Combustor

A combustor, comprising:

• an outer tube defining an interior space extending between first and second openings;
• an inner tube within the interior space extending along a centerline from a first end to a second end and defining a central passage, the interior space being supplied with a mixture of air and combustible fuel pre-mixed upstream of the inner tube, the inner tube having fluid directing structures for directing the pre-mixed mixture radially inward from the interior space to the central passage such that the pre-mixed mixture converges towards the central axis centerline in a direction extending towards the second end of the inner tube, wherein the fluid directing structures includes a plurality of openings and a guide associated with each opening, the guides being angled relative to an outer surface of the inner tube and extending in a downstream direction angled inward toward the centerline such that the pre-mixed mixture converges in the direction extending towards the second end of the inner tube;
• an end wall for securing the first end of the inner tube to the outer tube in a fluid-tight manner such that the fluid directing structures on the inner tube provides a fluid path from the interior space to the central passage;
• and
• a flange for securing the second end of the inner tube to the outer tube in a fluid-tight manner.

A combustor for an appliance, comprising:

• an inner tube extending along a central axis and defining a central passage and including fluid directing structures arranged circumferentially about the inner tube;
• an outer tube extending along the central axis and defining a central passage for receiving the inner tube, a fluid passage being defined between the inner and outer tubes;
• a partition dividing the central passage of the inner tube into a first section and a second section and having perforations providing fluid communication between the first and second sections;
• an end wall for closing the fluid passage at the first ends of the inner and outer tubes;
• wherein the first end of the inner tube receives a pre-mixed mixture of air and combustible fuel such that a first portion of the pre-mixed mixture flows radially outward through the fluid directing structures into the fluid passage and then radially inward into the second section of the central passage downstream of the partition while a second portion of the mixture flows axially from the first section through the perforations to the second section such that the first and second portions of the mixture mix within the second section for ignition by an igniter.