Fuel injector laminated fuel strip

(original) A fuel injector, comprising:

• an upper housing;
• a hollow stem depending from said housing;
• at least one fuel nozzle assembly supported by said stem;
• a fuel injector conduit extending between said housing through said stem to said nozzle assembly,
• said fuel injector conduit comprising a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• each of said plates having a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves,
• said plates being bonded together such that opposing grooves in each of said plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the length of said strip from an inlet end to an outlet end, and
• said feed strip having a middle portion between said inlet end and said outlet end, said middle portion having a radius of curvature greater than a length of said middle portion.

A fuel injector comprising:

• an annular main nozzle,
• a main mixer having an annular main housing with openings aligned with spray orifices in said main nozzle,
• an annular cavity defined within said main housing,
• said main nozzle received within said annular cavity, and
• an annular slip joint seal disposed in each set of said openings aligned with each one of said spray orifices.

A fuel injector conduit comprising:

• a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• each of said plates having a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves,
• said plates being bonded together such that opposing grooves in each of said plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the length of said strip from an inlet end to an outlet end, and
• said feed strip having a substantially straight radially extending middle portion between said inlet end and said outlet end.

A fuel injector conduit comprising:

• a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• each of said plates having a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves,
• said plates being bonded together such that opposing grooves in each of said plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the length of said strip from an inlet end to an outlet end,
• said feed strip having a substantially straight middle portion between said inlet end and said outlet end,
• said feed strip having a bend between said outlet end and said middle portion,
• a straight header fluidly connecting an wherein said annular main nozzle to said outlet end of said feed strip,
• said straight header and said annular main nozzle being integrally formed with said feed strip from said single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• said internal fuel flow passages extending through said feed strip, said header, and said annular main nozzle,
• annular legs extending circumferentially from at least a first one of said internal fuel flow passages through said main nozzle,
• spray orifices extending from said annular legs through at least one of said plates, and annular legs have waves.

A fuel injector conduit comprising:

• a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• each of said plates having a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves,
• said plates being bonded together such that opposing grooves in each of said plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the length of said strip from an inlet end to an outlet end,
• said feed strip having a substantially straight middle portion between said inlet end and said outlet end,
• said feed strip having a bend between said outlet end and said middle portion,
• a straight header fluidly connecting an annular main nozzle to said outlet end of said feed strip,
• said straight header and said annular main nozzle being integrally formed with said feed strip from said single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• said internal fuel flow passages extending through said feed strip, said header, and said annular main nozzle,
• annular legs extending circumferentially from at least a first one of said internal fuel flow passages through said main nozzle,
• spray orifices extending from said annular legs through at least one of said plates, and
• said annular legs including clockwise and counterclockwise extending annular legs having parallel first and second waves, respectively.

A fuel injector, comprising:

• an upper housing;
• a hollow stem depending from said housing;
• at least one fuel nozzle assembly supported by said stem;
• a fuel injector conduit extending between said housing through said stem to said nozzle assembly,
• said fuel injector conduit comprising a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• each of said plates having a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves,
• said plates being bonded together such that opposing grooves in each of said plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the length of said strip from an inlet end to an outlet end, and
• said feed strip having a substantially straight middle portion extending radially through the entire radial length of the stem.

A fuel injector, comprising:

• an upper housing;
• a hollow stem depending from said housing;
• at least one fuel nozzle assembly supported by said stem;
• a fuel injector conduit extending between said housing through said stem to said nozzle assembly,
• said fuel injector conduit comprising a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• each of said plates having a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves,
• said plates being bonded together such that opposing grooves in each of said plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the length of said strip from an inlet end to an outlet end,
• said feed strip having a substantially straight middle portion between said inlet end and said outlet end,
• said feed strip having at least one acute bend between said inlet end and said middle portion and a bend between said outlet end and said middle portion,
• a straight header fluidly connecting an annular main nozzle to said outlet end of said feed strip.
• said header, said main nozzle, and said feed strip being integrally formed from said single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• said internal fuel flow passages extending through said feed strip and said annular main nozzle,
• annular legs extending circumferentially from at least a first one of said internal fuel flow passages through said main nozzle,
• spray orifices extending from said annular legs through at least one of said plates, and said annular legs having waves.

A fuel injector, comprising:

• an upper housing;
• a hollow stem depending from said housing;
• at least one fuel nozzle assembly supported by said stem;
• a fuel injector conduit extending between said housing through said stem to said nozzle assembly,
• said fuel injector conduit comprising a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• each of said plates having a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves,
• said plates being bonded together such that opposing grooves in each of said plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the length of said strip from an inlet end to an outlet end,
• said feed strip having a substantially straight middle portion between said inlet end and said outlet end,
• said feed strip having at least one acute bend between said inlet end and said middle portion and a bend between said outlet end and said middle portion,
• a straight header fluidly connecting an annular main nozzle to said outlet end of said feed strip,
• said header, said main nozzle, and said feed strip being integrally formed from said single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• said internal fuel flow passages extending through said feed strip and said annular main nozzle,
• annular legs extending circumferentially from at least a first one of said internal fuel flow passages through said main nozzle,
• spray orifices extending from said annular legs through at least one of said plates,
• said annular legs having clockwise and counterclockwise extending annular legs with parallel first and second waves respectively, and
• said spray orifices being located in alternating ones of said first and second waves so as to be substantially aligned along a circle.

A fuel injector, comprising:

• an upper housing;
• a hollow stem depending from said housing;
• at least one fuel nozzle assembly supported by said stem;
• a fuel injector conduit extending between said housing through said stem to said nozzle assembly,
• said fuel injector conduit comprising a single feed strip having a single bonded together lair of lengthwise extending plates,
• each of said plates having a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves,
• said plates being bonded together such that opposing grooves in each of said plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the length of said strip from an inlet end to an outlet end,
• said feed strip having a substantially straight middle portion between said inlet end and said outlet end,
• a bend between said outlet end and said middle portion,
• a straight header fluidly connecting an annular main nozzle to said outlet end of said feed strip,
• said conduit having a number of bending arms and respective number of bending arm lengths, said straight header being one of said bending arms, a thickness of said strip, and a peak concentrated allowable bending stress omax, a design hot metal temperature of said stem, and a design cold metal temperature of the feed strip, said bending arm lengths satisfy the following equation;
• σ ⁢ ⁢ MAX ≥ 3 ⁢ xL1xExHxLTGx ⁡ ( THx ⁢ ⁢ α ⁢ ⁢ H - TCx ⁢ ⁢ α ⁢ ⁢ C ) 2 ⁢ x ( L 1 3 + L 2 3 + … ⁢ ⁢ LN 3 )
• wherein E equals Young's Modulus.

A fuel injector conduit comprising:

• a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates,
• each of said plates having a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves,
• said plates being bonded together such that opposing grooves in each of said plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the length of said strip from an inlet end to an outlet end, and
• said feed strip having a middle portion between said inlet end and said outlet end, said middle portion being substantially straight and slightly bowed and having a radius of curvature greater than a length of said middle portion.