Combustor Housing for Combustion of Low-BTU Fuel Gases and Methods of Making and Using the Same

Abstract

A combustor housing includes an inlet cover plate having a central inlet configured to receive a supply of one of a high BTU content fuel or air and at least one radially-spaced, peripheral fuel inlet configured to receive a supply of a low BTU content fuel and an outlet cover plate having at least one radially-spaced, peripheral fuel outlet. The combustor housing also includes a peripheral sidewall joining the inlet cover and the outlet cover and enclosing a plenum, the at least one peripheral fuel inlet opening through the inlet cover plate into the plenum and the at least one fuel outlet opening from the plenum through the outlet cover plate. The central inlet opens into at least one conduit which extends away from the central inlet and opens into at least one high BTU content fuel conduit or air supply conduit that is axially aligned with the at least one fuel outlet.

1 . A combustor housing, comprising:
 an inlet cover plate having a central inlet configured to receive a supply of one of a high BTU content fuel or air and at least one radially-spaced, peripheral fuel inlet configured to receive a supply of low BTU content fuel;   an outlet cover plate having at least one radially-spaced, peripheral fuel outlet; and   a peripheral sidewall joining the inlet cover plate and the outlet cover plate and enclosing a plenum, the at least one radially-spaced, peripheral fuel inlet opening through the inlet cover plate into the plenum and the at least one radially-spaced, fuel outlet opening from the plenum through the outlet cover plate, the central inlet opening into at least one conduit which extends away form the central inlet and opens into at least one high BTU content fuel conduit or air supply conduit that is axially aligned with the at least one radially-spaced, fuel outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor housing of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet cover plate comprises a plurality of radially-spaced, peripheral fuel inlets, the outlet cover plate comprises a plurality of radially-spaced, peripheral fuel outlets, and the central inlet opens into a plurality of radially-spaced conduits which extend away from the central inlet and open into respective ones of a plurality of high BTU content fuel conduits or air supply conduits that are axially aligned with the corresponding outlets. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor housing of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of radially-spaced protruding lugs extending from the inlet cover plate into the plenum and axially aligned with and proximate to the plurality of radially-spaced, outlets, the plurality of high BTU content fuel conduits or air supply conduits disposed in the radially-spaced protruding lugs. 
     
     
         4 . The combustor housing of  claim 3 , wherein the central inlet is configured to receive a high BTU content fuel, and the plurality of radially-spaced conduits open into a respective plurality of high BTU content fuel conduits. 
     
     
         5 . The combustor housing of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of high BTU content fuel conduits are each spaced from and extend axially through respective outlets creating a 360° spacing between them. 
     
     
         6 . The combustor housing of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of high BTU content fuel conduits are concentrically spaced within the respective outlets. 
     
     
         7 . The combustor housing of  claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of nozzles disposed on a side of the outlet cover plate away from the plenum and enclosing the respective outlets and fuel conduits, the plurality of nozzles having a respective plurality of nozzle bores and firing ends, the fuel conduits spaced from and extending axially away from the outlet cover plate through the outlets and within the plurality of nozzle bores to a respective plurality of injection ends, each injection end having a 360° spacing from the respective firing end within the plurality of nozzle bores. 
     
     
         8 . The combustor housing of  claim 3 , wherein the central inlet is configured to receive air, and the plurality of radially-spaced conduits open into a respective plurality of air conduits, and wherein a respective plurality of high BTU fuel conduits are also disposed in the radially spaced protruding lugs extending through the inlet cover plate and axially within the plurality of air supply conduits. 
     
     
         9 . The combustor housing of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of high BTU fuel conduits and the plurality of air supply conduits are each spaced from and extend axially through respective outlets creating a 360° spacing between them. 
     
     
         10 . The combustor housing of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of high BTU content fuel conduits and plurality of air supply conduits are concentrically spaced within the respective outlets. 
     
     
         11 . The combustor housing of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of nozzles disposed on a side of the outlet cover plate away from the plenum and enclosing the respective outlets, the plurality of nozzles having a respective plurality of nozzle bores and firing ends, the plurality of high BTU content fuel conduits and plurality of air supply conduits are radially spaced from and extending axially away from the outlet cover plate through the outlets and within the plurality of nozzle bores to a respective plurality of injection ends, each injection end having a 360° spacing from the respective firing ends within the plurality of nozzle bores. 
     
     
         12 . The combustor housing of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet cover plate is integral with the sidewall and the plenum and the outlet cover plate is attached within an opening in the sidewall opposite the inlet cover plate. 
     
     
         13 . The combustor housing of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet cover plate is integral with the sidewall and the plenum and the outlet cover plate covers an opening in the sidewall and is attached to an inlet end of the sidewall. 
     
     
         14 . The combustor housing of  claim 12 , wherein the inlet cover plate further comprises an indexing protrusion and outlet cover plate further comprises an indexing hole, wherein the outlet cover plate is indexed to the inlet cover plate by location of the indexing protrusion within the indexing hole. 
     
     
         15 . The combustor housing of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet cover plate is integral with the sidewall and the plenum and the inlet cover plate is attached within an opening in the sidewall opposite the outlet cover plate. 
     
     
         16 . The combustor housing of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet cover plate is integral with the sidewall and the plenum and the inlet cover plate covers an opening in the sidewall and is attached to an outlet end of the sidewall. 
     
     
         17 . The combustor housing of  claim 15 , wherein the inlet cover plate further comprises an indexing protrusion and outlet cover plate further comprises an indexing hole, wherein the inlet cover plate is indexed to the outlet cover plate by location of the indexing protrusion within the indexing hole.