Method of obtaining a desired temperature profile in a turbine engine and turbine engine incorporating the same

A turbine engine comprising:

• a rotor rotatable about an axis and including a turbine wheel section adapted to receive gases of combustion and be driven thereby;
• an annular combustor about said axis and having an upstream combustion zone and a downstream outlet;
• an annular nozzle disposed about and directed at said turbine wheel and connected to said outlet;
• an annular compressed air chamber generally surrounding all of said combustor except said outlet and adapted to receive air from a compressor, said chamber having an opening into said combustor at said outlet at the radially inner side thereof;
• swirl imparting means within said chamber for causing a swirling motion about said axis to be imparted to air flowing in said chamber;
• and
• a baffle means overlying said opening so that swirling air entering said combustor therefrom is directed axially away from said outlet and toward said upstream combustion zone.

A method of obtaining a desired temperature profile across an annular nozzle and/or the vanes of a turbine driven about an axis by gases of combustion, comprising:

• (a) flowing gases of combustion in an annular stream with an axial component toward the nozzle;
• (b) introducing dilution air at a temperature lower than the gases of combustion from the interior of the stream with a predetermined swirling velocity about the axis at a location adjacent the nozzle;
• and,
• (c) radially and axially containing the dilution air so that the resulting centrifugal force on the dilution air will cause the dilution air to move first countercurrent to said stream and then radially outwardly and across said stream to mix therewith to the degree required to obtain said desired temperature profile.