Cyclonic prechamber with a centerbody for a gas turbine engine combustor
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsPaul V. Heberling, Mark P. Kelsey, Willard J. Dodds
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cyclonic precombustion mixing chamber or prechamber has an axially extending annular cyclonic chamber to vaporize liquid fuel therein and a centerbody centrally disposed within. A fuel injection means introduces liquid fuel radially outward into the cyclonic chamber. The centerbody extends axially through an annular exit of the prechamber to define a throat and throat exit therebetween which is optimally designed for preventing backflash and autoignition. In one embodiment the diameter of the throat is sized to substantially match the diameter of the potential core.
Claims6
A combustion apparatus for use in a gas turbine engine combustor, said apparatus comprising:
- an axially extending cyclonic prechamber assembly to vaporize liquid fuel injected therein having an annular cyclonic chamber and terminating in an annular throat axially downstream of said annular cyclonic chamber,
- said annular cyclonic chamber extending through at least an axially extending portion of said prechamber assembly,
- said cyclonic chamber having a radially outer cyclonic chamber inlet and a radially inner cyclonic chamber outlet,
- a swirling means disposed in said cyclonic chamber inlet for inducing cyclonic motion in said cyclonic chamber,
- a centerbody centrally axially disposed within said prechamber assembly and extending through to at least said throat,
- said centerbody having an axially downstream end wall,
- said centerbody including an axially downstream end wall disposed in said throat and an end wall cooling means disposed beneath said end wall for cooling said end wall, and
- said centerbody in part forming a prechamber assembly outlet downstream of said cyclonic chamber outlet wherein said throat is disposed in said prechamber assembly outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.