Flashback resistant fuel staged premixed combustor
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorGary L. Leonard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In order to reduce emissions of NO.sub.x, CO and unburned hydrocarbons, the flame temperature must be kept between 2500.degree.-2800.degree. F. Premixing combustor tubes are used to premix the fuel and air before the mixture is burned in the combustion chamber. The tubes are flashback resistant due to the flow of the fuel and air mixture through them. If it is desired to reduce the load operation of the combustor to substantially below 100% of its maximum load operation, as is the case during off-peak hours, the fuel and air flow rate can be regulated to reduce the load operation while still keeping the low emissions and the low flame temperature.
Claims8
A combustor system, comprising:
- a combustion chamber for combusting a mixture of a first fuel and air;
- a liquid fuel introduction means substantially located within said combustion chamber;
- premixing combustor tubes for premixing said first fuel and air in said tubes before said first fuel and air enter said combustion chamber, said tubes having first and second ends with holes located along said first end and said second end being substantially located within said combustion chamber;
- wherein said premixing tubes are further comprised of a bundle of tubes substantially centered around said liquid fuel introduction means with said bundle being divided into at least three consecutive rings of tubes said consecutive rings being of varying diameters with said third ring encircling said second ring which encircles said first ring;
- a fuel introduction means connected to said first end of said premixing combustor tubes for introducing said first fuel into said tubes;
- an air introduction means for introducing air into said premixing combustor tubes;
- and
- control means for controlling said first fuel, said liquid fuel and said air while maintaining low emissions and a low flame temperature in said combustion chamber, wherein said combustor chamber is further comprised of:
- an outer wall;
- an inner wall;
- a heat resistant coating located substantially along a portion of said inner wall;
- and
- perforations located substantially along another portion of said inner wall and along a portion of said outer wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.