Back to results
US 8,899,049 B2Granted
System and method for controlling combustor operating conditions based on flame detection
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAnthony Wayne Krull, Nan Zong, Danielle Marie Kalitan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system is disclosed that includes a combustor having an end cover and at least one fuel nozzle assembly extending from an inner face of the end cover. A cartridge may extend through the end cover and into the fuel nozzle assembly. The cartridge may define an opening for receiving light emitted from within the combustor. Additionally, a fiber optic cable may be disposed within the cartridge and may be configured to capture at least a portion of the light received through the opening.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- a combustor including an end cover and at least one fuel nozzle assembly extending from a first end disposed at an inner face of said end cover to a second end defining a nozzle tip, said end cover extending radially and circumferentially around an opening defined within an outer casing surrounding said combustor, said at least one fuel nozzle assembly extending along a central axis from said first end to said second end, said at least one fuel nozzle assembly defining a central passage extending along said central axis, said at least one fuel nozzle includes a plurality of concentrically arranged passages surrounding said central passage;
- a cartridge extending through said end cover and into said central passage of said at least one fuel nozzle assembly such that said cartridge extends longitudinally within said central passage along said central axis, said cartridge defining an opening for receiving light emitted from within said combustor assembly, wherein said cartridge is breech loaded into said central passage of said at least one fuel nozzle assembly through an opening in said end cover and is removable from said central passage of said at least one fuel nozzle assembly;
- and
- a fiber optic cable disposed within said cartridge, said fiber optic cable being configured to capture at least a portion of the light received through said opening.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- inserting a cartridge through an end cover of a combustor and into a central passage defined within a fuel nozzle assembly of said combustor, said cartridge including a cylindrical tube sized to insert and remove from said central passage through an opening in said end cover, said fuel nozzle assembly extending from a first end disposed at an inner face of said end cover to a second end defining a nozzle tip, said fuel nozzle assembly extending along a central axis from said first end to said second end, said fuel nozzle includes a plurality of concentrically arranged passages surrounding said central passage, said central passage being defined within said fuel nozzle assembly along said central axis such that, when the cartridge is inserted into said central passage, said cartridge extends longitudinally along said central axis;
- and
- capturing light emitted from said combustor with a fiber optic cable disposed within said cartridge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.