# US 12,000,588 B2 · Fuel nozzle, fuel nozzle module having the same, and combustor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,588 B2 - Document ID: US12000588B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/550,113 - Filed: 2021-12-14 - Published: 2022-07-14 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-11 - Assignees: Doosan Enerbility Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Doosan Enerbility Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Dong Sik Han - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000588B2 ## CPC - F23R 3/286: {having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence)} - F02C 3/22: the fuel or oxidant being gaseous at standard temperature and pressure (F02C3/28 takes precedence) - F23R 3/36: Supply of different fuels - F05D 2240/35: Combustors or associated equipment - F23R 2900/00002: Gas turbine combustors adapted for fuels having low heating value [LHV] - F23R 2900/00014: Reducing thermo-acoustic vibrations by passive means, e.g. by Helmholtz resonators - 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) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A fuel nozzle, a fuel nozzle module having the same, and a combustor having the same, which can solve a problem of combustion instability due to a high-frequency resonance generated by fuel containing hydrogen are provided. The fuel nozzle includes a fuel flow path through which a fuel flows, and a plurality of fuel plenums including a plurality of micro-mixers including a mixing flow path through which a fluid in which the fuel and compressed air are mixed flows and a fuel supply hole for supplying the fuel to the mixing flow path, wherein the plurality of fuel plenums are formed in the fuel flow path to be spaced apart from each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel nozzle comprising: a fuel flow path through which a fuel flows; and a plurality of fuel plenums, each of the plurality of fuel plenums comprising a plurality of micro-mixers, wherein each of the plurality of micro-mixers comprises a mixing flow path through which a mixing fluid of the fuel and a compressed air flow and a fuel supply hole for supplying the fuel to the mixing flow path, wherein each of the plurality of micro-mixers extends from a respective upstream end with respect to the compressed air flow to a respective downstream end with respect to the compressed air flow, wherein the plurality of fuel plenums are formed along the fuel flow path and separated from each other by a space, wherein a first fuel plenum of the plurality of fuel plenums is upstream of a second fuel plenum of the plurality of fuel plenums, such that all of the mixing fluid discharged from the first fuel plenum passes through the space and is received by the second fuel plenum; and wherein the mixing flow path of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the first fuel plenum has a first diameter, which is constant from the respective upstream end to the respective downstream end of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the first fuel plenum, the mixing flow path of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the second fuel plenum has a second diameter, which is constant from the respective upstream end to the respective downstream end of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the second fuel plenum, and the second diameter being different from the first diameter, wherein a total count of the plurality of micro-mixers included in the first fuel plenum is defined to include every micro-mixer in the first fuel plenum and designated as a first number M, a total count of the plurality of micro-mixers in the second fuel plenum is defined to include every micro-mixer in the second fuel plenum and designated as a second number N (M, N being natural numbers), and the second number N is different from the first number M. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel nozzle of claim 1, wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel nozzle of claim 1, wherein the fuel flow path extending into each of the plurality of fuel plenums, such that a first section of the fuel flow path is surrounded by the first fuel plenum, and a second section of the fuel flow path is surrounded by the second fuel plenum; the first section of the fuel flow path comprises a first plenum inlet for flowing the fuel into the first fuel plenum from the fuel flow path, the second section of the fuel flow path comprises a second plenum inlet for flowing the fuel into the second fuel plenum from the fuel flow path, and a size of the first plenum inlet of the first fuel plenum is different from a size of the second plenum inlet of the second fuel plenum. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fuel nozzle of claim 1, wherein the fuel comprising hydrogen. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fuel nozzle of claim 1, wherein, for the first fuel plenum, the respective upstream end and the respective downstream end of each of the plurality of micro-mixers define a first axial length, which is equal to a first distance between an upstream end and a downstream end of the first fuel plenum, wherein, for the second fuel plenum, the respective upstream end and the respective downstream end of each of the plurality of micro-mixers define a second axial length, which is equal to a second distance between an upstream end to a downstream end of the second fuel plenum, and the first axial length and the second axial length are different from each other. ### Claim 6 A fuel nozzle module comprising: a plurality of fuel nozzles; and a shroud formed to surround the plurality of fuel nozzles, wherein each of the plurality of fuel nozzles comprises: a fuel flow path through which a fuel flows; and a plurality of fuel plenums, each of the plurality of fuel plenums comprising a plurality of micro-mixers, wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, each of the plurality of micro-mixers comprises a mixing flow path through which a mixing fluid of the fuel and a compressed air flows and a fuel supply hole for supplying the fuel to the mixing flow path, and wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, each of the plurality of micro-mixers extends from a respective upstream end with respective to the compressed air flow to a respective downstream end with respective to the compressed air flow, wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, the plurality of fuel plenums are formed along the fuel flow path and separated from each other by a space, wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a first fuel plenum of the plurality of fuel plenums is upstream of a second fuel plenum of the plurality of fuel plenums, such that all of the mixing fluid discharged from the first fuel plenum passes through the space and is received by the second fuel plenum; and wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, the mixing flow path of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the first fuel plenum has a first diameter, which is constant from the respective upstream end to the respective downstream end of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the first fuel plenum, the mixing flow path of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the second fuel plenum has a second diameter, which is constant from the respective upstream end to the respective downstream end of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the second fuel plenum, and the second diameter being different from the first diameter, wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a total count of the plurality of micro-mixers included in the first fuel plenum is defined to include every micro-mixer in the first fuel plenum and designated as a first number M, a total count of the plurality of micro-mixers in the second fuel plenum is defined to include every micro-mixer in the second fuel plenum and designated as a second number N (M, N being natural numbers), and the second number N is different from the first number M. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fuel nozzle module of claim 6, wherein, for a first fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a first interval is defined by the space separating the first fuel plenum and the second fuel plenum in the axial direction, and wherein, for a second fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a second interval is defined by the space separating the first fuel plenum and the second fuel plenum in the axial direction, and the first interval is different from the second interval. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The fuel nozzle module of claim 6, wherein, for each of the plurality fuel nozzles, the first fuel plenum has a first volume and the second fuel plenum has a second volume, the first volume being different from the second volume. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The fuel nozzle module of claim 6, wherein, for each of the plurality of the fuel nozzles, the fuel flow path extending into each of the plurality of fuel plenums, such that a first section of the fuel flow path is surrounded by the first fuel plenum, and a second section of the fuel flow path is surrounded by the second fuel plenum; wherein, for each of the plurality of the fuel nozzles, the first section of the fuel flow path comprises a first plenum inlet for flowing the fuel into the first fuel plenum from the fuel flow path, the second section of the fuel flow path comprises a second plenum inlet for flowing the fuel into the second fuel plenum from the fuel flow path, and wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a size of the first plenum inlet and a size of the second plenum inlet are different from each other. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The fuel nozzle module of claim 6, wherein the fuel comprising hydrogen. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The fuel nozzle module of claim 6, wherein the first fuel plenum of a first fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles has a first volume, the first fuel plenum of a second fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles has a second volume, and the first fuel plenum of a third fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles has a third volume, all of the first volume, the second volume, and third volume being different from each other. ### Claim 12 A combustor comprising: a combustion chamber assembly comprising a combustion chamber in which a mixing fluid is combusted; and a fuel nozzle module comprising a plurality of fuel nozzles for injecting the mixing fluid into the combustion chamber and a shroud formed to surround the plurality of fuel nozzles, wherein each of the plurality of fuel nozzles comprises: a fuel flow path through which a fuel flows; and a plurality of fuel plenums, each of the plurality of fuel plenums comprising a plurality of micro-mixers, wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, each of the plurality of micro-mixers comprises a mixing flow path through which a mixing fluid of the fuel and a compressed air flows and a fuel supply hole for supplying the fuel to the mixing flow path, and wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, each of the plurality of micro-mixers extends from a respective upstream end with respective to the compressed air flow to a respective downstream end with respective to the compressed air flow, wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, the plurality of fuel plenums are formed along the fuel flow path and separated from each other by a space, wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a first fuel plenum of the plurality of fuel plenums is upstream of a second fuel plenum of the plurality of fuel plenums, such that all of the mixing fluid discharged from the first fuel plenum passes through the space and is received by the second fuel plenum; and wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, the mixing flow path of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the first fuel plenum has a first diameter, which is constant from the respective upstream end to the respective downstream end of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the first fuel plenum, the mixing flow path of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the second fuel plenum has a second diameter, which is constant from the respective upstream end to the respective downstream end of each of the plurality of micro-mixers in the second fuel plenum, and the second diameter being different from the first diameter, wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a total count of the plurality of micro-mixers included in the first fuel plenum is defined to include every micro-mixer in the first fuel plenum and designated as a first number M, total count of the plurality of micro-mixers in the second fuel plenum is defined to include every micro-mixer in the second fuel plenum and designated as a second number N (M, N being natural numbers), and the second number N is different from the first number M. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The combustor of claim 12, wherein, for a first fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a first interval is defined by the space separating the first fuel plenum and the second fuel plenum in the axial direction, and wherein, for a second fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a second interval is defined by the space separating the first fuel plenum and the second fuel plenum in the axial direction, and the first interval is different from the second interval. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The combustor of claim 12, wherein, for each of the plurality fuel nozzles, the first fuel plenum has a first volume and the second fuel plenum has a second volume, the first volume being different from the second volume. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The combustor of claim 12, wherein, for each of the plurality of the fuel nozzles, the fuel flow path extending into each of the plurality of fuel plenums, such that a first section of the fuel flow path is surrounded by the first fuel plenum, and a second section of the fuel flow path is surrounded by the second fuel plenum; wherein, for each of the plurality of the fuel nozzles, the first section of the fuel flow path comprises a first plenum inlet for flowing the fuel into the first fuel plenum from the fuel flow path, the second section of the fuel flow path comprises a second plenum inlet for flowing the fuel into the second fuel plenum from the fuel flow path, and wherein, for each of the plurality of fuel nozzles, a size of the first plenum inlet and a size of the second plenum inlet are different from each other. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The combustor of claim 12, wherein the fuel comprising hydrogen.