Patent ID: 8312722

Claim:
A fuel nozzle comprising: an outer peripheral wall and an inner peripheral wall proximate said outer wall, said outer wall and said inner wall defining an annular cavity therebetween, said annular cavity forming a peripheral cooling passage; a nozzle center body disposed within said outer wall, the nozzle center body comprising: an end wall at a distal end thereof; a gas fuel passage defined within said nozzle center body and extending at least part of a length therein; and a nozzle cooling passage defined within said nozzle center body and extending at least part circumferentially of a length therein, the nozzle cooling passage defining an inlet for flow of a cooling fluid; a fuel/air premixer surrounding a proximal end portion of said nozzle center body and including an air inlet, a fuel inlet, and a plurality of vanes in flow communication with the fuel inlet; wherein said inner peripheral wall and said nozzle center body define a premixing passage therebetween, into which said premixing passage said fuel/air premixer discharges; and wherein said cooling fluid is conveyed from said nozzle cooling passage to said peripheral cooling passage; wherein said nozzle cooling passage is in fluid communication with a source of air or inert gas; and wherein said peripheral cooling passage is in flow communication with said premixing passage through at least one outlet orifice.