Method for distributing fuel within an augmentor

A method for distributing fuel within a gas turbine engine, wherein the engine includes a forward end, an aft end, a fan, a compressor, a turbine, and a rotational centerline, comprising the steps of:

• providing an augmentor, positioned aft of the fan, compressor, and turbine, said augmentor including a nose cone centered on the rotational centerline of the engine and a case having an inner lining substantially concentric with said nose cone, wherein said fan, compressor, turbine, and augmentor define a path for core gas flow through the engine;
• providing a plurality of vanes, distributed circumferentially within said augmentor, each said vane extending radially outward from said nose cone to said inner lining, wherein each of said vanes includes:
• a pair of side walls and an aft wall which define an interior region;
• a fuel distributor, having a plurality of orifices, disposed in said interior of each said vane;
• a plurality of fuel apertures, extending through said side walls, aligned with said fuel distributor orifices, wherein fuel admitted into said fuel distributors flows through said orifices and said fuel apertures and into said core gas flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to said path of said core gas flow;
• at least one pressurized gas aperture, extending through said vane side wall, wherein pressurized gas admitted into said interior region of said vane flows through said pressurized gas apertures and into the core gas flow, in a direction substantially perpendicular to said path of said core gas flow;
• providing at least one assisted fuel distribution port per vane, said port including said pressurized gas aperture and at least one fuel aperture, wherein said pressurized gas aperture is positioned adjacent and forward of said fuel aperture in said port;
• selectively admitting fuel into said fuel distributors when said augmentor is enabled;
• wherein said pressurized gas entering said core gas flow forward of said fuel apertures creates a low velocity wake that enables fuel exiting said fuel apertures to distribute circumferentially.

An augmentor for a gas turbine engine, wherein the engine includes a forward end, an aft end, a rotational centerline, and a core gas flow passing through the engine along a path from the forward end to the aft end, comprising:

• a nose cone, centered on the rotational centerline of the engine;
• a case, having an inner lining substantially concentric with said nose cone;
• a plurality of vanes, circumferentially distributed within said augmentor and extending lengthwise, radially outward from said nose cone to said inner lining, each of said vanes including a pair of side walls and an aft wall which define an interior region, a plurality of fuel apertures and pressurized gas apertures extending through said vane side walls, wherein at least one of said pressurized gas apertures is positioned adjacent and forward of all said fuel apertures at a particular position;
• and
• wherein pressurized gas admitted into said interior region of said vane flows through said pressurized gas apertures and into the core gas flow, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the path of the core gas flow;
• at least one fuel distributor, disposed in said interior region of each said vane, extending lengthwise between said nose cone and said inner lining, said fuel distributor having a plurality of orifices for distributing fuel, wherein said orifices align with said fuel apertures such that fuel admitted into said fuel distributors flows through said orifices and fuel apertures and into the core gas flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the path of the core gas flow;
• and
• wherein said pressurized gas entering the core gas flow forward of said fuel apertures creates a low velocity wake that enables fuel exiting said fuel apertures to distribute circumferentially.

An apparatus for distributing fuel within a gas turbine engine augmentor, wherein the augmentor includes a nose cone centered on the rotational centerline of the engine, and a case, having an inner lining substantially concentric with the nose cone, comprising:

• a plurality of vanes, circumferentially distributed within said augmentor and extending lengthwise, radially outward from the nose cone to the inner lining, each of said vanes including a pair of side walls and an aft wall which define an interior region, and a plurality of fuel apertures and pressurized gas apertures extending through said vane side walls, wherein at least one of said pressurized gas apertures is positioned adjacent and forward of all said fuel apertures at a particular position;
• wherein pressurized gas admitted into said interior region of said vane flows through said pressurized gas apertures and into core gas flow passing by said vane, in a direction substantially perpendicular to said core gas flow;
• at least one fuel distributor, disposed in said interior region of each said vane, extending lengthwise between said nose cone and said inner lining said fuel distributor having a plurality of orifices for distributing fuel, wherein said orifices align with said fuel apertures, such that fuel admitted into said fuel distributors flows through said orifices and fuel apertures and into said core gas flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to said core gas flow;
• and
• wherein said pressurized gas entering said core gas flow forward of said fuel apertures creates a low velocity wake that enables fuel exiting said fuel apertures to distribute circumferentially.

A gas turbine engine, comprising:

• a fan, disposed at a forward end or said engine;
• a compressor, disposed aft of said fan, wherein said fan and said compressor add work to a core gas flow passing through said engine along a path from said forward end to an aft end;
• a turbine, disposed aft of said compressor, wherein said core gas flow passing through said engine drives said turbine, and said turbine drives said fan and compressor, and
• an augmentor, disposed at said aft end of said engine, said augmentor including:
• a nose cone, centered on a rotational centerline of said engine;
• a case, having an inner lining substantially concentric with said nose cone;
• a plurality of vanes, circumferentially distributed within said augmentor and extending lengthwise, radially outward from said nose cone to said inner lining each of said vanes including a pair of side walls and an aft wall which define an interior region, a plurality of fuel apertures and pressurized gas apertures extending through said vane side walls, wherein at least one of said pressurized gas apertures is positioned adjacent and forward of all said fuel apertures at a particular position;
• and
• wherein pressurized gas admitted into said interior region of said vane flows through said pressurized gas apertures and into said core gas flow, in a direction substantially perpendicular to said path of said core gas flow;
• at least one fuel distributor, disposed in said interior region of each said vane, extending lengthwise between said nose cone and said inner lining said fuel distributor having a plurality of orifices for distributing fuel, wherein said orifices align with said fuel apertures such that fuel admitted into said fuel distributors flows through said orifices and fuel apertures and into said core gas flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to said path of said core gas flow;
• and
• wherein said pressurized gas entering said core gas flow forward of said fuel apertures creates a low velocity wake that enables fuel exiting said fuel apertures to distribute circumferentially.

An apparatus for distributing fuel within a gas turbine engine augmentor, wherein the augmentor includes a nose cone centered on the rotational centerline of the engine, and a case having an inner lining substantially concentric with the nose cone, comprising:

• a plurality of vanes, circumferentially distributed within said augmentor and extending radially between the nose cone and the inner lining, each of said vanes including a pair of side walls and an aft wall which define an interior region, and a plurality of fuel apertures and pressurized gas apertures extending through said vane side walls, wherein at least one of said pressurized gas apertures is positioned adjacent to, and aligned upstream of all said fuel apertures at a particular position;
• at least one fuel distributor, disposed in said interior region of each said vane, extending radially between said nose cone and said inner lining, said fuel distributor having a plurality of orifices for distributing fuel, wherein said orifices align with said fuel apertures, and fuel admitted into said fuel distributors jets through said orifices and fuel apertures and into said core gas flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to said core gas flow;
• and
• wherein pressurized gas exiting said pressurized gas apertures upstream of;
• and aligned with, said fuel apertures jets circumferentially outward from said vane, into said core gas flow, creating a low velocity wake upstream of said fuel apertures that enables fuel jetting from said fuel apertures to distribute circumferentially.