IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,590,556
Granted Patent B1
US 12,590,556 · App. 18/903,579 · Granted Mar 31, 2026

Gas turbine engine, fuel nozzle assembly, and method

Inventors: Hiranya Kumar Nath (Bengaluru, IN); Steven C. Vise (Loveland, OH); Michael A. Benjamin (Cincinnati, OH); Narasimha Chiranthan Ranganatha (Bengaluru, IN)
Assignee: General Electric Company
F02C3/22F02C7/22F02C9/40F23D17/002F23R3/14F23R3/36
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,590,556
App. No.
18/903,579
Granted
Mar 31, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

A gas turbine engine, comprising a compressor section, combustion section, and turbine section in serial flow arrangement, with the combustion section comprising: a combustor liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber; a wall coupled to the combustor liner; a first fuel supply to supply a first fuel; a gaseous fuel supply to supply a gaseous hydrogen fuel; and a fuel nozzle assembly coupled to the wall and fluidly coupled to the first fuel supply and the gaseous hydrogen fuel supply, the fuel nozzle assembly comprising: a main mixer; and a fuel nozzle comprising an outer wall defining a pilot channel and an outer wall fuel orifice to emit at least one of the first fuel or the gaseous fuel radially outward into the main mixer; and a secondary mixer disposed in the pilot channel.

Claims (59)

1 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:

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

a combustor liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber;

a wall coupled to the combustor liner;

a first fuel supply to supply a first fuel;

a gaseous fuel supply to supply a gaseous hydrogen fuel; and

a fuel nozzle assembly coupled to the wall and fluidly coupled to the first fuel supply and the gaseous fuel supply, the fuel nozzle assembly comprising:

a main mixer, the main mixer and the wall defining a cavity; and

a fuel nozzle disposed such that the main mixer is disposed at least partially around the fuel nozzle, the fuel nozzle comprising:

an outer wall defining a pilot channel;

an outer wall fuel orifice extending through the outer wall and fluidly coupled with the first fuel supply and the gaseous fuel supply to emit at least one of the first fuel or the gaseous hydrogen fuel radially outward into the main mixer;

a secondary mixer disposed in the pilot channel; and

a first flame shaping aperture extending through the wall to emit air into the cavity, wherein the outer wall at least partially defines a pilot cone comprising a set of second fuel orifices.

2 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first fuel comprises natural gas or liquid fuel.

3 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein a trailing edge of the outer wall includes a trailing edge fuel orifice aft of the outer wall fuel orifice.

4 . The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the trailing edge fuel orifice is directed radially outward.

5 . The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the trailing edge of the outer wall is aft of an outlet of the main mixer.

6 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the secondary mixer includes a pilot body and a pilot splitter spaced radially outward of the pilot body; and

wherein the pilot body includes a pilot fuel orifice fluidly coupled to at least one of the first fuel supply or the gaseous fuel supply.

7 . The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the pilot fuel orifice is directed radially outward toward the pilot splitter to emit the first fuel or the gaseous hydrogen fuel in a cross-flow with air flowing through the pilot channel.

8 . The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the secondary mixer includes a first pilot swirler disposed between the pilot splitter and the pilot body, and a second pilot swirler disposed between the pilot splitter and the outer wall.

9 . The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the main mixer includes a main mixer swirler; and

wherein the main mixer swirler is a radial swirler, and the first pilot swirler and the second pilot swirler are axial swirlers.

10 . The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the pilot splitter comprises a splitter fuel orifice fluidly coupled to at least one of the first fuel supply or the gaseous fuel supply.

11 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the set of second fuel orifices are fluidly coupled with the gaseous fuel supply.

12 . The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the set of second fuel orifices are disposed to emit the gaseous hydrogen fuel in cross-flow with air emitted from a pilot swirler disposed in the pilot channel forward of the set of second fuel orifices.

13 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:

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

a combustor liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber;

a wall coupled to the combustor liner;

a first fuel supply to supply a first fuel;

a gaseous fuel supply to supply a gaseous hydrogen fuel; and

a fuel nozzle assembly coupled to the wall and fluidly coupled to the first fuel supply and the gaseous fuel supply, the fuel nozzle assembly comprising:

a main mixer, the main mixer and the wall defining a cavity; and

a fuel nozzle disposed such that the main mixer is disposed at least partially around the fuel nozzle, the fuel nozzle comprising:

an outer wall defining a pilot channel;

an outer wall fuel orifice extending through the outer wall and fluidly coupled with the first fuel supply and the gaseous fuel supply to emit at least one of the first fuel or the gaseous hydrogen fuel radially outward into the main mixer;

a secondary mixer disposed in the pilot channel; and

a first flame shaping aperture extending through the wall to emit air into the cavity, wherein the first flame shaping aperture is aft of the outer wall fuel orifice.

14 . The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the wall includes a second flame shaping aperture aft of the first flame shaping aperture and directed radially inward.

15 . The gas turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the second flame shaping aperture is aft of an outlet of the main mixer.

16 . The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the first flame shaping aperture is radially outward and forward of the outlet of the main mixer; and

wherein the second flame shaping aperture is radially outward of the first flame shaping aperture.

17 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:

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

a combustor liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber;

a wall coupled to the combustor liner;

a first fuel supply to supply a first fuel;

a gaseous fuel supply to supply a gaseous hydrogen fuel; and

a fuel nozzle assembly coupled to the wall and fluidly coupled to the first fuel supply and the gaseous fuel supply, the fuel nozzle assembly comprising:

a main mixer; and

a fuel nozzle disposed such that the main mixer is disposed at least partially around the fuel nozzle, the fuel nozzle comprising:

an outer wall defining a pilot channel;

an outer wall fuel orifice extending through the outer wall and fluidly coupled with the first fuel supply and the gaseous fuel supply to emit at least one of the first fuel or the gaseous hydrogen fuel radially outward into the main mixer; and

a secondary mixer disposed in the pilot channel;

wherein the wall includes a first flame shaping aperture aft of the outer wall fuel orifice and a second flame shaping aperture aft of the first flame shaping aperture, the second flame shaping aperture directed radially inward and aft of an outlet of the main mixer, the first flame shaping aperture positioned radially outward and forward of the outlet of the main mixer and the second flame shaping aperture positioned radially outward of the first flame shaping aperture;

wherein the main mixer and the wall define a cavity; and

wherein the first flame shaping aperture extends through the wall to emit air into the cavity.

18 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the outer wall defines a radial recess, and the outer wall fuel orifice is disposed in the radial recess.

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