Patent ID: 11959420
Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
Field: nan (nan)
Classification: CPC nan | IPC F

Claim 10:
11. A method of delivering fuel to a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
storing a primary fuel in a primary fuel tank of a fuel delivery system;
storing a secondary fuel in a secondary fuel tank;
producing, using a swirler, a main flame within a combustion chamber of the combustor;
producing, using a fuel nozzle, a pilot flame within the combustion chamber of the combustor, wherein the fuel nozzle comprises a nozzle outlet that is located adjacent to an end of the swirler or at the end of the swirler such that combustion of the primary fuel to produce the pilot flame occurs outside of the swirler, the end of the swirler being located at an inlet of the combustor, wherein the end of the swirler is an axially aftmost end of the swirler with respect to a centerline of the combustion chamber, the fuel nozzle outlet is axially inline with a surface of an end wall of the end of the swirler, wherein the surface of the end wall extends along a radial direction with respect to the centerline;
conveying, using a primary fuel line, the primary fuel from the primary fuel tank to the fuel nozzle;
conveying, using a secondary fuel line, the secondary fuel from the secondary fuel tank to the swirler, wherein the secondary fuel does not mix with the primary fuel until the secondary fuel has exited the swirler;
conveying, using a secondary fuel pilot line, the secondary fuel from the secondary fuel tank to the fuel nozzle; and
adjusting, using a pilot fuel selection valve, a flow to the fuel nozzle of at least one of the primary fuel and the secondary fuel.