Cooling fuel injector system for an attritable engine
An additively manufactured attritable engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an engine case wall, which surrounds the compressor section, the combustion section, and the turbine section. The engine case wall includes a first cavity embedded in the engine case wall that defines an injector that is in fluid communication with the combustion section. The engine case wall includes at least one second cavity embedded within the engine case wall and defines at least one cooling channel that is in thermal communication through the engine case wall with the injector.
1 . A method of testing a fluid dispensing system in an attritable engine that includes a fuel line and an N number of injectors, the method comprising:
injecting a cooling fluid into a cooling hole for each of (N−1) injectors;
inducing a first phase change to a flow test fluid in each of the (N−1) injectors, preventing flow through each of the (N−1) injectors; and
measuring a first flow rate of the flow test fluid through an unblocked injector.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
injecting the cooling fluid into the unblocked injector;
inducing a second phase change to the flow test fluid in the unblocked injector, preventing flow through the unblocked injector;
inducing a third phase change to the flow test fluid in one of the (N−1) injectors, allowing flow through one of the (N−1) injectors; and
measuring a second flow rate of the flow test fluid through one of the (N−1) injectors.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (N−1) injectors are disposed within an engine case wall of the attritable engine and are in fluid communication with a combustion section of the attritable engine.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the cooling hole is embedded within the engine case wall.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the cooling hole for each of the (N−1) injectors is in thermal communication with the each of the (N−1) injectors through the engine case wall.
6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein each of the (N−1) injectors comprises an injector inlet and an injector outlet.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the fuel line extends circumferentially around the engine case wall and connects to the injector inlet of each of the (N−1) injectors.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the injector outlet of each of the (N−1) injectors is connected to the combustion section.