Fuel injection for integral combustor and turbine vane

Abstract

A system includes a combustor. The combustor has a combustor wall with a combustor dome at an upstream end of the combustor wall, and an outlet at a downstream end of the combustor wall opposite the upstream end. The combustor wall includes an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion defining an interior of the combustor therebetween. Each of the inner wall portion and outer wall portion extends from the combustor dome to the downstream end of the combustor wall. The combustor wall includes an air cooling passage embedded inside at least one of the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion. The air cooling passage extends from the upstream end of the combustor wall to the downstream end of the combustor wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 flowing compressor discharge air through a cooling passage embedded within a combustor wall; and   cooling the combustor wall with the compressor discharge air flowing through the cooling passage.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 discharging the compressor discharge air from an outlet of the cooling passage downstream of a turbine inlet stator vane, wherein pressure drop between the inlet of the cooling passage and an area downstream of the turbine inlet stator vane drives flow through the cooling passage.   
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the turbine inlet stator vane is in the outlet of a combustor, wherein the cooling passage has an outlet positioned downstream of the turbine inlet stator vane. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the cooling passage is one of a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart cooling passages through a combustor wall of the combustor, wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced apart cooling passages through the combustor wall are embedded in an inner portion of the combustor wall and in an outer portion of the combustor wall. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein each cooling passage has a respective inlet at the upstream end of the combustor wall and a respective outlet at the downstream end of the combustor wall, and does not include any other inlets or outlets. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the cooling passages follow a helical pattern around the combustor wall. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein an ignition boss is defined in the combustor wall for passage of an ignitor though the combustor wall, wherein the cooling passages conform around the ignitor boss. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein each of the air cooling passages is defined through an inner wall portion of the combustor wall. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein an inner air cooling passage is defined through an outer wall portion of the combustor wall. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein there are a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart turbine inlet stator vanes in an outlet of the combustor. 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 injecting compressor discharge air and fuel through a combustor dome at an upstream end of the combustor wall in multipoint fuel injection for combustion within the combustor wall.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 staging a flow of the fuel in the multipoint fuel injection using a manifold with a plurality of fluid isolated fuel circuits defined therein, wherein the manifold is located inside a high pressure engine case.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the multipoint fuel injection is issued from a multipoint fuel injection system in the combustor dome, wherein the multipoint fuel injection system includes a plurality of fuel injectors with air passages extending through the combustor dome for communication of compressor discharge air through the combustor dome into the combustor for combustion. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the multipoint fuel injection system includes a fuel manifold in fluid communication with the fuel injectors for injecting fuel with the compressor discharge air for atomization of the fuel for combustion in the combustor. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the manifold, combustor wall, and turbine inlet stator vane are all of a monolithic construction. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the manifold, combustor dome, combustor wall, and turbine inlet stator vane are all within the high pressure engine case. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the high pressure engine case includes an inlet for supplying compressor discharge air, and wherein the combustor wall is spaced apart from both an inner case wall of the high pressure engine case radially inward from the combustor wall, and a radially outer case wall of the high pressure engine case radially outward from the combustor wall. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the combustor wall defines integral internal fins for conducting heat from an inner surface of the combustor wall to an outer surface of the combustor wall for heat transfer from the combustor wall to a space between the combustor wall and the radially inner and outer case walls.