Fuel prefill and distributor valve construction

Claim 2

A distribution system for a primary and secondary fuel nozzle system for a combustor of a turbine type power plant comprising at least one distributor valve having a first movable means for exposing a fuel opening in said first movable means communicating with said primary nozzle in a first and second position thereof and another fuel opening in said first movable means communicating with said secondary nozzle solely in the said second position thereof, a second movable means movable relative to said first movable means for regulating flow of fuel through both of said fuel openings, said second movable means having means for proportioning the flow through said fuel openings being responsive to the pressure drop across at least one of said openings, and said first movable means including means to prefill the secondary nozzles and its associated communicating connections with fuel immediately preceding said second position.

Claim 3

A distribution system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said fuel distribution system includes a fuel control which meters the desired amount of fuel for power plant operation, connection means interconnecting said fuel control and said distributor valve for leading fuel to said primary and secondary nozzles as directed by said distributor valve, and means responsive to said fuel control for positioning said first movable means to said first and second position.

Claim 4

A distribution system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first movable means includes a sleeve closed at one end and opened on the other and wall means intermediate the ends thereof dividing said sleeve into two compartments.

Claim 5

A distributor valve as claimed in claim 4 wherein said closed end includes a reaction face, and means connecting said reaction face for supplying a pressure for positioning said sleeve to said second position.

Claim 6

A distributor valve as claimed in claim 5 wherein said second movable means is an axially movable piston disposed in one of said compartments in said sleeve having a first and second reaction face, said first reaction face exposed to the pressure of fuel in said chamber, and said second reaction face exposed to pressure substantially equal to the pressure in said combustor,

Claim 7

A distributor valve as claimed in claim 5 wherein said wall means and the end of said bore define a variable volume chamber, connecting means interconnecting said variable volume chamber and said secondary nozzle solely during the transition from said first position and said second position to prefill the secondary nozzle and its attendant communicating passages with fuel and means for filling said variable volume chamber with fuel and closing said fill means at the start of said transition.

Claim 8

A distributor valve as claimed in claim 6 including spring means in said variable volume chamber urging said sleeve in said first position.

Claim 9

A distributor valve as claimed in claim 7 wherein said spring means is a coil spring.

Claim 10

A fuel distributor valve for directing fuel to at least one primary nozzle and at least one secondary nozzle in a combustor of a turbine type power plant, comprising a housing having a central bore closed at each end, a sleeve having a closed end disposed in said bore movable to two positions, a piston in said sleeve dividing said sleeve into two compartments, one of said compartments continuously receiving fuel flow to be distributed to said combustor, said piston cooperating with a first port in said sleeve communicating with said primary nozzle, said sleeve having a second port rendered inoperative in said first position of said sleeve, said sleeve movable to a second position for directing fuel from said one of said compartments to said second port through an opening in said housing communicating with said secondary nozzle whereby said second port is rendered operative, means for porting fuel from a point intermediate said first port and said primary nozzle to said other of said compartments to control said piston for proportioning the fuel flow to said primary and secondary nozzles as a function of the pressure of fuel and the pressure of said combustor, said sleeve having wall means intermediate the ends thereof defining at its open end with said housing a variable volume chamber, means for filling said variable volume chambers with fuel and means including passage means for prefilling said secondary nozzle and its attendant connection means with fuel from said variable volume chamber while said sleeve simultaneously blocks said filling means.

Claim 11

A fuel distributor valve for directing fuel to at least one primary nozzle and at least one secondary nozzle in a combustor of a turbine type power plant, comprising a housing having a central bore closed at each end, a sleeve having a closed end disposed in said bore movable to two positions, a piston in said sleeve dividing said sleeve into two compartments, one of said compartments continuously receiving fuel flow to be distributed to said combustor, said piston cooperating with a first port in said sleeve communicating with said primary nozzle, said sleeve having a second port rendered inoperative in said first position of said sleeve, said sleeve movable to a second position for directing fuel from said one of said compartments to said second port through an opening in said housing communicating with said secondary nozzle whereby said second port is rendered operative, means for porting fuel from a point intermediate said first port and said primary nozzle to said other of said compartments to control said piston for proportioning the fuel flow to said primary and secondary nozzles as a function of the pressure of fuel and the pressure of said combustor, said sleeve having wall means intermediate the ends thereof defining at its open end with said housing a variable volume chamber, means for filling said variable volume chambers with fuel and means including passage means for prefilling said secondary nozzle and its attendant connection means with fuel from said variable volume chamber while said sleeve simultaneously blocks said filling means.

Claim 12

A fuel distributor valve as claimed in claim 7 including a spring in said other of said compartments bearing against said piston to urge it in a port closing position.

Claim 13

A fuel distributor valve as claimed in claim 8 wherein said end opposite said open end of said sleeve includes an end wall defining with said housing a chamber, signal receiving means for admitting a pressure in said chamber to bear against said end wall to urge said sleeve to its second position.

Claim 14

A fuel distributor valve as claimed in claim 9 in which said ports are presized and shaped to expose a predetermined area for each position of said piston so as to provide a predetermined amount of fuel flow to said primary and said secondary nozzles at each position over the stroke of said piston, and said variable volume chamber is sized to accommodate sufficient fuel to prefill said secondary nozzle and attendant connecting lines.

Claim 15

A fuel distributor valve as claimed in claim 9 including a spring in said variable volume chamber bearing against said intermediate wall means for continuously urging said sleeve in said first position.