Combustor fuel control systems with flow divider assemblies

A method for supplying fuel to a combustor with a first nozzle, a second nozzle, and a third nozzle, the method comprising the steps of:

• supplying a flow of fuel into a dividing valve;
• dividing, in the dividing valve, the flow of fuel into a first portion and a second portion at a predetermined proportion, each of the first portion and the second portion having a pressure;
• directing the first portion and the second portion into a balancing valve;
• equalizing, in the balancing valve, the pressures of the first portion and the second portion;
• directing the first portion to the first nozzle;
• and
• directing the second portion to at least one of the second nozzle and the third nozzle.

A flow divider assembly, comprising:

• a dividing valve comprising:
• a dividing cavity configured to receive a flow of fuel, the dividing cavity including a first dividing valve port and a second dividing valve port, and
• a piston device arranged within the dividing cavity and selectively positioned to divide the flow of fuel in the dividing cavity such that a first portion of the flow is directed into the first dividing cavity port and a second portion of the flow is directed into the second dividing cavity port;
• and
• a balancing valve fluidly coupled to the dividing valve and configured to receive the first portion of the flow at a first pressure and the second portion of the flow at a second pressure, the balancing valve comprising:
• a balancing cavity including a first balancing cavity port and a second balancing cavity port, and
• a balancing device arranged within the balancing cavity and selectively positioned to direct the first portion of the flow into the first balancing cavity port at a third pressure and the second portion of the flow into the second balancing cavity port at a fourth pressure, the balancing device further configured to block the first balancing cavity port when the first pressure is less than a predetermined pressure and to block the second balancing cavity port when the second pressure is less than the predetermined pressure.