Loading patent…
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorCecil J. Marek
Estimating the term…
A fuel combustor comprises a chamber with air and fuel inlets and a combination gas outlet. The fuel is supplied to a vaporization zone and fuel and air are mixed in a pair of mixing chambers each exemplified by a swirl can and the resultant mixture is directed into a combustion zone within the combustor. Combustion products are exhausted, for example, into a turbine inlet. Heat pipe means, in this case comprising a pair of heat pipes for each swirl can, are arranged each pipe with one end portion substantially in the combustion zone and the other end portion in the vaporization zone of its appropriate mixing chamber. By use of the heat pipe means some of the heat of combustion is carried back upstream into the swirl cans, to vaporize the fuel as it enters the vaporization zone in the swirl can, thereby improving vaporization and fuel mixing. Fewer pollutants are formed and complete combustion is assisted because of the improved fuel vaporization and better mixing.
A combustor comprising an air flow inlet and an outlet, a fuel supply, a plurality of mixing chambers disposed in said combustor, a fuel inlet manifold for providing fuel at respective inlets of said mixing chambers, said chambers being in the path of air from said air flow inlet, a portion of the air from said air flow inlet bypassing said mixing chambers, a plurality of heat pipes each having one portion in the path of the fuel and air as it is mixed in a respective one of said mixing chambers and another portion downstream of said mixed air fuel adjacent the zone of combustion during operation, thereby in operation to transfer heat of combustion upstream of enhance fuel vaporization and complete combustion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.