Back to results
US 10,488,047 B2Granted
Thermally compliant additively manufactured fuel injector
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsJoe Ott, Gary A. Schirtzinger, Lexia Kironn, Dennis M. Moura, Stanley J. Funk, Roger O. Coffey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment includes a fuel injector. The fuel injector assembly comprises a conduit for conveying fuel from a fuel inlet to a nozzle. The conduit is located in a support, with the conduit, the nozzle, and the support being a single unitary piece. A thermally compliant feature is located at the nozzle which allows the fuel injector to adjust for differential thermal expansion.
Claims6
A fuel injector comprising:
- a conduit for conveying fuel from a fuel inlet to a nozzle;
- a support in which the conduit is located;
- a heat shield on an exterior of the support, wherein the conduit, the nozzle, the support, and the heat shield are a single unitary piece;
- and
- a thermally compliant feature at the nozzle which allows the fuel injector to adjust for differential thermal expansion;
- wherein the thermally compliant feature comprises a gap in the nozzle, wherein the gap axially separates the heat shield and a nozzle tip structure along a fluid axis.
3 more elements
A method of making a fuel injector, the method comprising:
- building the fuel injector layer by layer through use of additive manufacturing to contain a conduit, a nozzle, and a support;
- wherein the conduit is disposed inside of the support and conveys fuel from a fuel inlet to the nozzle;
- building a heat shield on an exterior of the support, wherein the conduit, the nozzle, the support, and the heat shield are a single unitary piece;
- and
- building a thermally compliant feature at the nozzle as part of the single unitary piece which allows the fuel injector to adjust for differential thermal expansion, wherein the thermally compliant feature comprises a gap in the nozzle and wherein the gap axially separates the heat shield and a nozzle tip structure along a fluid axis.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.