Patent ID: 8689563

Claim:
A fuel nozzle mounting assembly for a combustor, the mounting assembly comprising: a bulkhead defining an upstream side of the combustor; at least one opening in the bulkhead for accommodating injection of fuel and air; an air swirler mounted in the at least one opening; a fuel nozzle guide plate attached to the air swirler, the fuel nozzle guide plate having: a central aperture for receiving a fuel nozzle; a collar surrounding the central aperture, the collar being configured for non-binding engagement of the fuel nozzle, and including an upstream chamfer, a downstream chamfer, and a convex surface located between the upstream chamfer and the downstream chamfer; a substantially circular flange surrounding the collar for attaching the fuel nozzle guide plate to the air swirler, wherein a cross-sectional view of the collar and the substantially circular flange is mushroom shaped with the upstream chamfer and the downstream chamfer converging radially inward toward the convex surface of the collar, and the substantially circular flange being smaller in width than the collar and extending radially outward away from the collar; and mirror symmetry about a first plane perpendicular to the fuel nozzle guide plate and mirror symmetry about a second plane parallel to the fuel nozzle guide plate, wherein the mirror symmetry about the first plane perpendicular to the collar is side to side symmetry and the mirror symmetry about the second plane perpendicular to the collar is front to back symmetry.