Patent ID: 11274831

Abstract:
A fuel injection nozzle for a combustion turbine engine has thermal stress-relief vanes, which accommodate and relieve localized thermal stresses within its monolithic, three-dimensional nozzle structure, imparted by heat transfer during engine combustion. At least one first vane is coupled to opposing, spaced nozzle sleeves at both ends. At least one cantilever-like second vane is coupled to one of the opposing sleeves on one end, while the other free or floating end is spaced by a second vane gap from the other opposing sleeve. Some embodiments include a plurality of second vanes, which have locally varying orientation, and/or structure, and/or second vane gaps, for normalizing spatially and/or temporally thermal stresses within the nozzle structure. The monolithic structure is fabricated, in some nozzle embodiments, by additive manufacturing.