IP Library › Granted Patent US 12704261
Granted Patent B2
US 12704261 · App. 18/652,153 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Fuel nozzle for a turbine engine combustor

Inventors: Karthikeyan Sampath (Bengaluru, IN); Pradeep Naik (Bengaluru, IN); Prithiviraaj Pet T (Madurai, IN); Pabitra Badhuk (Jhargram, IN); Aritra Chakraborty (Kolkata, IN); Praveen Kasthuri (Bengaluru, IN); Sibtosh Pal (Mason, OH); Michael T. Bucaro (Arvada, CO)
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
F23R3/283F23R3/002F23R3/14F23R2900/00014
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12704261
App. No.
18/652,153
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A fuel nozzle has a fuel nozzle body, a set of fuel jets, and a compressed air resonator. The fuel nozzle body has a central channel defining a channel centerline. The set of fuel jets extend through the fuel nozzle body. The set of fuel jets are fluidly coupled to the central channel to define an injecting section of the central channel. The compressed air resonator defines a resonating section of the compressed air channel.

Claims (48)

1 . A fuel nozzle for a combustion section having a combustion chamber, the fuel nozzle comprising:

a fuel nozzle body having a central channel defining a channel centerline, the central channel opening at a fuel nozzle outlet, the fuel nozzle outlet opening into the combustion chamber;

a set of fuel jets extending through the fuel nozzle body and fluidly coupled to the central channel to define an injecting section of the central channel;

a compressed air resonator provided within the central channel and defining a resonating section of the central channel, the compressed air resonator configured to receive a portion of a flow of compressed air and generate pressure waves that are emitted into the central channel through a resonator orifice of the compressed air resonator that opens directly into the central channel within the fuel nozzle body and axially upstream of where the set of fuel jets open to the central channel;

a first compressed air inlet formed through the fuel nozzle body and opening into a portion of the central channel exterior to the compressed air resonator; and

a second compressed air inlet formed through the fuel nozzle body and opening into the compressed air resonator, the second compressed air inlet being structurally and fluidly separate from the first compressed air inlet.

2 . The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the compressed air resonator includes a resonator chamber and a resonator channel fluidly coupled to the resonator chamber and opening into the central channel at the resonator orifice, the resonator channel having a resonator centerline.

3 . The fuel nozzle of claim 2 , wherein a projection of the resonator centerline from the resonator orifice is parallel to the channel centerline.

4 . The fuel nozzle of claim 2 , wherein:

the compressed air resonator includes an internal wall splitting the resonator chamber into a first resonator chamber and a second resonator chamber; and

the resonator channel is included within a plurality of resonator channels fluidly coupling the first resonator chamber and the second resonator chamber to the central channel.

5 . The fuel nozzle of claim 4 , wherein:

the first resonator chamber emits respective pressure waves at a first frequency; and

the second resonator chamber emits respective pressure waves at a second frequency different from the first frequency.

6 . The fuel nozzle of claim 4 , wherein the first resonator chamber has a first volume, and the second resonator chamber has a second volume, wherein the second volume is different from the first volume.

7 . The fuel nozzle of claim 4 , wherein the first resonator chamber is axially spaced from the second resonator chamber, with respect to the channel centerline.

8 . The fuel nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the fuel nozzle includes a fuel nozzle body defining the central channel, and a resonator wall extending from the fuel nozzle body and into the central channel, with the resonator chamber being formed between the resonator wall and the fuel nozzle body.

9 . The fuel nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the resonator chamber includes a volume that is greater than or equal to 0.0005 in 3 and less than or equal to 1.0 in 3 .

10 . The fuel nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the resonator channel extends along the resonator centerline a length that is greater than or equal to 0.1 in and less than or equal to 2 in.

11 . The fuel nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the resonator orifice includes a surface area that is greater than or equal to 0.00001 in 2 and less than or equal to 0.01 in 2 .

12 . A fuel nozzle comprising:

a fuel nozzle body having a central channel defining a channel centerline, the central channel opening at a fuel nozzle outlet;

a set of fuel jets extending through the fuel nozzle body and fluidly coupled to the central channel to define an injecting section of the central channel;

a compressed air resonator provided within the central channel and defining a resonating section of the central channel, the compressed air resonator configured to receive a portion of a flow of compressed air and generate pressure waves that are emitted into the central channel through a resonator orifice of the compressed air resonator that opens directly into the central channel within the fuel nozzle body and axially upstream of where the set of fuel jets open to the central channel, wherein the pressure waves include a frequency of greater than or equal to 400 Hertz and less than or equal to 5000 Hertz;

a first compressed air inlet formed through the fuel nozzle body and opening into a portion of the central channel exterior to the compressed air resonator; and

a second compressed air inlet formed through the fuel nozzle body and opening into the compressed air resonator, the second compressed air inlet being structurally and fluidly separate from the first compressed air inlet.

13 . The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , further comprising a swirler provided within the central channel and defining a swirler section of the central channel, the swirler being configured to impart a swirling motion to at least a respective portion of the compressed air passing through the central channel.

14 . The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the fuel nozzle is included within a plurality of fuel nozzles comprising:

a first fuel nozzle, with the resonator section of the first fuel nozzle generating the pressure waves at a first frequency; and

a second fuel nozzle, with the resonating section of the second fuel nozzle generating the pressure waves at a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency.

15 . The fuel nozzle of claim 14 , wherein:

the first fuel nozzle and the second fuel nozzle are provided within a fuel nozzle assembly mounted to a singular fuel nozzle combustor wall;

the first fuel nozzle is provided within a first plurality of fuel nozzles all outputting the pressure waves at the first frequency, each fuel nozzle outlet of the first plurality of fuel nozzles being provided within a first area of the singular fuel nozzle combustor wall; and

the second fuel nozzle is provided within a second plurality of fuel nozzles all outputting the pressure waves at the second frequency, each fuel nozzle outlet of the second plurality of fuel nozzles being provided within a second area, non-overlapping with the first area, of the singular fuel nozzle combustor wall.

16 . The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the injecting section injects a flow of hydrogen fuel into the fuel nozzle.

17 . A turbine engine comprising:

a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement, with the compressor section providing a compressed air, and the combustion section comprising:

a wall at least partially defining a combustion chamber, the wall having a fuel nozzle assembly opening; and

the fuel nozzle of claim 1 provided within the fuel nozzle opening, the fuel nozzle outlet opening into the combustion chamber.

18 . The fuel nozzle of claim 13 , further comprising a third compressed air inlet opening to the swirler section, the third compressed air inlet being different from the first compressed air inlet and the second compressed air inlet.

19 . The fuel nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the first compressed air inlet is located radially inward from the second compressed air inlet, with respect to the channel centerline.

20 . A fuel nozzle for a combustion section having a combustion chamber, the fuel nozzle comprising:

a fuel nozzle body having a central channel defining a channel centerline, the central channel opening at a fuel nozzle outlet, the fuel nozzle outlet opening into the combustion chamber;

a set of fuel jets extending through the fuel nozzle body and fluidly coupled to the central channel to define an injecting section of the central channel;

a compressed air resonator provided within the central channel and defining a resonating section of the central channel, the compressed air resonator configured to receive a portion of a flow of compressed air and generate pressure waves that are emitted into the central channel through a resonator orifice of the compressed air resonator that opens directly into the central channel within the fuel nozzle body and axially upstream of where the set of fuel jets open to the central channel;

a swirler section located radially outward from the resonating section, with respect to the channel centerline;

a first compressed air inlet formed through the fuel nozzle body and opening into a portion of the central channel exterior to the compressed air resonator; and

a second compressed air inlet formed through the fuel nozzle body and opening into the compressed air resonator, the second compressed air inlet being structurally and fluidly separate from the first compressed air inlet.