Macrolaminate radial injector

A fuel injector assembly for turbine applications, comprising:

• a housing having an inlet fuel passage for receiving and directing fuel through the housing;
• an injector assembly supported by the housing, the injector assembly including a barrel-shaped housing;
• and an injector comprising a feed strip formed into a ring configuration, said injector including a plurality of stacked plates of etchable material, said injector including a plurality of nozzles arranged in a spaced apart manner around the ring, each of said nozzles including:
• i) a metering assembly formed in at least one plate with a bowl-shaped fuel swirl chamber shaped by etching such that fuel to be sprayed from the injector can move therein in a vortex motion toward the center of the swirl chamber;
• and a spray orifice in fluid communication with the center of the swirl chamber and extending substantially co-axial therewith such that fuel to be sprayed from the injector can move from the swirl chamber to the spray orifice and then exit through the spray orifice in a spray;
• at least one feed slot in fluid communication with the fuel passages in the feed stem and with the swirl chamber and extending in non-radial relation with respect to the swirl chamber for supplying fuel to be sprayed through the injector;
• and
• ii) an air swirler formed in at least one plate with a cylindrical air swirler passage shaped by etching through the at least one plate of the air swirler set, the cylindrical air swirler passage located in co-axial relation to the spray orifice in the metering assembly such that fuel directed through the spray orifice passes through the air swirler passage and swirling air can be imparted to the fuel to cause the fuel to have a swirling component of motion;
• and at least one air feed slot in fluid communication with the air swirler passage and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying air to be swirled in the air swirler passage,
• wherein the housing surrounds and supports the feed ring.

A combustion system, comprising:

• a combustor;
• and
• an injector assembly mounted to an upstream wall of the combustor, the injector assembly including a barrel-shaped housing;
• and
• an injector comprising a feed strip formed into a ring configuration, said ring including a plurality of stacked plates of etchable material, said ring including a plurality of nozzles arranged in a spaced apart manner around the feed ring, each of said nozzles including a metering assembly and an air swirler with configurations such that fuel is sprayed from the injector and swirling air can be imparted to the fuel to cause the fuel to have a swirling component of motion;
• and
• wherein the housing surrounds and supports the feed ring, wherein the housing includes an inner annular flange, radially inward disposed of the feed ring, and including a plurality of ports circumferentially aligned with each spray orifice in the metering set such that fuel directed through the spray orifice passes through a respective port, the inner annular flange having a venturi configuration radially inwardly-projecting into the central annulus of the barrel and defining an upstream barrel portion and a downstream barrel portion, and the ports are arranged on the venturi configuration, such that fuel dispensed through the spray orifices remains substantially separated from interior walls of the housing along the downstream barrel portion.