System and methods for altering air flow in a combustor
OwnerBenjamin Paul Lacy, Roy Marshall Washam +1inventors
InventorsBenjamin Paul Lacy, Roy Marshall Washam, Thomas Edward Johnson
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Abstract
A combustor assembly of a turbine engine is provided with a mechanical air regulation unit which selectively varies the amount of air being delivered into a combustion zone of the combustor based upon a pressure of a fuel being supplied to the combustor. A first type of air regulation unit would act to increase the amount of air entering the combustion zone when greater amounts of a high heat value fuel are being delivered to the fuel nozzles of the combustor. A second type of air regulation unit could act to decrease the amount of air entering the combustion zone when greater amounts of a low heat value fuel are being delivered into the combustor through fuel nozzles.
Claims20
A fuel nozzle for a turbine engine, comprising:
- an elongated housing;
- a fuel delivery passageway that extends along at least a part of the length of the housing;
- an air delivery passageway that extends along at least a part of the length of the housing;
- a fuel inlet that receives fuel from a fuel supply line and that communicates with the fuel delivery passageway;
- and
- an air regulation unit coupled to the fuel inlet, wherein the air regulation unit varies an amount of air that passes into the air delivery passageway based on a fuel pressure or fuel pressure differential at the fuel inlet.
A combustor for a turbine engine, comprising:
- a combustor liner;
- a fuel nozzle mounted inside the combustor liner and coupled to a fuel supply line;
- and
- an air regulation unit coupled to the fuel supply line, the air regulation unit varying a flow of air into a combustion zone of the combustor based on a fuel pressure or fuel pressure differential in the fuel supply line.
A method of controlling a flow of air into a combustion zone of a combustor of a turbine, comprising:
- sensing a fuel pressure or fuel pressure differential in a fuel supply line that supplies fuel to the combustor;
- and
- varying a flow of air into the combustion zone based on the sensed fuel pressure or fuel pressure differential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.