Combustor having a pressure feed

Abstract

A combustor having a pressure feed is provided and includes an outer vessel, an intermediate vessel disposed within the outer vessel to form an outer annulus, an inner vessel disposed within the intermediate vessel to form an inner annulus between the intermediate and inner vessels, by which upstream portions of fuel nozzles disposed within the inner vessel are fed, and an internal volume within the inner vessel about downstream portions of the fuel nozzles and a tubular assembly by which the outer annulus and the internal volume are communicative.

1 . A combustor having a pressure feed, comprising:
 an outer vessel;   an intermediate vessel disposed within the outer vessel to form an outer annulus;   an inner vessel disposed within the intermediate vessel to form an inner annulus between the intermediate and inner vessels, by which upstream portions of fuel nozzles disposed within the inner vessel are fed, and an internal volume within the inner vessel about downstream portions of the fuel nozzles; and   a tubular assembly by which the outer annulus and the internal volume are communicative.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer vessel comprises a compressor discharge casing, the intermediate vessel comprises a flow sleeve having impingement holes formed therein and the inner vessel comprises a combustor liner. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein compressor discharge air is deliverable to the internal volume by the tubular assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer vessel, the intermediate vessel and the inner vessel form a cap assembly to which the tubular assembly is attached and sealed. 
     
     
         5 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel nozzles comprise a central fuel nozzle and a plurality of outer fuel nozzles. 
     
     
         6 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the tubular assembly comprises a tube oriented in a radial direction of the outer annulus. 
     
     
         7 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the tubular assembly comprises a plurality of circumferentially arrayed tubes, each of the plurality of circumferentially arrayed tubes being oriented in a radial direction. 
     
     
         8 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the tubular assembly comprises a tube-in-tube sub-assembly operably coupled to a controller. 
     
     
         9 . A combustor having a pressure feed, comprising:
 an outer vessel;   an intermediate vessel disposed within the outer vessel to form an outer annulus communicative with a first fluid;   an inner vessel disposed within the intermediate vessel to form an inner annulus between the intermediate and inner vessels, by which a second fluid is fed to upstream portions of fuel nozzles disposed within the inner vessel, and an internal volume within the inner vessel about downstream portions of the fuel nozzles; and   a tubular assembly by which the first fluid is transmittable from the outer annulus to the internal volume.   
     
     
         10 . The combustor according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the outer vessel comprises a compressor discharge casing and the first fluid comprises compressor discharge air,   the intermediate vessel comprises a flow sleeve having impingement holes formed therein, the second fluid being a portion of the first fluid flowing through the impingement holes as impingement air, and   the inner vessel comprises a combustor liner.   
     
     
         11 . The combustor according to  claim 9 , wherein compressor discharge air is deliverable to the internal volume by the tubular assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The combustor according to  claim 9 , wherein the outer vessel, the intermediate vessel and the inner vessel form a cap assembly to which the tubular assembly is attached and sealed. 
     
     
         13 . The combustor according to  claim 9 , wherein the fuel nozzles comprise a central fuel nozzle and a plurality of outer fuel nozzles. 
     
     
         14 . The combustor according to  claim 9 , wherein the second fluid is fed to inlets of the fuel nozzles at the upstream portions thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The combustor according to  claim 9 , wherein the tubular assembly comprises a tube oriented in a radial direction of the outer annulus. 
     
     
         16 . The combustor according to  claim 9 , wherein the tubular assembly comprises a plurality of circumferentially arrayed tubes, each of the plurality of circumferentially arrayed tubes being oriented in a radial direction. 
     
     
         17 . The combustor according to  claim 9 , wherein the tubular assembly comprises a sub-assembly by which an amount of the transmittable first fluid is controllable. 
     
     
         18 . The combustor according to  claim 17 , wherein the sub-assembly comprises:
 a tube-in-tube assembly; and   a controller operably coupled to the tube-in-tube assembly.   
     
     
         19 . A method of assembling a combustor having a pressure feed, comprising:
 forming an outer annulus between an outer vessel and an intermediate vessel;   forming an inner annulus between the intermediate vessel and an inner vessel by which upstream portions of fuel nozzles disposed within the inner vessel are to be fed;   defining an internal volume within the inner vessel about downstream portions of the fuel nozzles; and   positioning a tubular assembly by which the outer annulus and the internal volume are communicative.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising positioning a sub-assembly within the tubular assembly by which an amount of the transmittable first fluid is controllable.