US 11,940,152 B2
Fuel circuit for a fuel injector
Andrew Grady Godfrey, Simpsonville, SC (US); Marissa Singley Garcia, Greenville, SC (US); and Jun Cai, Greer, SC (US)
Assigned to GE Infrastructure Technology LLC, Greenville, SC (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/975,137.
Application 17/975,137 is a continuation of application No. 16/916,446, filed on Jun. 30, 2020, granted, now 11,512,853.
Prior Publication US 2023/0051253 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F23R 3/28 (2006.01)
CPC F23R 3/286 (2013.01) [F05D 2220/31 (2013.01); F05D 2220/323 (2013.01); F05D 2240/36 (2013.01); F23R 3/283 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
18. A turbomachine comprising:
a compressor section;
a turbine section; and
a combustor disposed downstream from the compressor section and upstream from the turbine section, the combustor comprising:
a head end portion including an end cover;
at least one fuel nozzle extending between the end cover and a combustion liner, wherein the combustion liner extends downstream from the head end portion and defines a combustion chamber;
a fuel injector disposed downstream from the at least one fuel nozzle and in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, the fuel injector comprising:
a first end wall and a second end wall disposed opposite the first end wall;
side walls extending between the first end wall and the second end wall, wherein the first end wall, the second end wall, and the side walls collectively define an opening for passage of air;
at least one fuel injection member disposed within the opening and extending between the end walls; and
a fuel circuit defined within the fuel injector, the fuel circuit comprising:
an inlet plenum defined within the first end wall of the fuel injector; and
a fuel passage extending from and in fluid communication with the inlet plenum, the fuel passage defined within the at least one fuel injection member, wherein the fuel passage has a cross-sectional area that varies along a length of the fuel injection member relative to an exterior cross-sectional area that is uniform along the entire length of the fuel injection member such that the fuel passage includes an interior shape that has at least one curvilinear portion and that is different than an exterior shape of the fuel injection member.