Turbine engine with fuel system including a catalytic reformer
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsNarendra D. Joshi, Lawrence B. Kool, Joseph Zelina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine with a compressor section, a turbine section, and a combustion section located downstream from the compressor section and upstream from the turbine section, the combustion section including a dome inlet, a combustor outlet fluidly coupled to the turbine section, a liner and a dome assembly together at least partially defining a combustion chamber extending between the dome inlet and the combustor outlet, a fuel system fluidly coupled to the combustion section, the fuel system comprising a fuel supply, a primary fuel line fluidly coupling the fuel supply to the combustion section, and a reformer fluidly coupled to the fuel supply.
Claims20
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a compressor section;
- a turbine section;
- a combustion section located downstream from the compressor section and upstream from the turbine section and having a combustion chamber extending between a dome inlet and a combustor outlet;
- a primary fuel injector fluidly coupled to the dome inlet;
- a second fuel injector fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber at a location downstream of the dome inlet and upstream of the combustor outlet;
- a structural element defining the second fuel injector and extending radially at least partially into the combustion chamber and axially between a structural element leading edge and a structural element trailing edge, the structural element separating the combustion chamber into a primary zone downstream from the primary fuel injector and a secondary zone downstream of the structural element trailing edge, wherein the structural element includes a set of openings arranged along the structural element leading edge;
- and
- a fuel system fluidly coupled to the combustion section, the fuel system comprising:
- a fuel supply;
- a primary fuel line fluidly coupling the fuel supply to the primary fuel injector;
- a catalytic endothermic reformer fluidly coupled to the fuel supply;
- and
- a secondary fuel line fluidly coupling the catalytic endothermic reformer to the second fuel injector.
A fuel system for a gas turbine engine having a combustor, the fuel system comprising:
- a fuel supply;
- a combustion chamber extending between a dome inlet and a combustor outlet;
- a primary fuel injector fluidly coupled to the dome inlet;
- a second fuel injector fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber at a location downstream of the dome inlet and upstream of the combustor outlet;
- a structural element defining the second fuel injector and extending radially at least partially into the combustion chamber and axially between a structural element leading edge and a structural element trailing edge, the structural element separating the combustion chamber into a primary zone downstream from the primary fuel injector and a secondary zone downstream of the structural element trailing edge, wherein a first length defining the primary zone and measured axially between the dome inlet and the structural element trailing edge is less than or equal to twice a second length defining the secondary zone and measured axially between the structural element trailing edge and a leading edge of a downstream set of vanes;
- a set of openings radially spaced along the structural element, defining an outlet of the second fuel injector, and arranged along the structural element leading edge;
- a primary fuel line fluidly coupling the fuel supply to the primary fuel injector;
- a catalytic endothermic reformer fluidly coupled to the fuel supply;
- and
- a secondary fuel line fluidly coupling the catalytic endothermic reformer to the second fuel injector.
A method of supplying a reformed hydrocarbon fuel in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- supplying a liquid hydrocarbon fuel to a primary fuel injector of a combustor of the gas turbine engine;
- supplying a primary zone of the combustor with a fuel/air mixture from the primary fuel injector;
- supplying a catalytic endothermic reformer with a liquid hydrocarbon fuel;
- reforming the liquid hydrocarbon fuel to form a hydrogen fuel;
- supplying the hydrogen fuel to a structural element defining a second fuel injector downstream of the primary fuel injector;
- supplying a secondary fuel/air mixture from a set of openings arranged along the structural element leading edge toward the primary zone of the combustor of the gas turbine engine;
- igniting the secondary fuel/air mixture to generate a second portion of combustion gasses;
- and
- flowing the second portion of combustion gasses through a secondary zone of the combustor and into a turbine section of the gas turbine engine along a streamline formed by the set of openings and a set of vanes in the turbine section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.