US 4,899,539 AGranted

Flow mixer and flame stabilizer for a turbofan engine

AssigneeSociete Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."

InventorsPhilippe M. D. Gastebois, Alain G. J. Habrard, Jean L. Picard

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Abstract

A flow mixer and flame stabilizer structure for an afterburner of a turbofan engine is disclosed having a variable mixer to mix a portion of the cold flow with the hot flow gasses and which also forms a flame stabilizer for a secondary afterburner fuel injection manifold which injects fuel into the cold flow air during afterburner operation. The device forms a flame stabilizer around the secondary, annular fuel injection manifold and has a generally "U" shaped cross-section. One of the legs forming the "U" shape is fixed, while the opposite leg is movable so as to vary the downstream facing opening between the legs. The movable leg also blocks a portion of the cold flow duct to generate localized increases in pressure upstream of the stabilizer. An air scoop located in this upstream portion communicates with the primary afterburner flame stabilizer to direct pressurized air to cool the primary flame stabilizer.

Claims15

Dependent claims

In a turbojet engine having an outer casing, an afterburner portion, primary afterburner fuel injectors extending substantially radially with respect to a longitudinal axis of the engine, primary flame stabilizers associated with the primary afterburner fuel injectors, the improvements comprising:

(a) an intermediate casing located within the outer casing and dividing the gas flowing through the turbojet engine into hot and cold gas flow portions such that the primary afterburner fuel injectors are operatively associated with only the hot gas flow;
(b) a secondary afterburner fuel injection manifold located at the confluence of the hot and cold gas flow portions;
(c) a secondary flame stabilizer associated with the secondary afterburner fuel injection manifold comprising a fixed leg having a portion extending downstream of the secondary afterburner fuel injection manifold and a movable leg having a portion extending downstream of the secondary afterburner fuel injection manifold;
and,
(d) actuator means operatively associated with the movable leg so as to move the movable leg between a closed position wherein downstream edge portions of the movable leg and the fixed leg are in close proximity to each other, and an open position wherein downstream edge portions of the movable leg and the fixed leg are separated a maximum distance h.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.