions by ensuring a homogeneous fuel-air mixture, thereby enhancing the overall performance and efficiency of the gas turbine.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel supply passage extending from one inner wall to the other inner wall of the mixing passage
Implementation Method 2
a fluid mixer may be formed downstream of the mixing passage to mix a mixed fluid flowing toward the outlet
Data Source
AI summary
A micro-mixer capable of effectively mixing compressed air supplied from a compressor to a combustor and fuel supplied from a fuel nozzle, and a combustor including the same are provided. The micro-mixer includes a mixing passage including an inlet and an outlet, a fuel supply passage extending from one inner wall to the other inner wall of the mixing passage, and a fuel supply port formed in the fuel supply passage to supply fuel to the mixing passage.