Injector for gas turbine combustor

Claim 2

A liquid fuel injector for forming a combustible, substantially homogeneous mixture comprising in combination an airflow conduit leading from an air source to a combustion chamber, heat exchanging means disposed upstreaM of the chamber for raising the combustion air temperature above the liquid fuel vapor temperature, a multiplicity of thin vanes disposed in the conduit between the heating means and the chamber, the vanes having a relatively flat cross section in a direction parallel to the airflow defined by sides positioned parallel to the airflow, an upstream edge facing the airflow, and a downstream edge facing the chamber, the vanes including interior passages terminating in discharge openings, the passages having a relatively flat crosssection complementary to the cross-section of the vanes to effect an efficient heat transfer between the vanes and a liquid in the passages, and means for supplying the passages with the liquid fuel whereby heat transferred from the air to the vanes evaporates the liquid in the passages for the emission of vaporized fuel from the discharge openings.

Claim 3

An injector according to claim 1 wherein the vanes are radially oriented with respect to an axis of the conduit, and wherein the liquid supply means includes centrally disposed hub means comprising means for connecting to a liquid supply, and an interior substantially annular liquid distributing groove communicating the connection means with the passages.

Claim 4

An injector according to claim 2 wherein the annular liquid supply groove extends over 360* and has a varying cross section.

Claim 5

An injector according to claim 3 wherein the maximum and minimum liquid supply cross sections are substantially 180* spaced apart.

Claim 6

An injector according to claim 2 wherein the liquid comprises liquid fuel, and including an auxiliary liquid fuel discharge nozzle in the hub means for the discharge of liquid fuel to the combustion zone during operation of the injector in its start-up mode, a fuel branch line for supplying liquid fuel to the nozzle, and means for igniting liquid fuel discharged by the nozzle.

Claim 7

An injector according to claim 5 including means sensing the temperature of the heated combustion air, and means for initiating the supply of liquid fuel to the passages in the vanes when the heated air temperature reaches a predetermined value and for simultaneously discontinuing the liquid fuel supply in the branch line to the nozzle.

Claim 8

An injector according to claim 1 wherein the discharge opening is angularly inclined relative to the direction of the airflow.

Claim 9

Apparatus for the high efficiency combustion of liquid fuels comprising an air supply conduit leading to a combustion chamber, hub means, a multiplicity of vanes extending away from the hub means, means for mounting the vanes within the conduit, the hub means including a fuel supply cavity and the vanes including fuel passages communicating with the cavity and terminating in fuel discharge openings facing in a downstream direction with respect to an airstream in the conduit, means for connecting the cavity to a source of liquid fuel, a first heat exchanger downstream of the combustion chamber and in flow communication with exhaust gases from the combustion chamber, a second heat exchanger in the conduit upstream of the vanes, means connecting the heat exchangers for the passage of a heat transfer medium between the exchangers and a corresponding heating of the airstream of the vanes, the vanes having surfaces in contact with the heated airstream and surfaces in contact with the liquid fuel which are sufficiently large to effect a heat transfer from the airstream to the liquid fuel in the passages and a resulting vaporized fuel exists from the discharge openings for a substantially complete and homogenous intermizing of air and fuel and a subsequent efficient and substantially complete burning of the fuel.

Claim 10

Apparatus for the high efficiency combustion of liquid fuels comprising an air supply conduit leading to a combustion chamber, hub means, a multiplicity of vanes extending away from the hub means, means for mounting the vanes within the conduit, the hub means including a fuel supply cavity and the vanes including fuel passages communicating with the cavity and terminating in fuel discharge openings facing in a downstream direction with respect to an airstream in the conduit, means for connecting the cavity to a source of liquid fuel, a first heat exchanger downstream of the combustion chamber and in flow communication with exhaust gases from the combustion chamber, a second heat exchanger in the conduit upstream of the vanes, means connecting the heat exchangers for the passage of a heat transfer medium between the exchangers and a corresponding heating of the airstream of the vanes, the vanes having surfaces in contact with the heated airstream and surfaces in contact with the liquid fuel which are sufficiently large to effect a heat transfer from the airstream to the liquid fuel in the passages and a resulting vaporized fuel exists from the discharge openings for a substantially complete and homogenous intermizing of air and fuel and a subsequent efficient and substantially complete burning of the fuel.

Claim 11

Fuel combustion apparatus for use with heat engines using liquid fuel comprising in combination: an air duct for flowIng air, an engine rotor downstream of and in flow communication with the duct, heat exchange means for heating air flowing towards the rotor to a temperature greater than tHe vapor temperature of the liquid fuel, and a fuel injection disposed a short distance upstream of the rotor in the flow of air heated by the heat exchange means such that a relatively short combustion chamber exists between the injector and the rotor, the fuel injector having a multiplicity of thin vanes, means for mounting the vanes within the conduit, each vane including a fuel passage, means for connecting first ends of the passages with a source of liquid fuel, each passage terminating in at least one second fuel discharge opening, the passage having an extent in the direction of the air flow which is many times greater than its thickness in a direction perpendicular to the air flow, and a length which is sufficient to evaporate the fuel within the passage when the air flow is at said temperature, whereby vaporized fuel is discharged from the openings for an efficient, substantially instantaneous combustion of the fuel in the combustion chamber and prior to its entry into the rotor.

Claim 12

Fuel combustion apparatus for use with heat engines using liquid fuel comprising in combination: an air duct for flowIng air, an engine rotor downstream of and in flow communication with the duct, heat exchange means for heating air flowing towards the rotor to a temperature greater than tHe vapor temperature of the liquid fuel, and a fuel injection disposed a short distance upstream of the rotor in the flow of air heated by the heat exchange means such that a relatively short combustion chamber exists between the injector and the rotor, the fuel injector having a multiplicity of thin vanes, means for mounting the vanes within the conduit, each vane including a fuel passage, means for connecting first ends of the passages with a source of liquid fuel, each passage terminating in at least one second fuel discharge opening, the passage having an extent in the direction of the air flow which is many times greater than its thickness in a direction perpendicular to the air flow, and a length which is sufficient to evaporate the fuel within the passage when the air flow is at said temperature, whereby vaporized fuel is discharged from the openings for an efficient, substantially instantaneous combustion of the fuel in the combustion chamber and prior to its entry into the rotor.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the extent of the vane in the airflow direction is many times greater than its thickness, and wherein the passage is flat and narrow in general correspondence with the vane configuration to effect a large surface area-to-volume ratio for the passage and a maximum heat transfer to the liquid fuel.