U.S. patent application number 13/153506 was filed with the patent office on 2012-12-06 for system for conditioning flow through a nozzle.
This patent application is currently assigned to GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. Invention is credited to Jonathan Dwight Berry, Luis Manuel Flamand, Kwanwoo Kim, Patrick Benedict Melton.
Application Number | 20120305677 13/153506 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46172717 |
Filed Date | 2012-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120305677 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Flamand; Luis Manuel ; et
al. |
December 6, 2012 |
SYSTEM FOR CONDITIONING FLOW THROUGH A NOZZLE
Abstract
A system for conditioning flow through a plurality of nozzles
arranged in a combustor includes a shield circumferentially
surrounding at least a portion of the plurality of nozzles and a
plurality of baffles disposed circumferentially around the shield.
Each baffle is circumferentially disposed between adjacent
nozzles.
Inventors: |
Flamand; Luis Manuel;
(Simpsonville, SC) ; Kim; Kwanwoo; (Cincinnati,
OH) ; Melton; Patrick Benedict; (Horse Shoe, NC)
; Berry; Jonathan Dwight; (Simpsonville, SC) |
Assignee: |
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Schenectady
NY
|
Family ID: |
46172717 |
Appl. No.: |
13/153506 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
239/548 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F23D 14/70 20130101;
F23R 3/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
239/548 |
International
Class: |
F23D 11/38 20060101
F23D011/38 |
Claims
1. A system for conditioning flow through a plurality of nozzles
arranged in a combustor, comprising: a. a shield circumferentially
surrounding at least a portion of the plurality of nozzles; and b.
a plurality of baffles disposed circumferentially around said
shield, wherein each baffle is circumferentially disposed between
adjacent nozzles.
2. The system as in claim 1, wherein each baffle comprises a
substantially triangular surface.
3. The system as in claim 1, wherein each baffle comprises at least
one concave surface.
4. The system as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each
baffle extends radially inward from said shield.
5. The system as in claim 1, wherein each baffle is radially
disposed completely inward of said shield.
6. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a casing
circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of said
shield.
7. The system as in claim 6, wherein each baffle is fixedly
connected to at least one of said shield or said casing.
8. The system as in claim 6, wherein each baffle extends radially
between said shield and said casing.
9. A system for conditioning flow through a plurality of nozzles
arranged in a combustor, comprising: a. a shield circumferentially
surrounding at least a portion of the plurality of nozzles; b. a
casing circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of said
shield; and c. a plurality of baffles disposed circumferentially
around said shield.
10. The system as in claim 9, wherein each baffle comprises a
substantially triangular surface.
11. The system as in claim 9, wherein each baffle comprises at
least one concave surface.
12. The system as in claim 9, wherein at least a portion of each
baffle extends radially inward from said shield.
13. The system as in claim 9, wherein each baffle is radially
disposed completely inward of said shield.
14. The system as in claim 9, wherein each baffle is fixedly
connected to at least one of said shield or said casing.
15. The system as in claim 9, wherein each baffle extends radially
between said shield and said casing.
16. The system as in claim 9, wherein each baffle is
circumferentially disposed between adjacent nozzles.
17. A system for conditioning flow through a plurality of nozzles
arranged in a combustor, comprising: a. an annular passage
circumferentially surrounding the plurality of nozzles; and b. a
plurality of baffles disposed circumferentially around the
plurality of nozzles, wherein each baffle is circumferentially
disposed between adjacent nozzles.
18. The system as in claim 17, wherein each baffle comprises at
least one of a substantially triangular surface or a concave
surface.
19. The system as in claim 17, wherein each baffle is radially
disposed completely inside said annular passage.
20. The system as in claim 17, wherein at least a portion of each
baffle extends radially inward from said annular passage.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally involves a system for
conditioning flow through a nozzle. In particular embodiments of
the present invention, a plurality of baffles may circumferentially
surround a plurality of nozzles arranged in a combustor to enhance
the distribution of a compressed working fluid through the
nozzles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Combustors are commonly used in industrial and power
generation operations to ignite fuel to produce combustion gases
having a high temperature and pressure. For example, gas turbines
typically include one or more combustors to generate power or
thrust. A typical gas turbine used to generate electrical power
includes an axial compressor at the front, one or more combustors
around the middle, and a turbine at the rear. Ambient air may be
supplied to the compressor, and rotating blades and stationary
vanes in the compressor progressively impart kinetic energy to the
working fluid (air) to produce a compressed working fluid at a
highly energized state. The compressed working fluid exits the
compressor and flows through one or more nozzles into a combustion
chamber in each combustor where the compressed working fluid mixes
with fuel and ignites to generate combustion gases having a high
temperature and pressure. The combustion gases expand in the
turbine to produce work. For example, expansion of the combustion
gases in the turbine may rotate a shaft connected to a generator to
produce electricity.
[0003] During normal combustor operations, a combustion flame
exists downstream from the nozzles, typically in the combustion
chamber at the exit of the nozzles. Occasionally, however, "flame
holding" may occur in which a combustion flame exists upstream of
the combustion chamber inside one or more nozzles. For example,
conditions may exist in which a combustion flame exists near a fuel
port in the nozzles or near an area of low flow in the nozzles.
Nozzles are typically not designed to withstand the high
temperatures created by a flame holding event which may therefore
cause severe damage to a nozzle in a relatively short amount of
time.
[0004] Various methods are known in the art for preventing or
reducing the occurrence of flame holding. For example, the tortuous
flow path of the compressed working fluid through the combustor may
produce excessive pressure loss and/or create regions of uneven
flow through the combustor and/or nozzles. Each of these effects
reduces the efficiency of the combustor and increases the chance of
flame holding occurring at the low flow regions. Therefore, a
system for conditioning the flow of the compressed working fluid
through the combustor and/or nozzles that reduces the pressure loss
across the combustor and/or the regions of uneven flow through the
combustor and/or nozzles would be useful.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Aspects and advantages of the invention are set forth below
in the following description, or may be obvious from the
description, or may be learned through practice of the
invention.
[0006] One embodiment of the present invention is a system for
conditioning flow through a plurality of nozzles arranged in a
combustor. The system includes a shield circumferentially
surrounding at least a portion of the plurality of nozzles and a
plurality of baffles disposed circumferentially around the shield.
Each baffle is circumferentially disposed between adjacent
nozzles.
[0007] Another embodiment of the present invention is a system for
conditioning flow through a plurality of nozzles arranged in a
combustor. The system includes a shield circumferentially
surrounding at least a portion of the plurality of nozzles and a
casing circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of the
shield. A plurality of baffles are disposed circumferentially
around the shield.
[0008] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a system
for conditioning flow through a plurality of nozzles arranged in a
combustor includes an annular passage circumferentially surrounding
the plurality of nozzles. A plurality of baffles are disposed
circumferentially around the plurality of nozzles, and each baffle
is circumferentially disposed between adjacent nozzles.
[0009] Those of ordinary skill in the art will better appreciate
the features and aspects of such embodiments, and others, upon
review of the specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention,
including the best mode thereof to one skilled in the art, is set
forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification,
including reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a simplified cross-section of a portion of a
combustor according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an downstream axial view of the combustor shown in
FIG. 1 taken along line A-A;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the baffle shown in FIGS. 1
and 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a simplified cross-section of a portion of a
combustor according to a second embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a downstream axial view of the combustor shown in
FIG. 4 taken along line B-B; and
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the baffle shown in FIGS. 4
and 5 according to an alternate embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Reference will now be made in detail to present embodiments
of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical
and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Like
or similar designations in the drawings and description have been
used to refer to like or similar parts of the invention.
[0018] Each example is provided by way of explanation of the
invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and
variations can be made in the present invention without departing
from the scope or spirit thereof. For instance, features
illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on
another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is
intended that the present invention covers such modifications and
variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and
their equivalents.
[0019] Various embodiments of the present invention include a
system for conditioning flow through a nozzle. In particular
embodiments, a plurality of baffles may be circumferentially
arranged around and/or between a plurality of nozzles, and the
baffles may divide and/or distribute a compressed working fluid
flowing through the nozzles to produce a more uniform volumetric
and/or velocity profile through the nozzles. Although exemplary
embodiments of the present invention will be described generally in
the context of a combustor incorporated into a gas turbine for
purposes of illustration, one of ordinary skill in the art will
readily appreciate that embodiments of the present invention may be
applied to any combustor and are not limited to a gas turbine
combustor unless specifically recited in the claims.
[0020] FIG. 1 provides a simplified cross-section of a portion of a
combustor, such as may be included in a gas turbine, according to
one embodiment of the present invention. The combustor 10 may
include one or more nozzles 12 radially arranged between a cap 14
and an end cover 16. The cap 14 and a liner 18 generally surround
and define a combustion chamber 20 located downstream from the
nozzles 12. As used herein, the terms "upstream" and "downstream"
refer to the relative location of components in a fluid pathway.
For example, component A is upstream from component B if a fluid
flows from component A to component B. Conversely, component B is
downstream from component A if component B receives a fluid flow
from component A.
[0021] Each nozzle 12 may generally include a shroud 22 that
circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of a center body 24
to define an annular passage 26 between the shroud 22 and the
center body 24. The center body 24 generally extends axially from
the end cover 16 toward the cap 14 to provide fluid communication
for fuel to flow from the end cover 16, through the center body 20,
and into the combustion chamber 20. The shroud 22 may include a
bellmouth opening 28 to enhance the radial distribution of the
compressed working fluid flowing through the annular passage 26
between the shroud 22 and the center body 24. In addition, one or
more vanes 30 extending radially between the center body 24 and the
shroud 22 may impart a tangential swirl to the compressed working
fluid to enhance mixing between the compressed working fluid and
the fuel prior to combustion.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, a cap shield 32 may circumferentially
surround the nozzles 12 between the cap 14 and the end cover 16,
and a casing 34 may surround the liner 18 and cap shield 32 to
define an axis-symmetric annular passage 36 that circumferentially
surrounds the combustion chamber 20 and nozzles 12. The compressed
working fluid may flow through the annular passage 36 to provide
impingement and/or convective cooling to the liner 18 and/or cap
shield 32. When the compressed working fluid reaches the end cover
16, the compressed working fluid reverses direction to flow through
the one or more nozzles 12 where it mixes with fuel before igniting
in the combustion chamber 20 to produce combustion gases having a
high temperature and pressure.
[0023] FIG. 2 provides an downstream axial view of the combustor 10
shown in FIG. 1 taken along line A-A. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,
the combustor 10 may include a plurality of baffles 40 disposed
circumferentially around the cap shield 32. In the embodiment shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2, each baffle 40 extends radially inside the
annular passage 36 between the casing 34 and the cap shield 32,
while in other particular embodiments, a portion or all of each
baffle 40 may extend radially inward from the cap shield 32. As
shown most clearly in FIG. 2, each baffle 40 may be
circumferentially disposed between adjacent nozzles 12 and fixedly
connected to at least one of the casing 34 or the cap shield 32. In
this manner, the baffles 40 divide and distribute the compressed
working fluid flowing through the annular passage 36 to reduce
pressure losses across the combustor 10 and/or reduce low flow
regions in the vicinity of the nozzles 12. Specifically, the
compressed working fluid flowing through the annular passage 36 is
redirected, guided, or curved circumferentially and/or radially
inward by the baffles 40 to more evenly distribute the compressed
working fluid into the bellmouth opening 28 of each nozzle 12.
[0024] FIG. 3 provides a perspective view of an exemplary baffle 40
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 according to one embodiment of the present
invention. As shown, each baffle 40 may comprise one or more
substantially triangular surfaces 42 and/or concave surfaces 44 to
reduce the flow resistance, and thus the pressure drop, of the
compressed working fluid flowing over the baffles 40. One of
ordinary skill in the art can readily determine other suitable
shapes and curvatures for the baffles 40 to complement the
particular arrangement and geometry of the nozzles 12 radially
arranged in the combustor 10, and the particular shape and/or
curvature of the baffles 40 is not a limitation of the present
invention unless specifically recited in the claims.
[0025] FIGS. 4 and 5 provides simplified cross-section and axial
views of the combustor 10 according to a second embodiment of the
present invention. The combustor 10 again includes one or more
nozzles 12 radially arranged between the cap 14 and end cover 16
and the other general components as previously described with
respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The combustor 10 again
includes the plurality of baffles 40 radially disposed around the
cap shield 32, with each baffle 40 again circumferentially disposed
between the adjacent nozzles 12. However, as shown most clearly in
FIG. 5, in this particular embodiment, each baffle 40 is radially
disposed completely inward of the cap shield 32. In this manner,
the baffles 40 again divide and distribute the compressed working
fluid into the bellmouth openings 28 of the adjacent nozzles to
reduce pressure losses across the combustor 10 and/or reduce low
flow regions in the vicinity of the nozzles 12. Specifically, the
compressed working fluid flowing through the annular passage 36
reverses direction as it reaches the end cover 16, and the baffles
40 redirect, guide, or curve the compressed working fluid
circumferentially and/or radially inward to more evenly distribute
the compressed working fluid into the bellmouth opening 28 of each
nozzle 12.
[0026] FIG. 6 provides a perspective view of an exemplary baffle 40
shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 according to an alternate embodiment of the
present invention. As shown, each baffle 40 may again comprise a
substantially triangular surface 42 to allow each baffle 40 to fit
circumferentially between adjacent nozzles 12. In this particular
embodiment, each baffle further includes a convex surface 46 to
reduce the flow resistance, and thus the pressure drop, of the
compressed working fluid flowing over the baffles 40 and into the
adjacent nozzles 12. One of ordinary skill in the art can readily
determine other suitable shapes and curvatures for the baffles 40
to complement the particular arrangement and geometry of the
nozzles 12 radially arranged in the combustor 10, and the
particular shape and/or curvature of the baffles 40 is not a
limitation of the present invention unless specifically recited in
the claims.
[0027] The various shapes and locations of the baffles 40 described
and illustrated in the various embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6 thus
reduce the pressure losses and low flow regions associated with the
flow path of the compressed working fluid. As a result, it is
anticipated that each nozzle 12 will receive a more uniform
distribution of compressed working fluid, by volume and velocity,
which in turn enhances the efficiency and flame holding margin for
each nozzle 12.
[0028] This written description uses examples to disclose the
invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person
skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and
using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated
methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the
claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled
in the art. Such other and examples are intended to be within the
scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not
differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include
equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from
the literal languages of the claims.
* * * * *