Cooling fuel injector system for an attritable engine

Abstract

An additively manufactured attritable engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an engine case wall, which surrounds the compressor section, the combustion section, and the turbine section. The engine case wall includes a first cavity embedded in the engine case wall that defines an injector that is in fluid communication with the combustion section. The engine case wall includes at least one second cavity embedded within the engine case wall and defines at least one cooling channel that is in thermal communication through the engine case wall with the injector.

1 . An additively manufactured attritable engine comprising:
 a compressor section;   a combustion section;   a turbine section; and   an engine case wall surrounding the compressor section, the combustion section, and the turbine section, the engine case wall comprising:
 a first cavity, embedded within the engine case wall, defining an injector, wherein the injector is in fluid communication with the combustion section; and 
 at least one second cavity, embedded within the engine case wall, defining at least one cooling channel, wherein the at least one cooling channel is in thermal communication through the engine case wall with the injector. 
   
     
     
         2 . The engine of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling channel has an inlet and an outlet at an exterior surface of the engine case wall. 
     
     
         3 . The engine of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one cooling channel tunnels through the engine case wall and circumnavigates the injector. 
     
     
         4 . The engine of  claim 1 , wherein the injector includes an injector inlet and an injector outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The engine of  claim 4  and further comprising a third cavity, embedded within the engine case wall, defining a fuel line, wherein the fuel line is connected to the injector inlet and wherein the fuel line is in fluid communication with the injector. 
     
     
         6 . The engine of  claim 5 , wherein the fuel line extends around the engine case wall circumferentially and is connected to N number of injector inlets and is in fluid communication with N number of injectors. 
     
     
         7 . The engine of  claim 4 , wherein the combustor section is connected to the injector outlet. 
     
     
         8 . The engine of  claim 1 , wherein the engine case is formed of a nickel alloy. 
     
     
         9 . A method of testing a fluid dispensing system in an attritable engine that includes a fuel line and an N number of injectors, the method comprising:
 injecting a cooling fluid into an at least one cooling hole for each of (N−1) injectors;   inducing a phase change to a flow test fluid in each of (N−1) injectors, preventing flow through each of (N−1) injectors; and   measuring a flow rate of the flow test fluid through a single unblocked injector.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  and further comprising:
 injecting a cooling fluid into the single unblocked injector; 
 inducing a phase change to a flow test fluid in the single unblocked injector, preventing flow through the single unblocked injector; 
 inducing a phase change to a flow test fluid in one of the (N−1) injectors, allowing flow through one of the (N−1) injectors; and 
 measuring a flow rate of the flow test fluid through one of the (N−1) injectors. 
 
     
     
         11 . An additively manufactured attritable engine comprising:
 a compressor section;   a combustion section;   a turbine section; and   an engine case wall surrounding the compressor section, the combustion section, and the turbine section, the engine case wall comprising:
 a first cavity, embedded within the engine case wall, defining an injector, wherein the injector is in fluid communication with the combustion section; and 
 at least one second cavity, embedded within the engine case wall, defining at least one cooling channel, wherein the at least one cooling channel is in thermal communication through the engine case wall with the injector, wherein the at least one cooling channel has an inlet and an outlet at an exterior surface of the engine case wall, tunnels through the engine case wall, and circumnavigates the injector. 
   
     
     
         12 . The engine of  claim 11 , wherein the injector includes an injector inlet and an injector outlet. 
     
     
         13 . The engine of  claim 12  and further comprising a third cavity, embedded within the engine case wall, defining a fuel line, wherein the fuel line is connected to the injector inlet and wherein the fuel line is in fluid communication with the injector. 
     
     
         14 . The engine of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel line extends around the engine case wall circumferentially and is connected to N number of injector inlets and is in fluid communication with N number of injectors. 
     
     
         15 . The engine of  claim 13  and further comprising a combustor connected to the injector outlet. 
     
     
         16 . The engine of  claim 1 , wherein the engine case is formed of a nickel alloy.