Star combustor with dilution ports in can portions

Abstract

A generally annular combustor system has a chamber with an annular chamber portion and a plurality of can-like chamber portions protruding from the annular chamber portion. An external fuel/air premixer is associated with each can chamber portion to provide a mixture with a desired (generally lean) fuel/air ratio tangentially through the can sidewall. A first portion of the total compressed air flows to the premixers, a second portion enters the combustion chamber through ports which, for can chamber volumes sufficient for complete combustion, can be located in the can chamber portion proximate the connection between the can portion and the annular portion. The premixer associated with each can chamber portion preferably includes a venturi and a fuel nozzle for spraying liquid fuel or gas into the venturi inlet to provide a fully premixed fuel/air mixture. An auxiliary fuel nozzle can be positioned in the annular portion for selectively supplying fuel for reheat of the combustion gases, using the dilution air, to maintain combustor outlet temperature. The annular chamber portion advantageously can be nested between the compressor and turbine components of large axial flow-type gas turbines in retrofit applications.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.