# US 10,767,866 B2 · Micromixer for use with liquid fuel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,767,866 B2 - Document ID: US10767866B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/032,693 - Filed: 2018-07-11 - Published: 2020-01-16 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-11 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Owen James Sullivan Rickey; Joel Meier Haynes; Su Cao; Shih-Yang Hsieh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767866B2 ## CPC - F23R 3/286: {having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence)} - F02C 7/222: {Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds} - F02C 9/40: specially adapted to the use of a special fuel or a plurality of fuels - F23D 14/64: with injectors - F23R 3/12: inducing a vortex - F23R 3/283: {Attaching or cooling of fuel injecting means including supports for fuel injectors, stems, or lances} - F23R 3/32: being tubular - F23R 3/36: Supply of different fuels - F05D 2240/128: Nozzles - 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) - F23D: BURNERS - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A micromixer of a gas turbine has a plurality of tubes each having an inlet and an outlet for receiving a flow and dispersing the flow to a combustor. At least some of the tubes have a liquid fuel injector, and the liquid fuel injector projects into one of the tubes. The liquid fuel injector has a ramped upstream surface and two converging side surfaces. The ramped upstream surface compresses the flow passing thereover, and a top surface of the liquid fuel injector comprises a liquid fuel outlet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A micromixer of a gas turbine, the micromixer comprising: a plurality of tubes each having an inlet and an outlet for receiving a flow and dispersing the flow to a combustor; wherein the combustor comprises a plurality of fuel nozzles positioned at a head end, at least one of the plurality of fuel nozzles includes the micromixer, and at least some of the plurality of tubes having a liquid fuel injector, the liquid fuel injector projecting into at least one of the plurality of tubes, the liquid fuel injector having a ramped upstream surface and two converging side surfaces, the ramped upstream surface compressing the flow passing thereover, and a top surface of the liquid fuel injector comprises a liquid fuel outlet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The micromixer of claim 1, the plurality of tubes having a nozzle section located between an upstream portion of the plurality of tubes and a downstream portion of the plurality of tubes, the upstream portion of the plurality of tubes has a larger internal diameter than the downstream portion of the plurality of tubes, and wherein the liquid fuel injector is located at least partially in the nozzle section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The micromixer of claim 2, wherein the ramped upstream surface is located in both the upstream portion and the nozzle section. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The micromixer of claim 1, the liquid fuel injector having a fuel conduit surrounded at least partially by a cooling conduit, the liquid fuel outlet is an outlet of the fuel conduit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The micromixer of claim 4, wherein the fuel conduit projects substantially radially inward into one of the tubes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The micromixer of claim 4, wherein the cooling conduit has a cooling outlet located in the top surface, and the cooling outlet is formed in an arcuate shape, and wherein the cooling outlet is located substantially downstream of the liquid fuel outlet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The micromixer of claim 6, wherein the cooling conduit comprises a plurality of cooling outlets located on the two converging side surfaces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The micromixer of claim 7, wherein the plurality of cooling outlets of the two converging side surfaces are configured to extend axially along at least one of the plurality of tubes, and are substantially perpendicular to a radial direction with respect to the plurality of tubes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The micromixer of claim 1, wherein the ramped upstream surface forms an angle of 120 degrees to 150 degrees from an inner wall of an upstream portion of the plurality of tubes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The micromixer of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of turbulators located upstream of the liquid fuel outlet, each of the plurality of turbulators having a ramped upstream surface and two converging side surfaces. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The micromixer of claim 10, further comprising a cavity that surrounds at least a portion of the liquid fuel outlet, the cavity supplying a cooling air flow that cools fuel in the liquid fuel outlet and enhances fuel and/or air mixing while reducing fuel entrainment on an interior surface of the plurality of tubes. ### Claim 12 A gas turbine having a micromixer, the micromixer comprising: a plurality of tubes each having an inlet and an outlet for receiving a flow and dispersing the flow to a combustor; wherein the combustor comprises a plurality of fuel nozzles positioned at a head end, at least one of the plurality of fuel nozzles include the micromixer, and at least some of the plurality of tubes having a liquid fuel injector, the liquid fuel injector projecting into at least one of the plurality of tubes, the liquid fuel injector having a ramped upstream surface and two converging side surfaces, the ramped upstream surface compressing the flow passing thereover, and a top surface of the liquid fuel injector comprises a liquid fuel outlet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The gas turbine of claim 12, the plurality of tubes having a nozzle section located between an upstream portion of the plurality of tubes and a downstream portion of the plurality of tubes, the upstream portion of the plurality of tubes has a larger internal diameter than the downstream portion of the plurality of tubes, and wherein the liquid fuel injector is located at least partially in the nozzle section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The gas turbine of claim 13, wherein the ramped upstream surface is located in both the upstream portion and the nozzle section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The gas turbine of claim 12, the liquid fuel injector having a fuel conduit surrounded at least partially by a cooling conduit, the liquid fuel outlet is an outlet of the fuel conduit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The gas turbine of claim 15, wherein the fuel conduit projects substantially radially inward into at lea one of the plurality of tubes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The gas turbine of claim 15, wherein the cooling conduit has a cooling outlet located in the top surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The gas turbine of claim 17, wherein the cooling outlet in the top surface is formed in an arcuate shape, and wherein the cooling outlet is located substantially downstream of the liquid fuel outlet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The gas turbine of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of turbulators located upstream of the liquid fuel outlet, each of the plurality of turbulators having a ramped upstream surface and two converging side surfaces. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The gas turbine of claim 19, further comprising a cavity that surrounds at least a portion of the liquid fuel outlet, the cavity supplying a cooling air flow that cools fuel in the liquid fuel outlet and enhances fuel and/or air mixing while reducing fuel entrainment on an interior surface of the plurality of tubes.