# US 9,752,781 B2 · Flamesheet combustor dome

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- Number: US 9,752,781 B2
- Document ID: US9752781B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/038,064
- Filed: 2013-09-26
- Published: 2014-04-03
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-01
- Assignees: Ansaldo Energia IP UK Limited
- Applicants: Ansaldo Energia IP UK Limited
- Inventors: Peter John Stuttaford; Stephen Jorgensen; Timothy Hui; Yan Chen; Hany Rizkalla; Khalid Oumejjoud
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752781B2

## CPC

- F23R 3/54: Reverse-flow combustion chambers
- F23R 3/14: by using swirl vanes
- F23R 3/16: with devices inside the flame tube or the combustion chamber to influence the air or gas flow
- F23R 3/26: Controlling the air flow
- F23R 3/286: {having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence)}
- F23R 3/34: Feeding into different combustion zones
- F23R 3/343: {Pilot flames, i.e. fuel nozzles or injectors using only a very small proportion of the total fuel to insure continuous combustion (ignition in gas-turbine plants F02C7/264; pilot flame igniters F23Q9/00)}
- F23R 3/60: Support structures; Attaching or mounting means
- F23C 2201/20: Burner staging
- F23C 2900/06043: Burner staging, i.e. radially stratified flame core burners
- F23C 2900/07001: Air swirling vanes incorporating fuel injectors
- F23R 2900/00014: Reducing thermo-acoustic vibrations by passive means, e.g. by Helmholtz resonators
- F23R 2900/03343: Pilot burners operating in premixed mode
- F23R: GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS (fluidised bed combustion apparatus specially adapted for operation at superatmospheric pressures F23C10/16)
- F23C: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN {A CARRIER GAS OR} AIR (burners F23D)

## Abstract

The present invention discloses a novel apparatus and way for controlling a velocity of a fuel-air mixture entering a gas turbine combustion system. The apparatus comprises a hemispherical dome assembly which directs a fuel-air mixture along a portion of the outer wall of a combustion liner and turns the fuel-air mixture to enter the combustion liner in a manner coaxial to the combustor axis and radially outward of a pilot fuel nozzle so as to regulate the velocity of the fuel-air mixture.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas turbine combustor comprising:
a generally cylindrical flow sleeve extending along a combustor axis;
a generally cylindrical combustion liner located coaxial to and radially within the flow sleeve, the combustion liner having an inlet end and an opposing outlet end;
a set of main fuel injectors positioned radially outward of the combustion liner and proximate an upstream end of the flow sleeve;
a combustor dome assembly encompassing the inlet end of the combustion liner, the dome assembly extending from proximate the set of main fuel injectors to a generally hemispherical-shaped cap positioned a distance forward of the inlet end of the combustion liner and turns to extend a distance into the combustion liner, such that a first passageway and a second passageway are formed between the combustion liner and a dome assembly outer wall and a third passageway is formed between the combustion liner and a dome assembly inner wall, where the first passageway has a first radial height, the second passageway has a second radial height and the third passageway has a third radial height such that the second radial height regulates the volume of a fuel-air mixture entering the gas turbine combustor;
wherein the first radial height ranges from approximately 15 millimeters to approximately 50 millimeters;
wherein the second radial height ranges from approximately 10 millimeters to approximately 45 millimeters; and
wherein the third radial height ranges from approximately 30 millimeters to approximately 100 millimeters, such that the first passageway tapers towards the second passageway to accelerate the fuel-air mixture to achieve adequate flashback margin velocity of 40-80 meters per second to generate a trapped vortex adjacent the combustor liner.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gas turbine combustor of claim 1, further comprising a fourth passageway having a fourth height as measured between the inlet end of the combustion liner and the combustor dome assembly.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The gas turbine combustor of claim 1, wherein the largest height of the first passageway occurs at a region adjacent the set of main fuel injectors.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The gas turbine combustor of claim 1, wherein the second and third passageways are cylindrical.

### Claim 5

A method of controlling a velocity of a fuel-air mixture for a gas turbine combustor comprising:
directing a fuel-air mixture through a first passageway located radially outward of a combustion liner, the first passageway having a first radial height;
directing the fuel-air mixture from the first passageway and into a second passageway located radially outward of the combustion liner, the second passageway having a second radial height;
directing the fuel-air mixture from the second passageway into a fourth passageway in a hemispherical dome cap, thereby causing the fuel-air mixture to reverse flow direction; and
directing the fuel-air mixture through a third passageway located within the combustion liner and into the combustion liner, the third passageway having a third radial height;
wherein the first radial height ranges from approximately 15 millimeters to approximately 50 millimeters;
wherein the second radial height ranges from approximately 10 millimeters to approximately 45 millimeters;
wherein the third radial height ranges from approximately 30 millimeters to approximately 100 millimeters such that a ratio of the second radial height to the third radial height is approximately 0.1 to 0.5; and
wherein the first passageway has a conical-shaped cross section that tapers towards the second passageway;
wherein the second passageway has a cylindrical-shaped cross section; and
wherein the third passageway has a cylindrical-shaped cross section.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the second passageway contains a minimal cross sectional area between the first, second and third passageways.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the ratio of the second radial height to the third radial height generates a trapped vortex.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein a wall of the combustion liner forms parts of the first, second and third passageways.