Combustor for a turbine engine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJoseph Zelina, Shai Birmaher, Sibtosh Pal, Clayton S. Cooper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combustor for a turbine engine. The combustor includes a fuel injector and a fluid injection system in fluid communication with the combustor. The fuel injector includes a mixer assembly with a pilot mixer and a main mixer. The pilot mixer and the main mixer operate during high power operation of the turbine engine. The fluid injection system injects a fluid into the combustor during high power operation of the turbine engine. The fluid is shut off during low power operation of the turbine engine and during mid-level power operation of the turbine engine.
Claims16
A combustor for a turbine engine, the combustor comprising:
- a fuel injector having a mixer assembly with a pilot mixer and a main mixer, the fuel injector injecting fuel through the pilot mixer to generate a pilot fuel stream and through the main mixer to generate a main fuel stream;
- a fluid injection system in fluid communication with the combustor, the fluid injection system injecting a fluid into the combustor;
- and
- a controller that is communicatively coupled to the fuel injector and the fluid injection system, wherein the controller:
- controls the fuel injector to inject the pilot fuel stream through the pilot mixer and the main fuel stream through the main mixer during a high power operation of the turbine engine;
- controls the fluid injection system to inject the fluid into the combustor during the high power operation;
- and
- controls the fluid injection system to shut off the fluid into the combustor during an entirety of a low power operation of the turbine engine and during an entirety of a mid-level power operation of the turbine engine,
- wherein the low power operation is less than 30% of a maximum rated thrust of the turbine engine, the mid-level power operation is 30% to 85% of the maximum rated thrust of the turbine engine, and the high power operation is greater than 85% of the maximum rated thrust of the turbine engine.
A turbine engine comprising:
- a combustor comprising a fuel injector having a mixer assembly with a pilot mixer and a main mixer, the fuel injector injecting fuel through the pilot mixer to generate a pilot fuel stream and through the main mixer to generate a main fuel stream;
- a fluid injection system in fluid communication with the combustor, the fluid injection system injecting a fluid into the combustor;
- and
- a controller that is communicatively coupled to the fuel injector and the fluid injection system, wherein the controller:
- controls the fuel injector to inject the pilot fuel stream through the pilot mixer and the main fuel stream through the main mixer during a high power operation of the turbine engine;
- controls the fluid injection system to inject the fluid into the combustor during the high power operation;
- and
- controls the fluid injection system to shut off the fluid into the combustor during an entirety of a low power operation of the turbine engine and during an entirety of a mid-level power operation of the turbine engine,
- wherein the low power operation is less than 30% of a maximum rated thrust of the turbine engine, the mid-level power operation is 30% to 85% of the maximum rated thrust of the turbine engine, and the high power operation is greater than 85% of the maximum rated thrust of the turbine engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.