Annular vortex combustor

A circumferentially stirred variable residence time vortex combustor comprising:

• a toroidal shaped primary annular combustion chamber disposed around a primary axis in the X-direction including an inner primary wall and an outer primary wall for containing an annular combustion vortex, at least one of said inner primary and said outer primary walls defining a first plurality of louvres peripherally disposed about said primary combustion chamber and longitudinally distributed along its primary axis, said louvres inclined to impel air circumferentially about the primary axis within said primary combustion chamber to cool its interior surfaces, to impel air inwardly to assist in driving the annular combustion vortex in a helical path, and to feed combustion in said primary combustion chamber;
• a secondary annular combustion chamber including a second plurality of louvres for driving air within said secondary annular combustion chamber in approximately the same helical path established by said first plurality of louvres to cool the inner surfaces of said secondary annular combustion chamber and to assist in cooling combustion gases;
• and
• a narrow annular waist region, interconnecting the output of said primary combustion chamber with said secondary annular combustion chamber and defined by said outer wall for passing only lower density particles and trapping higher density particles in the annular combustion vortex in said primary annular combustion chamber for substantial combustion, and including a set of radially opposing air jets to quench the combusting gases and minimize the formation of nitrogen oxides.

A circumferentially stirred variable residence time vortex combustor comprising;

• a toroidal shaped primary annular combustion chamber disposed around a primary axis in the X-direction for containing an annular combustion vortex, said primary combustion chamber established by a plurality of plates successively arranged about the primary axis of said combustor to form an inner and an outer wall for said primary chamber;
• a plurality of louvres defined by said plates, said louvres inclined to impel air circumferentially about the primary axis within said primary combustion chamber to cool its interior surfaces, to impel air inwardly to assist in driving the annular combustion vortex in a helical path and to feed combustion in said primary combustion chamber;
• a secondary annular combustion chamber;
• and
• a narrow annular waist region, interconnecting the output of said primary combustion chamber with said secondary annular combustion chamber and defined by said outer wall, for passing only lower density particles and trapping higher density particles in the annular combustion vortex in said primary annular combustion chamber for substantial combustion.