# US 10,309,655 B2 · Cooling system for fuel nozzles within combustor in a turbine engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,655 B2 - Document ID: US10309655B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/500,954 - Filed: 2014-08-26 - Published: 2017-08-03 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-26 - Assignees: Siemens Energy, Inc. - Applicants: Siemens Energy, Inc. - Inventors: Walter Ray Laster; Scott M. Martin; Juan Enrique Portillo Bilbao; Jacob William Hardes; Timothy A. Fox - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309655B2 ## CPC - F23R 3/283: {Attaching or cooling of fuel injecting means including supports for fuel injectors, stems, or lances} - F02C 3/30: Adding water, steam or other fluids {for influencing combustion, e.g. to obtain cleaner exhaust gases (F02C7/141, F02C7/30, F01D21/00, F01K21/04, F23D11/10 take precedence)} - F23R 3/045: {using pipes} - F23R 3/34: Feeding into different combustion zones - F02C 7/22: Fuel supply systems - F02C 7/222: {Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds} - F23R 3/02: characterised by the air-flow or gas-flow configuration (reverse- flow combustion chambers F23R3/54; cyclone or vortex type combustion chambers F23R3/58) - F23R 3/06: Arrangement of apertures along the flame tube - F23R 3/16: with devices inside the flame tube or the combustion chamber to influence the air or gas flow - F23R 3/286: {having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence)} - F23R 3/346: {for staged combustion} - F23R: GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS (fluidised bed combustion apparatus specially adapted for operation at superatmospheric pressures F23C10/16) - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) ## Abstract A cooling system for a fuel system in a turbine engine that is usable to cool a fuel nozzle is disclosed. The cooling system may include one or more cooling system housings positioned around the fuel nozzle, such that the cooling system housing forms a cooling chamber defined at least partially by an inner surface of the cooling system housing and an outer surface of the fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle may extend into a combustor chamber formed at least in part by a combustor housing. The fuel nozzle may include one or more fuel exhaust orifices with an opening in an outer surface of the fuel nozzle and configured to exhaust fluids unrestricted by the housing forming the cooling system cooling chamber. The cooling system may provide cooling fluids to cool the fuel nozzle within the cooling system cooling chamber regardless of whether the fuel nozzle is in use. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cooling system for a fuel system of a turbine engine, comprising: at least one fuel nozzle extending into a combustion 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; and 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 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, and wherein at least one centering strut extends radially inward from the inner surface of the at least one cooling system housing for maintaining a position of the at least one cooling system housing around the fuel nozzle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel nozzle is positioned generally orthogonal to a direction of hot gas flow within the secondary combustion zone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, 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. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling system housing is concentric with the at least one fuel nozzle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling system housing has the outer surface having a conical shape and wherein the at least one cooling system housing has the inner surface having a conical shape. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the at least one fuel nozzle extends from the distal end of the at least one cooling system housing a distance between one quarter of an inch and 1¼ inches. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the at least one fuel nozzle extends from the distal end of the at least one cooling system housing a distance between ¼ of an inch and ¾ inch. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, 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. ### Claim 10 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. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cooling system of claim 10, 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The cooling system of claim 10, wherein the at least one cooling system housing is concentric with the at least one fuel nozzle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The cooling system of claim 10, wherein the at least one cooling system housing has the outer surface having a conical shape and wherein the at least one cooling system housing has the inner surface having a conical shape. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The cooling system of claim 10, wherein the distal end of the at least one fuel nozzle extends from the distal end of the at least one cooling system housing a distance between one quarter of an inch and 1¼ inches. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The cooling system of claim 10, 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. ### Claim 16 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.