System and method for supporting fuel nozzles in a gas turbine combustor utilizing a support plate

A support system for a combustor for a turbine engine fuel nozzle assembly, the combustor having:

• a fuel nozzle support housing;
• a plurality of fuel nozzles coupled to the fuel nozzle support housing proximate an upstream end of each fuel nozzle;
• a plurality of swirler vanes, each swirler vane rigidly coupled to a respective fuel nozzle proximate an intermediate portion of the fuel nozzle;
• a plurality of circular fore shrouds, each fore shroud rigidly coupled to a respective swirler vane, each fore shroud having an upstream end adjacent the intermediate portion of the fuel nozzle and a downstream end;
• a plurality of circular aft shrouds, each aft shroud having an upstream end coupled to the downstream end of a respective fore shroud, each aft shroud having a downstream end;
• a combustor housing baseplate having a plurality of circular holes formed therein, the circular holes adapted to accept the downstream ends of the aft shrouds;
• a circular combustor housing coupled to the combustor housing baseplate;
• the support system comprising:
• a circular support plate rigidly coupled to the downstream ends of the plurality of fore shrouds and the upstream ends of the plurality of aft shrouds, the support plate having a circumference approximately equal to an inside circumference of the combustor housing.