Combustor cap having non-round outlets for mixing tubes
A system includes a a combustor cap configured to be coupled to a plurality of mixing tubes of a multi-tube fuel nozzle, wherein each mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes is configured to mix air and fuel to form an air-fuel mixture. The combustor cap includes multiple nozzles integrated within the combustor cap. Each nozzle of the multiple nozzles is coupled to a respective mixing tube of the multiple mixing tubes. In addition, each nozzle of the multiple nozzles includes a first end and a second end. The first end is coupled to the respective mixing tube of the multiple mixing tubes. The second end defines a non-round outlet for the air-fuel mixture. Each nozzle of the multiple nozzles includes an inner surface having first and second portions, the first portion radially diverges along an axial direction from the first end to the second end, and the second portion radially converges along the axial direction from the first end to the second end.
1. A system, comprising:
a combustor cap assembly for a multi-tube fuel nozzle, comprising:
a support structure defining an interior volume configured to receive an air flow;
a plurality of mixing tubes disposed within the interior volume, wherein each mixing tube comprises a first upstream end and a first downstream end, and wherein each mixing tube is configured to receive fuel through the first upstream end, to mix air and the fuel to form an air-fuel mixture, and to discharge the air fuel mixture through the first downstream end; and
a combustor cap removably coupled to the support structure downstream of the plurality of mixing tubes, wherein the combustor cap interfaces with a combustion chamber, and the combustor cap comprises a plurality of nozzles integrated within the combustor cap, each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is configured to couple to a respective mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes, wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a second upstream end configured to receive the air-fuel mixture and a second downstream end configured to discharge the air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber, the second upstream end is configured to couple to and directly contact a respective first downstream end of the respective mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes, and the second downstream end defines a non-round outlet for the air-fuel mixture, and wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises an inner surface having first and second portions, the first portion radially diverges along an axial direction from the second upstream end to the second downstream end, and the second portion radially converges along the axial direction from the second upstream end to the second downstream end.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of each mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes comprises a first perimeter having a round shape, and the inner surface of the second end at the non-round outlet of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a second perimeter having a non-round shape.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second perimeter is larger than the first perimeter.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the inner surface of each mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes comprises a first cross-sectional area and the inner surface of the second end at the non-round outlet of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a second cross-sectional area, and the first and second cross-sectional areas are the same.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the combustor cap comprises a first surface configured to interface with the plurality of mixing tubes and a second surface opposite the first surface configured to interface with the combustion chamber, and the second downstream end axially extends beyond the second surface.
6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the non-round shape comprises a multi-lobed shape.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area increases or decreases along the axial direction from the second upstream end to the second downstream end.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises one or more cooling features configured to cool the combustor cap, wherein the cooling features comprise structures that extend radially inward from an inner surface of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles into a flow path of the air-fuel mixture through the respective nozzle.
9. The system of claim 1 , comprising a gas turbine engine, a combustor, or the multi-tube fuel nozzle having the combustor cap.
10. A system, comprising:
a combustor cap assembly for a multi-tube fuel nozzle, comprising:
a support structure defining an interior volume configured to receive an air flow;
a plurality of mixing tubes disposed within the interior volume, wherein each mixing tube comprises a first upstream end and a first downstream end, and wherein each mixing tube is configured to receive fuel through the first upstream end, to mix air and the fuel to form an air-fuel mixture, and to discharge the air fuel mixture through the first downstream end; and
a combustor cap removably coupled to the support structure downstream of the plurality of mixing tubes, wherein the combustor cap interfaces with a combustion chamber, and the combustor cap comprises a plurality of nozzles integrated within the combustor cap, each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is configured to couple to a respective mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes, and wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a second upstream end configured to discharge the air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber and a second downstream end configured to discharge the air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber, the second upstream end is configured to couple to and directly contact a respective first downstream end of the respective mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes, and the second upstream end defines a non-round outlet for the air-fuel mixture.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein an inner surface of each mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes comprises a first perimeter having a round shape, and an inner surface of the second downstream end at the non-round outlet of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a second perimeter having a non-round shape.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second perimeter is larger than the first perimeter.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the inner surface of each mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes comprises a first cross-sectional area and the inner surface of the second downstream end at the non-round outlet of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a second cross-sectional area, and the first and second cross-sectional areas are the same.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the non-round shape comprises a multi-lobed shape.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein an inner surface of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area increases or decreases along an axial direction from the second upstream end to the second downstream end.
16. A system, comprising:
a combustor cap assembly for a multi-tube fuel nozzle, comprising:
a support structure defining an interior volume configured to receive an air flow;
a plurality of mixing tubes disposed within the interior volume, wherein each mixing tube comprises a first upstream end and a first downstream end, and wherein each mixing tube is configured to receive fuel through the first upstream end, to mix air and the fuel to form an air-fuel mixture, and to discharge the air fuel mixture through the first downstream end; and
a combustor cap removably coupled to the support structure downstream of the plurality of mixing tubes, wherein the combustor cap interfaces with a combustion chamber, and the combustor cap comprises a plurality of nozzles integrated within the combustor cap, each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is configured to couple to a respective mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes, wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a second upstream end configured to receive the air-fuel mixture and a second downstream end configured to discharge the air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber, the second upstream end is configured to couple to and directly contact a respective first downstream end of the respective mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes, and the second downstream end defines an outlet for the air-fuel mixture, and wherein an inner surface of each mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes comprises a first perimeter, an inner surface of the second downstream end at the outlet of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a second perimeter, and the second perimeter is larger than the first perimeter.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first perimeter comprises a round shape and the second perimeter comprises a non-round shape.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the inner surface of each mixing tube of the plurality of mixing tubes comprises a first cross-sectional area and the inner surface of the second downstream end at the non-round outlet of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a second cross-sectional area, and the first and second cross-sectional areas are the same.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the non-round shape comprises a multi-lobed shape.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the inner surface of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area increases or decreases along an axial direction from the second upstream end to the second downstream end.