Venturiless swirl cup
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRichard W. Stickles, John L. Halpin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A swirl cup for a gas turbine engine combustor includes a tubular body having an inlet at one end for receiving a fuel injection nozzle, an outlet at an opposite end for discharging the fuel, and an annular septum therebetween. A row of first swirl vanes is attached to the septum adjacent the body inlet, and a row of second swirl vanes is attached to the septum adjacent the first swirl vanes and spaced upstream from the body outlet. Air from the first and second swirl vanes is swirled directly around the injected fuel without a flow barrier or venturi therebetween.
Claims7
A swirl cup for a gas turbine combustor comprising:
- a tubular body having an inlet at one end for receiving a fuel injection nozzle to inject fuel into said body, an outlet at an opposite axial end for discharging said fuel into said combustor, and an annular septum axially therebetween;
- a row of first swirl vanes attached to said septum adjacent said body inlet for channeling into said body air in a first swirl direction around said injected fuel;
- and
- a row of second swirl vanes attached to said septum adjacent said first swirl vanes and spaced upstream from said body outlet for channeling into said body additional air in a second swirl direction directly around both said injected fuel and said first swirl air without a flow barrier therebetween;
- wherein said septum terminates axially between said first and second swirl vanes for allowing direct contact between said air discharged therefrom;
- and
- wherein said first and second swirl vanes are inclined radially inwardly to swirl said air radially inwardly and circumferentally around said injected fuel.
A method for injecting fuel and air through a tubular swirl cup into a gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- injecting said fuel into an upstream end of said swirl cup;
- firstly swirling a portion of said air in a first swirl direction into said swirl cup coaxially around said injected fuel;
- secondly swirling another portion of said air in a second swirl direction into said swirl cup coaxially around both said injected fuel and said firstly swirled air without a flow barrier therebetween;
- and
- discharging a mixture of said injected fuel and firstly and secondly swirled air into said combustor;
- wherein said first and second swirling steps are effected without a venturi therebetween;
- and
- wherein said first and second swirling steps swirl said air radially inwardly around said injector fuel in co-rotation, with said second swirl direction being equal to said first swirl direction.
A swirl cup for a gas turbine combustor comprising:
- a tubular body having an inlet at one end for receiving a fuel injection nozzle to inject fuel into said body, an outlet at an opposite axial end for discharging said fuel into said combustor, and an annular septum axially therebetween;
- a row of first swirl vanes attached to said septum adjacent said body inlet for channeling into said body air in a first swirl direction around said injected fuel;
- and
- a row of second swirl vanes attached to said septum adjacent said first swirl vanes and spaced upstream from said body outlet for channeling into said body additional air in a second swirl direction directly around both said injected fuel and said first swirl air without a flow barrier therebetween;
- wherein said body inlet is disposed axially forward of said first swirl vanes for receiving said nozzle to inject fuel thereat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.