Cooling system for fuel nozzles within combustor in a turbine engine

A cooling system for a fuel system of a turbine engine, comprising:

• at least one fuel nozzle extending into a combustor chamber formed at least in part by a combustor housing, wherein the at least one fuel nozzle includes at least one fuel exhaust orifice with an opening in an outer surface of the at least one fuel nozzle, wherein the at least one fuel nozzle is an axial stage nozzle positioned within a secondary combustion zone;
• at least one cooling system housing positioned around the at least one fuel nozzle, wherein the at least one cooling system housing forms a cooling chamber defined at least partially by an inner surface of the at least one cooling system housing and the outer surface of the at least one fuel nozzle, wherein the cooling chamber conveys cooling air arranged to surround the fuel nozzle and thus cool the fuel nozzle during combustor operation, regardless of whether the fuel nozzle is in use;
• wherein a distance between the outer surface of the at least one fuel nozzle and the inner surface of the at least one cooling system housing at a distal end of the at least one cooling system housing is less than a distance between the outer surface of the at least one fuel nozzle and the inner surface of the at least one cooling system housing at a proximal end at the combustor housing;
• and
• wherein a distal end of the at least one cooling system housing terminates closer to the combustor housing than a distal end of the at least one fuel nozzle.

A cooling system for a fuel system of a turbine engine, comprising:

• at least one fuel nozzle extending into a combustor chamber formed at least in part by a combustor housing, wherein the at least one fuel nozzle includes at least one fuel exhaust orifice with an opening in an outer surface of the at least one fuel nozzle;
• at least one cooling system housing positioned around the at least one fuel nozzle, wherein the at least one cooling system housing forms a cooling chamber defined at least partially by an inner surface of the at least one cooling system housing and the outer surface of the at least one fuel nozzle, wherein the cooling chamber conveys cooling air arranged to surround the fuel nozzle and thus cool the fuel nozzle during combustor operation, regardless of whether the fuel nozzle is in use;
• wherein the at least one fuel nozzle is an axial stage nozzle positioned within a secondary combustion zone;
• wherein the at least one fuel nozzle is in communication with a fuel source and in communication with a steam source, thereby forming a combined fuel and steam nozzle;
• wherein the at least one cooling system housing has the inner surface having a conical shape;
• wherein a distal end of the at least one cooling system housing terminates closer to the combustor housing than a distal end of the at least one fuel nozzle;
• wherein the distal end of the at least one fuel nozzle includes at least one exhaust orifice that exhausts fluids unrestricted by the housing forming the at least one cooling system cooling chamber;
• and
• at least one centering strut extending from the inner surface of the at least one cooling system housing.