Method and apparatus to decrease combustor emissions
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsTimothy James Held, Mark Anthony Mueller, Jun Xu
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Abstract
A method for operating a gas turbine engine facilitates reducing an amount of emissions from a combustor. The combustor includes a mixer assembly including a pilot mixer, a main mixer, and an annular centerbody extending therebetween. The method comprises injecting at least one of fuel and airflow into the combustor through at least one swirler positioned within the pilot mixer, and injecting fuel into the combustor through at least one swirler positioned within the main mixer, such that the fuel is directed into a combustion chamber downstream from the main mixer.
Claims19
A method for operating a gas turbine engine including combustor that includes a mixer assembly including a pilot mixer, a main mixer, and an annular centerbody extending therebetween, said method comprising:
- injecting fuel into the combustor through at least one swirler vane positioned within the pilot mixer;
- and
- injecting fuel into the combustor through at least one swirler vane positioned within the main mixer, such that the fuel is directed into a combustion chamber downstream from the main mixer.
A combustor for a gas turbine comprising:
- a combustion chamber;
- a pilot mixer comprising a pilot centerbody and at least one axial air swirler radially outward from and concentrically mounted with respect to said pilot centerbody, said pilot mixer upstream from said combustion chamber;
- a main mixer radially outward from and concentrically aligned with respect to said pilot mixer, said main mixer comprising at least one swirler configured to inject fuel therethrough into said main mixer, said main mixer upstream from said combustion chamber;
- and
- an annular centerbody extending between said pilot mixer and said main mixer, said centerbody comprising a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface, said radially inner surface comprising at least one of a divergent portion and a convergent portion.
A gas turbine engine comprising a combustor comprising a combustion chamber and a mixer assembly upstream from said combustion chamber for controlling emissions from said combustor, said mixer assembly comprising a pilot mixer and a main mixer, said pilot mixer comprising a pilot centerbody and a plurality of swirlers upstream and radially outward from said pilot centerbody, said main mixer radially outward from and concentrically aligned with respect to said pilot mixer, said main mixer comprising at least one swirler configured to inject fuel therethrough towards said combustion chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.