초록

A fuel supply assembly for a gas turbine engine including a manifold portion with a transfer conduit, a fuel nozzle with an entry conduit and disconnectable means for retaining the transfer and entry conduits in mating engagement with one another.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A fuel supply assembly for a gas turbine engine, the assembly comprising: a manifold portion including a main conduit and a transfer conduit extending therefrom in fluid communication therewith; a fuel nozzle including a nozzle head having an entry conduit defined there

The invention claimed is: 1. A fuel supply assembly for a gas turbine engine, the assembly comprising: a manifold portion including a main conduit and a transfer conduit extending therefrom in fluid communication therewith; a fuel nozzle including a nozzle head having an entry conduit defined therein in fluid communication with a fuel flow path of the fuel nozzle, the transfer conduit and the entry conduit being matingly engaged to provide fluid communication between the fuel flow path of the fuel nozzle and the main conduit of the manifold portion; and means for retaining the transfer conduit and the entry conduit in mated engagement, the means including a first portion slidingly engaged in a groove defined in an outer surface of a first one of the manifold portion and the fuel nozzle and a second portion rigidly connected to the first portion, the second portion being detachably connected to the second one of the manifold portion and the fuel nozzle and preventing disengagement of the first portion from the groove, the means being disconnectable from the second one of the manifold portion and the fuel nozzle to allow disengagement of the first portion from the groove such as to permit the transfer conduit and the entry conduit, and therefore the manifold portion and the fuel nozzle, to be disengaged from one another. 2. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the transfer conduit is engaged within the entry conduit in a tight-fit relationship. 3. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the first one of the manifold portion and the fuel nozzle is the manifold portion, and the first portion is slidingly engaged in a groove defined in an outer surface of the transfer conduit. 4. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the means include a sleeve having a wall at least partially surrounding the second one of the manifold portion and the fuel nozzle, and the first portion is part of the wall of the sleeve. 5. The assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein the second portion is another part of the wall of the sleeve and includes a pair of diametrically opposed transverse first holes defined therethrough, the second one of the manifold portion and the fuel nozzle including a finger portion protruding therefrom and having a second hole defined therein in alignment with the first holes, and the second portion is detachably connected to the second one of the manifold portion and the fuel nozzle through a pin slidingly engaged in the first and second holes. 6. The assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein the second one of the manifold portion and the fuel nozzle is the fuel nozzle, and the sleeve wall forms a cylindrical perimeter substantially surrounding the nozzle head. 7. The assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein the nozzle head has an at least partially spherical shape. 8. The assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein an elongated slot is defined in the sleeve wall and extending from a wall end, and the part of the wall of the sleeve borders the slot. 9. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the transfer and entry conduits are substantially parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine. 10. A fuel supply assembly for a gas turbine engine, the assembly comprising: a fuel manifold having a main conduit and a plurality of transfer conduits extending from the main conduit in fluid communication therewith, an outer wall surface of each of the transfer conduits including a depressed wall portion of reduced cross-section; a fuel nozzle for each of the transfer conduits, the fuel nozzle having a stem with a fuel flow path defined therein and a nozzle head connected to the stem, the nozzle head having an entry conduit defined therein in fluid communication with the fuel flow path, the entry conduit and a respective one of the transfer conduits being matingly engaged to provide fluid communication between the main conduit of the manifold and the fuel flow path; and a connecting member including at least one wall portion defining a wall end, the connecting member being detachably connected to the nozzle head of the fuel nozzle with the wall end engaged within the depressed wall portion of the respective one of the transfer conduits such as to prevent the entry conduit and the respective one of the transfer conduits to be slidingly disengaged from each other, the connecting member being disconnectable from the nozzle head and disengageble from the depressed wall portion to allow the entry conduit and the respective one of the transfer conduits, and therefore the fuel nozzle and the fuel manifold, to be disengaged from each other. 11. The assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the respective one of the transfer conduits is engaged within the entry conduit. 12. The assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the connecting member includes a sleeve with a wall including the wall portion and surrounding at least partially the nozzle head. 13. The assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein the wall of the sleeve includes a pair of diametrically opposed transverse first holes defined therein, the nozzle head including a finger portion protruding therefrom and having a second hole defined therein in alignment with the first holes, and the connecting member is detachably connected to the nozzle head by a pin slidingly engaged through both the first and second holes. 14. The assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein an elongated slot is defined in the sleeve wall with a border of the slot including the wall end engaged within the depressed wall portion of the respective one of the transfer conduits. 15. The assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein the nozzle head has an at least partially spherical shape. 16. The assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the transfer and entry conduits are substantially parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine. 17. A method for connecting a fuel nozzle to a fuel manifold in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising the steps of: matingly engaging a transfer conduit of the manifold and an entry conduit of a nozzle head of the fuel nozzle to form a sealed connection; providing a connecting member and engaging a wall portion of the connecting member within a groove defined in an outer surface of a first one of the manifold and the fuel nozzle to prevent disengagement of the transfer conduits of the fuel manifold and the entry conduit of the fuel nozzle from each other; and detachably connecting the connecting member to a second one of the manifold and the fuel nozzle to prevent disengagement of the wall portion from the groove, the connecting member being disconnectable from the second one of the manifold and the fuel nozzle and disengageable from the groove to allow the entry conduit and the transfer conduit, and therefore the fuel nozzle and the fuel manifold, to be disengaged from each other. 18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the step of engaging the wall portion of the connecting member within the groove is done concurrently with a step of surrounding a portion of the second one of the manifold and the fuel nozzle with a wall of the connecting member, the wall including the wall portion. 19. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the step of engaging the wall portion of the connecting member within the groove is done by engaging a portion of the outer surface including the groove within a slot defined in a wall of the connecting member, the wall portion including a border portion of the slot. 20. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the step of detachably connecting the connecting member to the second one of the manifold and the fuel nozzle includes inserting a pin in aligned holes defined within a wall of the connecting member and within a finger portion protruding from the second one of the manifold and the fuel nozzle.