DIFFUSION COMBUSTOR FUEL NOZZLE FOR LIMITING NOx EMISSIONS

Abstract

The present application and the resultant patent provide a diffusion combustor fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine. The fuel nozzle may include one or more gas fuel passages for one or more flows of gas fuel, a swirler surrounding the one or more gas fuel passages and positioned about a downstream face of the fuel nozzle, a number of swirler gas fuel ports defined in the swirler, and a number of downstream face gas fuel ports defined in the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. The swirler may include a number of swirl vanes and a number of air chambers defined between adjacent swirl vanes. The present application and the resultant patent further provide a method of operating a diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of a gas turbine engine.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A diffusion combustor fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine, the fuel nozzle comprising:
 one or more gas fuel passages for one or more flows of gas fuel;   a swirler surrounding the one or more gas fuel passages and positioned about a downstream face of the fuel nozzle, the swirler comprising a plurality of swirl vanes and a plurality of air chambers each defined between adjacent swirl vanes;   a plurality of swirler gas fuel ports defined in the swirler; and   a plurality of downstream face gas fuel ports defined in the downstream face of the fuel nozzle.   
     
     
         2 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports is defined in the swirler between adjacent swirl vanes. 
     
     
         3 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports is defined in the swirler upstream of the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         4 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports extends from one of the gas fuel passages to one of the air chambers. 
     
     
         5 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports extends towards the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         6 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the downstream face gas fuel ports extends from one of the gas fuel passages to the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         7 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the downstream face gas fuel ports is parallel to an axis of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         8 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the downstream face gas fuel ports is angled relative to an axis of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         9 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gas fuel passages extend towards the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         10 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports extends from a first gas fuel passage to one of the air chambers, and each of the downstream face gas fuel ports extends from the first gas fuel passage to the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         11 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports extends from a first gas fuel passage to one of the air chambers, and wherein each of the downstream face gas fuel ports extends from a second gas fuel passage to the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         12 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports is in fluid communication with a first gas fuel source, and wherein each of the downstream face gas fuel ports is in fluid communication with the first gas fuel source. 
     
     
         13 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports is in fluid communication with a first gas fuel source, and wherein each of the downstream face gas fuel ports is in fluid communication with a second gas fuel source. 
     
     
         14 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 1 , further comprising a liquid fuel passage and a liquid fuel outlet for a flow of liquid fuel, wherein the liquid fuel passage extends towards the downstream face of the fuel nozzle, and wherein the liquid fuel outlet is positioned about the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating a diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
 providing one or more flows of gas fuel through the fuel nozzle;   passing a first portion of the one or more flows of gas fuel through a plurality of swirler gas fuel ports defined in a swirler positioned about a downstream face of the fuel nozzle; and   passing a second portion of the one or more flows of gas fuel through a plurality of downstream face gas fuel ports defined in the downstream face of the fuel nozzle.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising mixing the first portion of the one or more flows of fuel with a flow of air within air chambers of the swirler, and passing the mixed fuel-air flow into a combustion chamber of the diffusion combustor. 
     
     
         17 . A diffusion combustor fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine, the fuel nozzle comprising:
 one or more gas fuel passages for one or more flows of gas fuel, the one or more gas fuel passages extending towards a downstream face of the fuel nozzle;   a swirler surrounding the one or more gas fuel passages and positioned about the downstream face of the fuel nozzle, the swirler comprising a plurality of swirl vanes and a plurality of air chambers each defined between adjacent swirl vanes;   a plurality of swirler gas fuel ports each defined in the swirler between adjacent swirl vanes; and   a plurality of downstream face gas fuel ports defined in the downstream face of the fuel nozzle.   
     
     
         18 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 17 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports extends from a first gas fuel passage to one of the air chambers, and each of the downstream face gas fuel ports extends from the first gas fuel passage to the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         19 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 17 , wherein each of the swirler gas fuel ports extends from a first gas fuel passage to one of the air chambers, and wherein each of the downstream face gas fuel ports extends from a second gas fuel passage to the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. 
     
     
         20 . The diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of  claim 17 , further comprising a liquid fuel passage and a liquid fuel outlet for a flow of liquid fuel, wherein the liquid fuel passage extends towards the downstream face of the fuel nozzle, and wherein the liquid fuel outlet is positioned about the downstream face of the fuel nozzle.