Injector resonator for a gas turbine engine

Abstract

A fuel injector for a combustor of a gas turbine engine is disclosed herein. In embodiments, the fuel injector includes an injector head, a stem, a fuel passage, a fitting, a fuel inlet, and a resonator. The stem extends from the injector head. The fuel passage extends within the towards the injector head. The fitting is joined to the stem distal to the injector head. The fuel inlet fluidly connects the fitting to the fuel passage. The resonator includes a resonator body enclosing a resonator cavity and a resonator neck passage that fluidly connects the resonator cavity to the fuel passage adjacent to the fuel inlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fuel injector for a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the fuel injector comprising:
 an injector head;   a stem extending from the injector head, the stem including a fitting portion distal to the injector head;   a fuel passage extending within the stem from the fitting portion towards the injector head;   a fitting joined to the fitting portion;   a fuel inlet fluidly connecting the fitting to the fuel passage; and   a resonator integral to the stem, the resonator including
 a resonator body enclosing a resonator cavity, and 
 a resonator neck passage fluidly connecting the resonator cavity to the fuel passage adjacent to the fuel inlet at the fitting portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The fuel injector of  claim 1 , wherein the resonator body includes a resonator base, a resonator wall extending from the resonator base, and a resonator cap opposite the resonator base. 
     
     
         3 . The fuel injector of  claim 2 , wherein the resonator base is unitary to the stem and the resonator neck passage is formed in the resonator base. 
     
     
         4 . The fuel injector of  claim 3 , wherein the resonator wall is unitary to the stem and the resonator base and the resonator cap is metallurgically bonded to the resonator wall. 
     
     
         5 . The fuel injector of  claim 3 , wherein the resonator wall and the resonator cap are unitary and the resonator wall is metallurgically bonded to the resonator base. 
     
     
         6 . The fuel injector of  claim 3 , wherein the resonator base includes a plug situated between the fuel passage and the resonator cavity and the resonator neck passage is formed in the plug. 
     
     
         7 . The fuel injector of  claim 1 , wherein the resonator further includes a resonator tube extending from the resonator body to the stem, the resonator tube including the resonator neck passage. 
     
     
         8 . The fuel injector of  claim 7 , wherein the resonator body and the resonator tube are unitary, and wherein the resonator tube is metallurgically bonded to the fitting portion. 
     
     
         9 . A fuel injector for a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the fuel injector comprising:
 an injector head;   a stem extending from the injector head;   a fuel passage extending within the fuel injector;   a fuel inlet fluidly connected to the fuel passage for providing fuel to the fuel passage; and   a resonator including
 a resonator body enclosing a resonator cavity, and 
 a resonator neck passage fluidly connecting the resonator cavity to the fuel passage adjacent to the fuel inlet. 
   
     
     
         10 . The fuel injector of  claim 9 , wherein the fuel passage is a stem fuel passage extending within the stem from the stem toward the injector head and the fuel inlet is at an end of the fuel passage distal to the injector head. 
     
     
         11 . The fuel injector of  claim 10 , wherein the fuel passage is a pilot fuel passage for providing pilot fuel to the injector head and the fuel inlet is located in a fitting joined to the stem. 
     
     
         12 . The fuel injector of  claim 10 , wherein the resonator body is integral to the stem. 
     
     
         13 . The fuel injector of  claim 12 , wherein the resonator body includes a resonator base that is unitary to the stem and wherein the fuel passage extends through the resonator base. 
     
     
         14 . The fuel injector of  claim 13 , wherein resonator body includes a resonator wall that is unitary to the resonator base and a resonator cap that is metallurgically bonded to the resonator wall. 
     
     
         15 . The fuel injector of  claim 13 , wherein the resonator body includes a resonator wall and a resonator cap that are unitary and wherein the resonator wall is metallurgically bonded to the resonator base. 
     
     
         16 . The fuel injector of  claim 10 , wherein the resonator further includes a resonator tube extending integrally from the resonator body to the stem, the resonator tube including the resonator neck passage, and wherein the resonator tube is metallurgically bonded to the stem. 
     
     
         17 . The fuel injector of  claim 9 , wherein the fuel passage is a fuel gallery in the injector head and the fuel inlet supplies fuel from a stem fuel passage to the fuel gallery, and wherein the resonator further includes a resonator tube that includes the resonator neck passage, the resonator tube extending from the resonator body to the injector head. 
     
     
         18 . A method for retrofitting a fuel injector including an injector head and a stem extending from the injector head, the method comprising:
 machining a hole through the stem to a stem fuel passage adjacent a fuel inlet fluidly connected to the stem fuel passage, the fuel inlet located at a fitting portion of the stem at an end of the stem opposite the injector head; and   metallurgically bonding a resonator to the fitting portion, the resonator including a resonator body forming a resonator cavity fluidly connected to the stem fuel passage adjacent to the fuel inlet at the fitting portion.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein metallurgically bonding the resonator to the fitting portion includes metallurgically bonding a resonator wall of the resonator body to the fitting portion, wherein the resonator body includes a resonator cap integral to the resonator wall, and wherein the hole forms a resonator neck passage that fluidly connects the resonator cavity to the stem fuel passage adjacent to the fuel inlet. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the resonator includes a resonator tube extending from the resonator body, wherein metallurgically bonding the resonator to the fitting portion includes inserting the resonator tube into the hole and metallurgically bonding the resonator tube to the stem, and wherein the resonator tube includes a resonator neck passage that fluidly connects the stem fuel passage to the resonator cavity.