Combustor and method for supplying fuel to a combustor

Abstract

A combustor includes a casing that encloses at least a portion of the combustor. A fuel conduit extends downstream from the casing and includes a tortuous path for fuel flow inside the fuel conduit. A method for supplying fuel to a combustor includes flowing a working fluid through tubes that extend axially through an end cap. The method further includes supplying a fuel through a fuel conduit into the end cap, supplying a diluent through a diluent conduit that extends axially inside the fuel conduit, and swirling the fuel flowing through the fuel conduit around the diluent flowing through the diluent conduit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A combustor, comprising:
 a. a casing that encloses at least a portion of the combustor;   b. a fuel conduit that extends downstream from the casing; and   c. a tortuous path for fuel flow inside the fuel conduit.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor as in  claim 1 , wherein the tortuous path for fuel flow comprises a spiral path for fuel flow inside the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor as in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of baffles arranged on an inside surface of the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         4 . The combustor as in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of turbulators arranged on an outside surface of the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         5 . The combustor as in  claim 1 , further comprising a diluent conduit that extends axially inside the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         6 . The combustor as in  claim 5 , further comprising a diluent plenum downstream from the fuel conduit, wherein the diluent conduit provides fluid communication to the diluent plenum. 
     
     
         7 . The combustor as in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tubes radially arranged across the combustor and in fluid communication with the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         8 . The combustor as in  claim 7 , further comprising a divider that extends downstream from the fuel conduit to separate the plurality of tubes into tube bundles. 
     
     
         9 . The combustor as in  claim 1 , further comprising a fuel plenum downstream from the fuel conduit, wherein the fuel conduit provides fluid communication to the fuel plenum. 
     
     
         10 . A combustor, comprising:
 a. an end cover;   b. an end cap axially separated from the end cover and configured to extend radially across at least a portion of the combustor, wherein the end cap comprises an upstream surface axially separated from a downstream surface;   c. a fuel conduit that extends from the end cover to the end cap to provide fluid communication to the end cap; and   d. a tortuous path for fuel flow inside the fuel conduit.   
     
     
         11 . The combustor as in  claim 10 , wherein the tortuous path for fuel flow comprises a spiral path for fuel flow inside the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         12 . The combustor as in  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of baffles arranged on an inside surface of the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         13 . The combustor as in  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of turbulators arranged on an outside surface of the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         14 . The combustor as in  claim 10 , further comprising a diluent conduit that extends axially inside the fuel conduit to the end cap. 
     
     
         15 . The combustor as in  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of tubes radially arranged in the end cap and in fluid communication with the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         16 . The combustor as in  claim 15 , further comprising a divider that extends axially inside the end cap to separate the plurality of tubes into a plurality of tube bundles. 
     
     
         17 . The combustor as in  claim 10 , further comprising a fuel nozzle that extends axially through the end cap. 
     
     
         18 . A method for supplying fuel to a combustor, comprising:
 a. flowing a working fluid through a plurality of tubes that extends axially through an end cap;   b. supplying a fuel through a fuel conduit into the end cap;   c. supplying a diluent through a diluent conduit that extends axially inside the fuel conduit; and   d. swirling the fuel flowing through the fuel conduit around the diluent flowing through the diluent conduit.   
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 18 , further comprising disrupting a fluid flow across an outside surface of the fuel conduit. 
     
     
         20 . The method as in  claim 18 , further comprising separating the fuel from the diluent inside the end cap.