Ultra high altitude starting compact combustor

A radial turbine engine, comprising:

• a turbine wheel coupled to a rotary compressor for axially driven movement thereof;
• an annular nozzle for directing gases of combustion radially at said turbine wheel;
• an annular combustor defining an annular combustion space disposed about said turbine wheel and in fluid communication with both said compressor and said nozzle, said combustor receiving fuel from a source and air from said compressor and combusting fuel and air in said combustion space to generate said gases of combustion, said annular combustor being defined by an annular outer wall, an annular inner wall, and a radial wall extending between said inner and outer walls axially opposite said nozzle;
• means for simultaneously injecting fuel generally tangentially into a first fuel injection zone located at a point adjacent said radial wall and into a second fuel injection zone located at a point generally intermediate said first fuel injection zone and said nozzle, said second fuel injection zone being axially adjacent said first fuel injection zone and said fuel injecting means associated with at least said first fuel injection zone comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced air assist fuel atomization injectors;
• and
• means for controlling distribution of fuel from said source to the respective ones of said fuel injection zones.

A radial turbine engine, comprising:

• a turbine wheel coupled to a rotary compressor for axially driven movement thereof;
• an annular nozzle for directing gases of combustion radially at said turbine wheel;
• an annular combustor defining an annular combustion space disposed about said turbine wheel and in fluid communication with both said compressor and said nozzle, said combustor receiving fuel from a source and air from said compressor and combusting fuel and air in said combustion space to generate said gases of combustion, said annular combustor being defined by an annular outer wall, an annular inner wall, and a radial wall extending between said inner and outer walls axially opposite said nozzle;
• means for simultaneously injecting fuel tangentially into a first fuel injection zone adjacent said radial wall and into a second fuel injection zone generally intermediate said first fuel injection zone and said nozzle, said second fuel injection zone being axially adjacent said first fuel injection zone and said fuel injecting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced fuel injectors associated with each of said fuel injection zones wherein at least said fuel injectors associated with said first fuel injection zone are of the air assist fuel injection type, said circumferentially spaced fuel injectors associated with each of said fuel injection zones being disposed in said outer wall of said combustor in axially spaced apart planes generally perpendicular to an axis of said combustor;
• means for controlling distribution of fuel from said source to the respective ones of said fuel injection zones;
• and
• means for injecting dilution air into a dilution air zone intermediate said second fuel injection zone and said nozzle.