Patent ID: 7007477

Claim:
A fuel nozzle comprising: an outer peripheral wall; a nozzle centerbody concentrically disposed within said outer wall; a fuel/air premixer including an air inlet, a fuel inlet, and a premixing passage defined between said outer wall and said centerbody and extending at least part circumferentially thereof; a cooling air flow passage defined within said centerbody and extending at least part circumferentially thereof; a gas fuel flow passage defined within said centerbody and extending at least part circumferentially thereof; said cooling air flow air passage comprising a first passage and a second passage, said first passage terminating axially at a perforated impingement plate structure defining orifices for impingement flow of said cooling air toward and against an inner surface of an end face of the centerbody, and said second passage extending from a vicinity of said impingement plate structure and said inner surface to at least one orifice defined in an outer wall of said centerbody and in flow communication with said premixing passage defined between said nozzle centerbody and said outer wall of said centerbody.