Rotating fluidized bed combustor

In a gas turbine engine (12) including a compressor (20), a combustor (26), a gasifier turbine (22), a first shaft (14) mounting said compressor (20) adjacent a first end thereof and said gasifier turbine (22) adjacent the other end thereof, said turbine (22) having blades positioned in the path of exhaust gases exiting said combustor (26) to drive said first shaft (14) and said compressor (20), a power turbine (40) having blades positioned in the path of exhaust gases exiting said gasifier turbine (22), a second shaft (42) driven by said power turbine (40) for delivering output work, a heat exchanger (54) for receiving compressed gas from said compressor (20), heating said compressed gas therein and passing said heated compressed gas to said combustor (26) and for receiving exhaust gases from said power turbine (40), cooling said exhaust gases while transferring at least a portion of their heat to said compressed gas and exhausting the resulting cooled exhaust gases, the improvement comprising:

• a rotatable fluidized bed combustor (26) for exothermically reacting said heated compressed gas and a fuel, said combustor comprising:
• a. an outer, substantially cylindrical, perforated wall (108);
• b. an inner, substantially cylindrical, perforated wall (110) spaced apart and substantially coaxial and co-extensive with said outer perforated wall (108);
• c. enclosing walls (109) defining with said outer and inner perforated walls (108,110) a substantially cylindrical annular fluidization chamber (112);
• d. a fluidizable bed of pulverulent solid particles (114) in said chamber (112);
• e. means (14) for rotating said chamber (112) about the axis (18) to cause the particles to centrifugally gravitate toward said outer perforated wall (108);
• f. means (102) for feeding a combustible fuel in said heated, compressed gas into said chamber (112) through said outer perforated wall (108), said heated, compressed gas having flow characteristics suitable for fluidizing said particles in said chamber (112), said fuel reacting with at least a portion of said heated, compressed gas in said chamber (112) to form gaseous combustion products, said unreacted compressed gas and said gaseous combustion products exiting said chamber (112) through said inner perforated wall (110);
• g. means (116) for receiving said gaseous combustion products and unreacted compressed gas exiting from said chamber (112) through said inner perforated wall (110);
• and
• h. means (118), communicating with said means (116) for receiving, for directing said unreacted compressed gas and said gaseous combustion products exiting said inner perforated wall (110) to said gasifier turbine (22).

A rotatable fluidized bed combustor (26) for exothermically reacting a gaseous agent and a fuel comprising:

• a. an outer, substantially cylindrical, elongated perforated wall (108);
• b. an inner, substantially cylindrical, perforated wall (110) spaced apart and substantially co-axial and co-extensive with said outer perforated wall (108);
• c. enclosing walls (109) defining with said outer and inner perforated walls (108,110) a substantially cylindrical annular fluidization chamber (112), said chamber adapted to be mounted for rotation about a vertical axis;
• d. a fluidizable bed of pulverulent solid particles (114) in said chamber (112);
• e. means (14) for rotating said chamber (112) about the axis (18) to cause the particles to centrifugally gravitate toward said outer perforated wall (108);
• f. means (102) for feeding a combustible fuel in a gaseous agent stream into said chamber (112) through said outer perforated wall (108), said gaseous agent having flow characteristics suitable for fluidizing said particles in said chamber (112), said fuel reacting with at least a portion of said gaseous agent in said chamber (112) to form gaseous combustion products, said unreacted gaseous agent and said gaseous combustion products exiting said chamber (112) through said inner perforated wall (110);
• g. means (116) for receiving said gaseous combustion products and unreacted gaseous agent exiting from said chamber (112) through said inner perforated wall (110);
• and
• h. means (118), communicating with said means (116) for receiving, for directing said unreacted gaseous agent and said gaseous combustion products exiting said inner perforated wall (110) away from said chamber (112).

In a gas turbine engine (12) including a compressor (20), a combustor (26), a gasifier turbine (22), a first shaft (14) mounting said compressor (20) adjacent a first end thereof and said gasifier turbine (22) adjacent the other end thereof, said turbine (22) having blades positioned in the path of exhaust gases exiting said combustor (26) to drive said first shaft (14) and said compressor (20), a power turbine (40) having blades positioned in the path of exhaust gases exiting said gasifier turbine (22), a second shaft (42) driven by said power turbine (40) for delivering output work, a heat exchanger (54) for receiving compressed gas from said compressor (20), heating said compressed gas therein and passing said heated compressed gas to said combustor (26) and for receiving exhaust gases from said power turbine (40), cooling said exhaust gases while transferring at least a portion of their heat to said compressed gas and exhausting the resulting cooled exhaust gases, the improvement comprising:

• a rotatable fluidized bed combustor (26) for exothermically reacting said heated compressed gas and a fuel, said combustor comprising:
• a. an outer, substantially cylindrical, elongated perforated wall (108);
• b. an inner, substantially cylindrical, perforated wall (110) spaced apart and substantially coaxial and coextensive with said outer perforated wall (108);
• c. enclosing walls (109) defining with said outer and inner perforated walls (108,110) a substantially cylindrical annular fluidization chamber (112), said chamber adapted to be mounted for rotation about a vertical axis;
• d. a fluidizable bed of pulverulent solid particles (114) in said chamber (112);
• e. means (14) for rotating said chamber (112) about the axis (18) to cause the particles to centrifugally gravitate toward said outer perforated wall (108);
• f. means (102) for feeding a combustible fuel in said heated, compressed gas into said chamber (112) through said outer perforated wall (108), said heated, compressed gas having flow characteristics suitable for fluidizing said particles in said chamber (112), said fuel reacting with at least a portion of said heated, compressed gas in said chamber (112) to form gaseous combustion products, said unreacted compressed gas and said gaseous combustion products exiting said chamber (112) through said inner perforated wall (110);
• g. means (116) for receiving said gaseous combustion products and unreacted compressed gas exiting from said chamber (114) through said inner perforated wall (110);
• and
• h. means (118), communicating with said means (116) for receiving, for directing said unreacted compressed gas and said gaseous combustion products exiting said inner perforated wall (110) to said gasifier turbine (22).