Turbine engine with a fuel injector

Abstract

A turbine engine has a compression section, combustion section, and turbine section in serial flow arrangement. The turbine engine includes a fuel injector for providing fuel and air to the combustion section. The fuel injector includes an outer wall in annular arrangement extending from a forward end to an outlet, surrounding an interior having a non-swirling air passage, and defining a longitudinal axis. A fuel passage fluidly couples to the interior and a set of air passages are in annular arrangement about and extending through the outer wall and fluidly coupled to the interior. The set of air passages are arranged tangentially relative to the outer wall to impart a swirl to a flow of air provided from the set of air passages to the interior.

1 . A turbine engine having a compression section, combustion section, and turbine section is serial flow arrangement, the turbine engine comprising:
 a fuel injector comprising:
 an outer wall in annular arrangement extending from a forward end to an outlet, the outer wall surrounding an interior having a non-swirling air passage, and the outer wall defining a central longitudinal axis; 
 a centerbody positioned within the interior and defining a centerbody passage that extends through the centerbody, the centerbody passage being coaxially aligned with the central longitudinal axis and configured to introduce a first flow of air into the interior; 
 a fuel passage fluidly coupled to the interior; and 
 a set of air passages in annular arrangement about and extending through the outer wall and fluidly coupled to the interior aft of the fuel passage, wherein the set of air passages are arranged tangentially relative to the outer wall to impart a swirl to a second flow of air provided from the set of air passages to the interior, 
   wherein the fuel passage is configured to introduce fuel radially into the non-swirling air passage upstream of the set of air passages.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the set of air passages are upstream of the outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the centerbody is spaced from the outer wall, and wherein the non-swirling air passage is at least partially defined between the outer wall and the centerbody. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The turbine engine of  claim 4 , wherein the centerbody further comprises a centerbody outer wall, and wherein the fuel passage extends within the centerbody outer wall. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The turbine engine of  claim 6 , wherein the fuel passage exhausts through the centerbody outer wall to the non-swirling air passage. 
     
     
         9 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the outer wall comprises one of a diverging portion or a converging portion. 
     
     
         10 . The turbine engine of  claim 9 , wherein the outer wall comprises the converging portion and wherein the converging portion is positioned downstream of the set of air passages. 
     
     
         11 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A fuel injector for a turbine engine, the fuel injector comprising:
 an outer wall in annular arrangement extending from a forward end to an outlet, the outer wall surrounding an interior having a non-swirling air passage, and the outer wall defining a longitudinal axis;   a centerbody positioned within the interior and defining a centerbody passage that extends through the center body, the centerbody passage being coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis and configured to introduce a first flow of air into the interior;   a fuel passage fluidly coupled to the interior; and   a set of air passages in annular arrangement extending through the outer wall and fluidly coupled to the interior aft of the fuel passage, wherein the set of air passages are arranged tangentially relative to the outer wall to impart a swirl to a second flow of air provided from the set of air passages to the interior,   wherein the fuel passage is configured to introduce fuel radially to the non-swirling air passage upstream of the set of air passages.   
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The fuel injector of  claim 17 , wherein the centerbody is spaced from the outer wall, and wherein the non-swirling air passage is at least partially defined between the outer wall and the centerbody. 
     
     
         21 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the non-swirling air passage defines a first mixing region configured for mixing of non-swirling air and fuel. 
     
     
         22 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the set of air passages are configured to impart a swirling airflow to a second mixing region upstream of the outlet and downstream of the first mixing region. 
     
     
         23 . The turbine engine of  claim 22 , wherein the swirling airflow from the set of air passages is configured to increase turbulence and enhance mixing of the fuel and air. 
     
     
         24 . The turbine engine of  claim 22 , wherein the first mixing region and the second mixing region are configured to improve flame stability during combustion. 
     
     
         25 . The fuel injector of  claim 17 , wherein the non-swirling air passage defines a first mixing region configured for mixing of non-swirling air and fuel. 
     
     
         26 . The fuel injector of  claim 17 , wherein the set of air passages are configured to impart a swirling airflow to a second mixing region upstream of the outlet and downstream of the first mixing region. 
     
     
         27 . The fuel injector of  claim 26 , wherein the swirling airflow from the set of air passages is configured to increase turbulence and enhance mixing of the fuel and air. 
     
     
         28 . The fuel injector of  claim 26 , wherein the first mixing region and the second mixing region are configured to improve flame stability during combustion. 
     
     
         29 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the second flow of air defines a swirled flow of air, and
 wherein fuel from the fuel passage mixes with the non-swirling air to form a fuel-air mixture, and   wherein the fuel-air mixture flows downstream to the interior so that when the swirled flow of air from the set of air passages is introduced into the interior, the fuel-air mixture in the interior interacts with the swirled flow of air in the interior.   
     
     
         30 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel passage is radially farther from the longitudinal axis than the centerbody passage. 
     
     
         31 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the centerbody further comprises a centerbody outlet, and wherein the centerbody outlet is axially offset from a fuel passage outlet and upstream of the outlet of the outer wall.