Metal-based fuel and fuel delivery systems

1 . A system for generating combustion gases, comprising:

a combustor;

a combustion chamber within the combustor and defined by a combustor outer shell and a combustor inner shell;

a bulkhead shell including at least one swirler and positioned at a forward end of the combustion chamber and coupled to the combustor outer shell and the combustor inner shell;

a first fuel injection system configured to inject a metal-based fuel and a hydrocarbon-based fuel radially into the combustion chamber though at least one of the combustor outer shell or the combustor inner shell in a direction generally perpendicular to a central longitudinal axis of the combustion chamber, wherein the first fuel injection system is further configured to deliver only one of the metal-based fuel or the hydrocarbon-based fuel radially into the combustion chamber at any one time;

a second fuel injection system configured to inject the metal-based fuel and the hydrocarbon-based fuel axially into the combustion chamber in a direction generally to the central longitudinal axis of the combustion chamber, wherein the second fuel injection system is further configured to deliver only one of the metal-based fuel or the hydrocarbon-based fuel axially into the combustion chamber at any one time;

a metal-based fuel source including metal ribbons and configured to deliver the metal-based fuel to the first fuel injection system and the second fuel injection system, the metal ribbons having a generally rectangular shape with a length, a width, and a thickness;

a first fuel duct connected between the metal-based fuel source and a first fuel injector of the first fuel injection system and configured to deliver the metal-based fuel radially to the combustion chamber;

a second fuel duct connected between the metal-based fuel source and a second fuel injector of the second fuel injection system and configured to deliver the metal-based fuel axially to the combustion chamber via the second fuel injector;

a hydrocarbon-based fuel source configured to deliver the hydrocarbon-based fuel to the first fuel injection system and the second fuel injection system;

a third fuel duct connected between the hydrocarbon-based fuel source and a third fuel injector of the first fuel injection system and configured to deliver the hydrocarbon-based fuel radially to the combustion chamber; and

a fourth fuel duct connected between the hydrocarbon-based fuel source and a fourth fuel injector of the second fuel injection system and configured to deliver the hydrocarbon-based fuel axially to the combustion chamber via the fourth fuel injector,

wherein a swirler of the at least one swirler surrounds the second fuel injector and the fourth fuel injector.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the metal-based fuel further includes a metal powder.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the metal powder comprises at least one of magnesium, aluminum, or iron.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the metal-based fuel further includes a mixture of a metal powder and a liquid, and wherein the liquid is devoid of hydrocarbon.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the length and the width are greater than the thickness.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a first ratio of the length to the thickness is at least 10:1 and a second ratio of the width to the thickness is at least 10:1.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first fuel injection system and the second fuel injection system together are configured to deliver only one of the metal-based fuel or the hydrocarbon-based fuel radially into the combustion chamber at any one time.