US 2026/0309330 A1Published application

Annular vortex combustor for a turbine engine

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsRachel Yu, Nicholas R. Overman, William David Magnuszewski

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Abstract

An annular vortex combustor for a turbine engine. The annular vortex combustor defines a forward end and an aft end. The annular vortex combustor includes a combustor liner and a combustion chamber. The combustor liner includes an outer liner, an inner liner, and a dome at the forward end. The dome has a generally arc shape and extends from the outer liner to the inner liner. The combustion chamber is defined by the outer liner, the inner liner, and the dome, and extends from the forward end to the aft end. The combustion chamber has a primary combustion zone defined by the dome. The combustion chamber is configured to combust a mixture of a fuel flow and a compressed air flow in the primary combustion zone to generate a primary zone vortex, the generally arc shape of the dome shaping the primary zone vortex.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An annular vortex combustor for a turbine engine, the annular vortex combustor defining a forward end and an aft end, and comprising:

a combustor liner including an outer liner, an inner liner, and a dome at the forward end, the dome having an arc shape that extends from the outer liner to the inner liner with a radius of curvature that is greater than or equal to 180°and less than 360°;
a combustion chamber defined by the outer liner, the inner liner, and the dome, and extending from the forward end to the aft end, the combustion chamber having a primary combustion zone defined by the dome, wherein the combustion chamber is configured to combust a mixture of a fuel flow and a compressed air flow in the primary combustion zone to generate a primary zone vortex, the arc shape of the dome shaping the primary zone vortex in a vortex direction;
a plurality of liner cooling holes extending through the dome, each of the plurality of liner cooling holes angled to direct a cooling flow in a same circumferential direction along the dome and tangentially with respect to the dome and in the vortex direction to shape the primary zone vortex in the vortex direction;
and
a first driver opening and a second driver opening extending radially through the combustor liner and positioned axially aft of the dome and downstream of the primary combustion zone such that the primary combustion zone extends axially from the forward end to the first driver opening, the first driver opening and the second driver opening each oriented at an angle in a downstream direction for providing a driver flow formed of the compressed air flow for shaping and driving the primary zone vortex in the combustion chamber, wherein the first driver opening and the second driver opening are axially staggered from each other, wherein the first driver opening extends radially through one of the inner liner or the outer liner, and the second driver opening extends radially through the other of the inner liner or the outer liner, and wherein the first driver opening and the second driver opening are configured to form two axially-spaced counter-rotating toroidal vortices in the combustion chamber including the primary zone vortex and a secondary zone vortex.

2 more elements

A turbine engine comprising:

a compressor section for compressing air flowing therethrough to provide a compressed air flow;
and
an annular vortex combustor defining a forward end and an aft end, and comprising:
a combustor liner including an outer liner, an inner liner, and a dome at the forward end, the dome having an arc shape and that extends from the outer liner to the inner liner with a radius of curvature that is greater than or equal to 180° and less than 360°;
a combustion chamber defined by the outer liner, the inner liner, and the dome, and extending from the forward end to the aft end, the combustion chamber having a primary combustion zone defined by the dome, wherein the combustion chamber is configured to combust a mixture of a fuel flow and the compressed air flow in the primary combustion zone to generate a primary zone vortex, the arc shape of the dome shaping the primary zone vortex in a vortex direction;
a plurality of liner cooling holes extending through the dome, each of the plurality of liner cooling holes angled to direct a cooling flow in a same circumferential direction along the dome and tangentially with respect to the dome and in the vortex direction to shape the primary zone vortex in the vortex direction;
and
a first driver opening and a second driver opening extending radially through the combustor liner and positioned axially aft of the dome and downstream of the primary combustion zone such that the primary combustion zone extends axially from the forward end to the first driver opening, the first driver opening and the second driver opening each oriented at an angle in a downstream direction for providing a driver flow formed of the compressed air flow for shaping and driving the primary zone vortex in the combustion chamber, wherein the first driver opening and the second driver opening are axially staggered from each other, wherein the first driver opening extends radially through one of the inner liner or the outer liner, and the second driver opening extends radially through the other of the inner liner or the outer liner, and wherein the first driver opening and the second driver opening are configured to form two axially-spaced counter-rotating toroidal vortices in the combustion chamber including the primary zone vortex and a secondary zone vortex.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.