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US 6,237,343 B1Granted
Combustion chamber and a method of operation thereof
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorPhilip D Butler
Life of this patent
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AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorPhilip D Butler
Estimating the term…
A gas turbine engine (10) combustion chamber (28) comprises a primary combustion zone (36) and a secondary combustion zone(40) in which lean mixtures of fuel and air are burned. Air is supplied to a first mixing duct (50) through a swirler (52). Air is supplied to an additional mixing duct (58) through a swirler (54) and hydrocarbon fuel is supplied to the additional mixing duct (58) through a swirler (66). The hydrocarbon fuel and air is mixed and reacted in a catalytic partial oxidation reaction zone (60) which produces a product gas comprising a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water and unreacted hydrocarbon fuel. Additional hydrocarbon fuel is supplied from apertures (72) and is mixed with the product gas in a mixing chamber (68) and this mixture is supplied to the first mixing duct (50) and mixes with the air. The first mixing duct (50) supplies a lean mixture of fuel into the primary combustion zone (36). The arrangement enables the combustion chamber (28) to operate with more stability or at leaner fuel to air ratios.
A combustion chamber comprising at least one combustion zone defined by at least one peripheral wall, at least one first fuel and air mixing duct for supplying fuel and air respectively into the at least one combustion zone, means to supply air into the at least one first fuel and air mixing duct, at least one catalytic partial oxidation reaction zone, at least one additional fuel and air mixing duct for supplying fuel and air respectively into the at least one catalytic partial oxidation reaction zone, means to supply fuel and air into the at least one additional fuel and air mixing duct, the at least one catalytic partial oxidation reaction zone being arranged to produce a product gas comprising a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water, carbon dioxide and unreacted fuel, means to supply additional fuel into the product gas produced by the at least one catalytic partial oxidation reaction zone, means to mix the additional fuel and the product gas, and means to supply the product gas and additional fuel into the at least one first fuel and air mixing duct such that the product gas and additional fuel mix with the air in the first fuel and air mixing duct before being supplied into the at least one combustion zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.