# US 2018/0320900 A1 · Trapped vortex combustor for a gas turbine engine with a driver airflow channel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0320900 A1 - Document ID: US20180320900A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/584,057 - Filed: 2017-05-02 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-02 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Beverly Stephenson Duncan; Eric John Stevens; Steven Joseph Lohmueller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180320900A1 ## CPC - F23R 3/06: Arrangement of apertures along the flame tube - F23R 3/002: {Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence)} - F23R 3/12: inducing a vortex - F23R 3/343: {Pilot flames, i.e. fuel nozzles or injectors using only a very small proportion of the total fuel to insure continuous combustion (ignition in gas-turbine plants F02C7/264; pilot flame igniters F23Q9/00)} - F23R 3/346: {for staged combustion} - F23R 3/60: Support structures; Attaching or mounting means - F23R 3/10: for primary air (F23R3/06, F23R3/045 take precedence) - F23R 3/286: {having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence)} - F23R 3/30: comprising fuel prevapourising devices - F23R 3/50: Combustion chambers comprising an annular flame tube within an annular casing (toroidal combustion chambers F23R3/52) - F23R 3/58: Cyclone or vortex type combustion chambers - F23R 2900/00015: Trapped vortex combustion chambers - F23R 2900/03041: Effusion cooled combustion chamber walls or domes - F23R 2900/03042: Film cooled combustion chamber walls or domes - Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft - F23R: GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS (fluidised bed combustion apparatus specially adapted for operation at superatmospheric pressures F23C10/16) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A trapped vortex combustor for use in a gas turbine engine includes an outer vortex chamber wall and a dome attached to, or formed integrally with, the outer vortex chamber wall. The dome, the outer vortex chamber wall, or both define at least in part an outer trapped vortex chamber and a channel. The channel extends along the circumferential direction at a forward end of the outer vortex chamber wall, the channel configured to receive an airflow through or around the outer vortex chamber wall, the dome, or both and provide such airflow as a continuous annular airflow to the inner surface of the outer vortex chamber wall. The dome further defines a fuel nozzle opening, with all openings in the dome outward of the fuel nozzle opening along the radial direction, excepting any effusion cooling holes having a diameter less than about 0.035 inches, being in airflow communication with the channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A trapped vortex combustor for use in a gas turbine engine, the trapped vortex combustor defining a radial direction and a circumferential direction, the trapped vortex combustor comprising: an outer vortex chamber wall defining a forward end and comprising an inner surface; and a dome attached to, or formed integrally with, the outer vortex chamber wall, the dome, the outer vortex chamber wall, or both defining at least in part an outer trapped vortex chamber and a channel, the channel extending along the circumferential direction at the forward end of the outer vortex chamber wall, the channel configured to receive an airflow through or around the outer vortex chamber wall, the dome, or both and provide such airflow as a continuous annular airflow to the inner surface of the outer vortex chamber wall, wherein the dome further defines a fuel nozzle opening, with all openings in the dome outward of the fuel nozzle opening along the radial direction, excepting any effusion cooling holes having a diameter less than about 0.035 inches, being in airflow communication with the channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 1, further comprising: an inner combustion chamber liner and an outer combustion chamber liner together defining a combustion chamber, wherein the outer vortex chamber is positioned upstream of the combustion chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 1, wherein the dome, the outer vortex chamber wall, or both define a plurality of openings in airflow communication with the channel for providing the airflow to the channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 3, wherein both the dome and the outer vortex chamber wall define the plurality of openings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 3, wherein the plurality of openings are spaced along the circumferential direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 1, wherein the outer vortex chamber is configured to receive a total amount of airflow during operation, and wherein at least about fifteen percent of the total amount of airflow is provided through the channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 1, wherein the channel extends substantially continuously three hundred and sixty degrees about an axial centerline of the trapped vortex combustor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 1, wherein the dome comprises a lip extending into the outer vortex chamber, wherein the lip defines the channel with the inner surface of the outer vortex chamber wall. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 1, further comprising: a mount, wherein the dome comprises a dome flange, wherein the outer vortex chamber wall comprises a wall flange, wherein the mount attaches the dome flange to the wall flange, wherein the channel is defined between the dome flange and the wall flange, and wherein at least one of the mount, the dome flange, or the wall flange defines a plurality of openings in airflow communication with the channel for providing the airflow to the channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 1, wherein the channel is an outer channel, and wherein the combustor further comprises: an inner vortex chamber wall defining a forward end and comprising an inner surface, wherein the dome is attached to, or formed integrally with, the inner vortex chamber wall, wherein the dome, the inner vortex chamber wall, or both define at least in part an inner trapped vortex chamber and an inner channel, the inner channel extending along the circumferential direction at the forward end of the inner vortex chamber wall, the inner channel configured to receive an airflow through or around the inner vortex chamber wall, the dome, or both and provide such airflow as a continuous annular airflow to the inner surface of the inner vortex chamber wall. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 10, wherein the fuel nozzle opening of the dome is an outer fuel nozzle opening, wherein the dome further defines an inner fuel nozzle opening, and wherein all openings in the dome inward of the inner fuel nozzle opening along the radial direction, excepting any effusion cooling holes having a diameter less than about 0.035 inches, are in airflow communication with the inner channel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 10, wherein the inner channel extends substantially continuously three hundred and sixty degrees about an axial centerline of the trapped vortex combustor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 1, wherein the channel is an outer channel defining an outlet, wherein the trapped vortex combustor further comprises: an inner vortex chamber wall defining a forward end, wherein the dome, the inner vortex chamber wall, or both define at least in part an inner channel at the forward end, wherein the inner channel defines an outlet, wherein the trapped vortex combustor defines a cavity height between the outer vortex chamber wall at the outlet of the outer channel and the inner vortex chamber wall at the outlet of the inner channel, wherein the outer channel further defines a maximum height, and wherein the maximum height of the outer channel is between about 0.1 percent and about eight percent of the cavity height. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The trapped vortex combustor of claim 1, wherein the channel is an outer channel defining an outlet, wherein the trapped vortex combustor further comprises: an inner vortex chamber wall defining a forward end, wherein the dome, the inner vortex chamber wall, or both define at least in part an inner channel at the forward end, wherein the inner channel defines an outlet, wherein the trapped vortex combustor defines a cavity height between the outer vortex chamber wall at the outlet of the outer channel and the inner vortex chamber wall at the outlet of the inner channel, wherein the fuel nozzle opening defines a separation from the inner surface of the outer vortex chamber wall, and wherein the separation is between about one percent and about eight percent of the cavity height. ### Claim 15 A trapped vortex combustor for use in a gas turbine engine, the trapped vortex combustor defining a radial direction and a circumferential direction, the trapped vortex combustor comprising: an outer vortex chamber wall defining a forward end and comprising an inner surface; and a dome attached to, or formed integrally with, the outer vortex chamber wall, the dome, the outer vortex chamber wall, or both defining at least in part an outer trapped vortex chamber and a channel, the channel extending along the circumferential direction at the forward end of the outer vortex chamber wall, the channel configured to receive an airflow through or around the outer vortex chamber wall, the dome, or both and provide such airflow as a continuous annular airflow to the inner surface of the outer vortex chamber wall, wherein the outer vortex chamber is configured to receive a total amount of airflow during operation, and wherein at least about fifteen percent of the total amount of airflow is provided through the channel. ### Claim 16 A method for operating a trapped vortex combustor of a gas turbine engine, the trapped vortex combustor comprising an outer vortex chamber wall and a dome attached to, or formed integrally with, the outer vortex chamber wall, the dome, the outer vortex chamber wall, or both defining at least in part an outer trapped vortex chamber and a channel, the channel positioned at a forward end of the outer vortex chamber wall, the method comprising: providing an airflow through or around the dome, the outer vortex chamber wall, or both to the channel; and providing the airflow received in the channel to the outer vortex chamber as an annular airflow, the annual airflow being at least about fifteen percent of a total amount of airflow provided to the outer vortex chamber. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the annual airflow is between about twenty percent and about forty percent of the total amount of airflow provided to the outer vortex chamber. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein providing the airflow through or around the dome, the outer vortex chamber wall, or both to the channel comprises providing the airflow through a plurality of airflow openings defined by the dome, the outer vortex chamber wall, or both. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein providing the airflow received in the channel to the outer vortex chamber as an annual airflow comprises providing the airflow received in the channel to the outer vortex chamber as an annular airflow along an inner surface of the outer vortex chamber wall. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the channel is an outer channel, wherein the combustor further comprises an inner vortex chamber wall, wherein the dome is attached to, or formed integrally with, the inner vortex chamber wall, wherein the dome, the inner vortex chamber wall, or both define at least in part an inner trapped vortex chamber and an inner channel positioned at a forward end of the inner vortex chamber wall, wherein the method further comprises: providing an airflow through or around the dome, the inner vortex chamber wall, or both to the inner channel; and providing the airflow received in the inner channel to the inner vortex chamber as an annual airflow, the annual airflow being at least about fifteen percent of a total amount of airflow provided to the inner vortex chamber.