Turbomachine Fuel Injector Polygonal Duct for Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel injectors for axial fuel staging (AFS) systems in turbomachines require numerous temporary supports during additive manufacturing, leading to increased production time and costs due to the need for post-machining to remove these supports.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a fuel injection assembly with a fuel injector featuring a polygonal segment and cylindrical inlet segment in the fuel duct, allowing for additive manufacturing with minimal temporary supports and reducing the need for post-machining, thereby simplifying the production process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex structural geometries and internal circuits are implemented in AFS fuel injectors using additive manufacturing, then functional performance is improved, but the number of temporary supports required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel injector body is segmented into distinct functional zones (fuel plenum, mixing section, spray outlets, internal circuits) that can be additively manufactured with minimal supports. The segmentation allows each zone to be optimized independently for manufacturing feasibility while maintaining overall functional performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates curved and rounded geometries in the fuel injector structure that are more amenable to additive manufacturing processes. These curved features reduce the need for temporary supports compared to sharp angles or complex intersections, while still achieving the required functional performance.
2Strength
If numerous temporary supports are used during additive manufacturing of AFS fuel injectors, then structural integrity during fabrication is maintained, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts and eliminates the need for numerous temporary supports by optimizing the fuel injector geometry. Features are designed to be self-supporting during additive manufacturing, removing the requirement for post-machining support removal and reducing production time while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel injector geometry is preliminarily optimized during the design phase to ensure self-supporting structures during additive manufacturing. This preliminary design consideration prevents the need for temporary supports and subsequent removal operations, directly reducing production time.
3Stability of the object's composition
If numerous temporary supports are used during additive manufacturing, then fabrication stability is maintained, but post-machining requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts and eliminates temporary supports from the manufacturing process by optimizing fuel injector geometry for self-supporting additive manufacturing. This removes the need for post-machining support removal operations, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining fabrication stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel injector structure is designed to be self-supporting during additive manufacturing, serving its own structural needs without external temporary supports. This self-service approach eliminates the need for post-machining removal operations and simplifies the overall manufacturing process.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A fuel injection assembly (200) includes a fuel injector (202) having a first annular wall (214) that about an axial centerline (216) and extends from a primary inlet (220) disposed at a first end (222) to a primary outlet (224) disposed at a second end (226). A second annular wall (230) surrounds the first annular wall (214). A fuel plenum (232) is defined between the first annular wall (214) and the second annular wall (230). A fuel duct (208) extends from a fuel outlet (240) defined in the second annular wall (230) to a fuel inlet (242). wherein the fuel duct (208) is in fluid communication with the fuel plenum (232). The fuel duct (208) includes a polygonal segment (244) and a cylindrical inlet segment (246). The polygonal segment (244) extends from the fuel outlet (240) to the cylindrical inlet segment (246).