# US 12,007,118 B2 · Pilot arrangement, nozzle device, method and gas turbine arrangement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,118 B2 - Document ID: US12007118B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/356,416 - Filed: 2023-07-21 - Published: 2024-02-15 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-08-10 - Assignees: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG - Applicants: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG - Inventors: Carsten Clemen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007118B2 ## CPC - F23R 3/343: {Pilot flames, i.e. fuel nozzles or injectors using only a very small proportion of the total fuel to insure continuous combustion (ignition in gas-turbine plants F02C7/264; pilot flame igniters F23Q9/00)} - F23R 3/14: by using swirl vanes - F23R 3/283: {Attaching or cooling of fuel injecting means including supports for fuel injectors, stems, or lances} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - F23R 2900/00018: Manufacturing combustion chamber liners or subparts - 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) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING ## Abstract A pilot arrangement for a nozzle of a gas turbine, includes a cavity extending along a longitudinal axis for conducting fuel, the narrowest flow cross section of which is larger than a flow cross section of a pilot fuel nozzle, and the pilot fuel nozzle, which adjoins the cavity downstream and includes a pilot line and a pilot fuel outlet arranged downstream of the pilot line, the narrowest flow cross section of which is smaller than that of the cavity. A compact configuration is achieved in that the cavity is arranged in a central body arranged on the longitudinal axis, a swirling element is arranged in a circumferential manner around the central body, wherein the central body and the swirling element form a swirling arrangement, and the swirling element, the central body and the pilot fuel nozzle are configured as a continuous, integral component. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pilot arrangement for use in a nozzle device of a gas turbine arrangement, comprising: a pilot fuel nozzle, a central body arranged on a longitudinal axis, a cavity extending along the longitudinal axis for conducting fuel, a narrowest flow cross section of the cavity being configured to be larger than a flow cross section of the pilot fuel nozzle, the pilot fuel nozzle adjoining the cavity in a downstream direction and comprising a pilot line and a pilot fuel outlet arranged at a downstream end of the pilot line, a narrowest flow cross section of the pilot line being configured to be smaller than that of the cavity, the cavity being arranged in the central body, at least one swirling element being arranged in a circumferential manner around the central body, wherein the central body and the at least one swirling element form a swirling arrangement, the at least one swirling element, the central body and the pilot fuel nozzle being configured as a continuous, monolithic component, a hollow chamber arranged as a heat shield in a circumferential manner around the pilot fuel nozzle, and the hollow chamber being sealed in a flow-tight manner relative to an environment surrounding the pilot arrangement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pilot arrangement according to claim 1, and further comprising: at least one pilot fuel supply line configured for supplying fuel into the cavity, wherein the at least one pilot fuel supply line is guided through the at least one swirling element for conducting pilot fuel from a circumferential wall of an inner air channel radially inwards into the cavity. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pilot arrangement according to claim 2, wherein at least one chosen from the flow cross section of the pilot line and a flow cross-section of the at least one pilot fuel supply line is configured to be at least one chosen from round and rhombic. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pilot arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the hollow chamber is filled with an inert gas or evacuated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pilot arrangement according to claim 1, and further comprising, at a downstream end of the central body, a lance which extends on the longitudinal axis and in which the pilot line extends at least for a most part, wherein the lance comprising the pilot line has an axial length such that the fuel outlet is positioned at least in a downstream third or quarter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pilot arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the fuel outlet is positioned at least in a downstream third or quarter at least substantially at an outlet, of an inner air channel of the nozzle device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pilot arrangement according to claim 1, wherein all walls of the pilot arrangement are aligned at an angle of no more than 45° to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pilot arrangement according to claim 1, and further comprising an atomizer arranged within the fuel nozzle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pilot arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the atomizer includes a central body comprising support structures and is arranged in the pilot line. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A nozzle device comprising the pilot arrangement according to claim 1 and comprising an inner air channel, which is arranged on a central longitudinal axis of the nozzle device and within which the pilot arrangement is arranged coaxially with the inner air channel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A gas turbine arrangement comprising a combustion chamber arrangement comprising at least one of the nozzle device according to claim 10 and a turbine arrangement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The pilot arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the gas turbine arrangement is an aircraft engine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The pilot arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the hollow chamber is arranged around at least one chosen from the pilot line and the cavity. ### Claim 14 A method for producing a pilot arrangement comprising: providing a pilot arrangement for use in a nozzle device of a gas turbine arrangement, comprising: a pilot fuel nozzle, a central body arranged on a longitudinal axis, a cavity extending along the longitudinal axis for conducting fuel, a narrowest flow cross section of the cavity being configured to be larger than a flow cross section of the pilot fuel nozzle, the pilot fuel nozzle adjoining the cavity in a downstream direction and comprising a pilot line and a pilot fuel outlet arranged at a downstream end of the pilot line, a narrowest flow cross section of the pilot line being configured to be smaller than that of the cavity, the cavity being arranged in the central body, at least one swirling element being arranged in a circumferential manner around the central body, wherein the central body and the at least one swirling element form a swirling arrangement, the at least one swirling element, the central body and the pilot fuel nozzle being configured as a continuous, monolithic component, an atomizer arranged within the fuel nozzle, manufacturing the at least one swirling element, the central body and the pilot fuel nozzle as the continuous monolithic component using an additive manufacturing method. ### Claim 15 A pilot arrangement for use in a nozzle device of a gas turbine arrangement, comprising: a pilot fuel nozzle, a central body arranged on a longitudinal axis, a cavity extending along the longitudinal axis for conducting fuel, a narrowest flow cross section of the cavity being configured to be larger than a flow cross section of the pilot fuel nozzle, the pilot fuel nozzle adjoining the cavity in a downstream direction and comprising a pilot line and a pilot fuel outlet arranged at a downstream end of the pilot line, a narrowest flow cross section of the pilot line being configured to be smaller than that of the cavity, the cavity being arranged in the central body, at least one swirling element being arranged in a circumferential manner around the central body, wherein the central body and the at least one swirling element form a swirling arrangement, the at least one swirling element, the central body and the pilot fuel nozzle being configured as a continuous, monolithic component: wherein all walls of the pilot arrangement are aligned at an angle of no more than 45° to the longitudinal axis.