Gas turbine engines

Details Gas turbine engines Gas turbine engines

2000-09-29

2001-12-04

Casaregola, Louis J. (Department: 3746)

Power plants

Combustion products used as motive fluid

Combined with regulation of power output feature

C060S740000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06324830

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to gas turbine engines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A problem occasionally encountered by aircraft is collision with birds. This can result in birds being drawn into one or more of the aircraft engines and impacting engine components. The present invention is concerned with design of fuel injector components of the combustor of a gas turbine engine to resist bird impact.
Modern gas turbine engine combustors incorporate an annular combustion chamber into which fuel is directed from a series of fuel injectors spaced apart around the combustion chamber. These fuel injectors are liable to damage by impact from birds or other solid objects drawn into the front of the engine through the compressor stage of the engine. In order to minimise such damage, fuel injectors require to be designed to resist a direct impact without undergoing deformation or damage and without causing fuel leakage. Consequently fuel injectors require to be constructed from high strength materials and to be of robust construction. As a result they are relatively heavy, expensive to produce and bulky, and produce an impediment to and a pressure loss in air flow to the combustion chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved fuel injection assembly which is adapted to withstand bird impact but is of less bulky and expensive construction than hitherto.
The invention provides a fuel injector assembly for a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine, the assembly comprising a fuel injector having a body member adapted to be mounted adjacent to the combustion chamber and having an outlet end adapted to extend into the combustion chamber to deliver fuel thereto during operation, said body member being constructed to withstand an impact load up to a predetermined magnitude in a direction tending to move the body member towards or into the combustion chamber, and the assembly including restraining means associated with said body member to limit movement of the body member when subjected to an impact load in said direction greater than said predetermined magnitude.
Preferably said restraining means comprises abutment means disposed downstream of said body member in the direction of air flow through the combustion chamber such that said body member moves into contact with the abutment means when subjected to an impact load greater than said predetermined magnitude.
Preferably said abutment means is mounted on or in the combustion chamber.
In one embodiment the abutment means includes a projection or pad carried by said body member and adapted to abut an outer surface of said combustion chamber. Alternatively said abutment means may comprise a projection or pad carried by the combustion chamber and adapted for abutment by said body member.
In a further embodiment said restraining means includes a flange extending radially outwardly relative to said body member and disposed adjacent a portion of the combustion chamber, said flange being adapted to move into contact with said portion of the combustion chamber when the body member is subjected to an impact load greater than said predetermined magnitude.
In a further embodiment said restraining means includes a pin rigidly connected to the combustion chamber and adapted to engage with a complementary formation on said body member. Preferably said pin comprises an extension of a mounting pin serving to mount the combustion chamber in the engine.
The invention also provides a combustion assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising a combustion chamber fitted with at least one fuel injector assembly according to the preceding paragraphs.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4870818 (1989-10-01), Suliga
patent: 5239832 (1993-08-01), Koshoffer et al.
patent: 5465571 (1995-11-01), Clark
patent: 0 562 762 A (1993-09-01), None

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