Trapped vortex combustor and method for operating the same

A trapped vortex combustor defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the trapped vortex combustor comprising:

• a trapped vortex annular wall including a forward wall portion, an axially extending wall portion and an aft wall portion, a forward end of the trapped vortex combustor having a forward end wall including the forward wall portion, the trapped vortex annular wall defining a trapped vortex combustion zone operable to receive a first fuel flow from at least one first fuel nozzle disposed in the forward wall portion and a first air flow, to generate a fuel and air mixture from the first fuel flow and the first air flow, to combust the fuel and air mixture and to produce first combustion products therein, the first air flow directed into the trapped vortex combustion zone at a plurality of axial and radial locations along a periphery of the trapped vortex annular wall in a plurality of directions, such that the first air flow flows toroidally within the trapped vortex combustion zone to thereby cause the first combustion products to flow toroidally therein, the forward end of the trapped vortex combustor having fuel injection only through the at least one first fuel nozzle disposed in the forward wall portion;
• an ignitor disposed at the trapped vortex combustion zone operable to ignite the fuel and air mixture in the trapped vortex combustion zone;
• at least one secondary combustion fuel nozzle that is disposed on a radially outer wall of the trapped vortex combustor axially downstream of the trapped vortex combustion zone, the at least one secondary combustion fuel nozzle operable to inject at least one second fuel flow at an angle of between thirty and sixty degrees with respect to the first combustion products;
• and
• at least one secondary combustion zone disposed axially downstream of the trapped vortex combustion zone, and operable to receive and to combust the first combustion products and the at least one second fuel flow injected from the at least one secondary combustion fuel nozzle and to produce second combustion products therein,
• wherein the trapped vortex annular wall is disposed one of (i) radially outward of the radially outer wall of the trapped vortex combustor or (ii) radially inward of the radially outer wall of the trapped vortex combustor.