US 12,326,259 B2
Fuel swirler for pressure fuel nozzles
Roger Antony Francis, Markham (CA); and Nadia Swaby, York (CA)
Assigned to PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP., Longueuil (CA)
Filed by PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP., Longueuil (CA)
Filed on Nov. 24, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/102,638.
Prior Publication US 2022/0163205 A1, May 26, 2022
Int. Cl. F23R 3/00 (2006.01); F02C 7/232 (2006.01); F23R 3/28 (2006.01)
CPC F23R 3/286 (2013.01) [F02C 7/232 (2013.01); F05D 2220/32 (2013.01); F05D 2230/60 (2013.01); F05D 2240/35 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel swirler for a gas turbine engine fuel nozzle, comprising:
a swirler housing defining an interior chamber having a fuel outlet at a downstream end relative to a fuel flow direction through the fuel swirler;
a swirler core mounted inside the interior chamber, the swirler core having a downstream end portion with one or more fuel channels disposed thereon, the one or more fuel channels in fluid communication with the fuel outlet, an internal bore extending longitudinally through the swirler core, the internal bore having an inlet connectable to a source of fuel, and one or more exit holes fluidly connecting the internal bore to the one or more fuel channels, the one or more fuel channels beginning at one or more fuel channel inlets disposed downstream of the one or more exit holes; and
an annular air gap radially between the swirler housing and the swirler core for thermally shielding the internal bore, the annular air gap fluidly sealed from the fuel outlet at the downstream end of the swirler housing to fluidly disconnect the annular air gap from the fuel outlet, the annular air gap extending along an axial length of the swirler core;
wherein the downstream end portion of the swirler core includes a frustoconical portion through which the one or more exit holes pass and a tapered abutting portion which the one or more fuel channels are disposed within, the tapered abutting portion having a maximum diameter that is greater than a minimum diameter of the frustoconical portion;
wherein the frustoconical portion tapers linearly from a maximum diameter of the frustoconical portion to the minimum diameter of the frustoconical portion.