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US 6,513,334 B2Granted
Combustion chamber
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorBrian A. Varney
Life of this patent
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AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorBrian A. Varney
Estimating the term…
A three stage lean burn combustion chamber (28) comprises a primary combustion zone (36), a secondary combustion zone (40) and a tertiary combustion zone (44). Each of the combustion zones (36, 40, 44) is supplied with premixed fuel and air by respective fuel and air mixing ducts (76, 78, 80, 92). Secondary fuel injectors (106) and two secondary fuel manifolds (105A, 105B) supply fuel into different circumferential sectors, halves, of the secondary fuel and air mixing duct (80). The secondary fuel manifolds (105A, 105B) have secondary fuel valves (107A, 107B) which supply a greater proportion of fuel to the secondary fuel manifold (105A) than the secondary fuel manifold (105B) so that there is circumferential biasing of fuel in the secondary combustion zone (40). This circumferential biasing of fuel in the secondary combustion zone (40) reduces the generation of harmful pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber (28). Alternatively the biasing of the fuel may be in the primary or tertiary combustion zones (36, 44).
A combustion chamber comprising a plurality of combustion zones arranged in flow series defined by at least one peripheral wall, each combustion zone having at least one fuel and air mixing duct for supplying fuel and air into the respective one of the combustion zones, each of the fuel and air mixing ducts having at least one fuel injector for supplying fuel into the respective one of the fuel and air mixing ducts, the fuel injectors in the at least one fuel and air mixing duct for at least two of the combustion zones being arranged into a plurality of circumferentially arranged sectors, fuel supply means being arranged for supplying fuel to the fuel injectors, the fuel supply means being arranged for supplying a greater amount of fuel to one or more of the circumferentially arranged sectors than the remainder of the circumferentially arranged sectors to reduce the pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber.
A method of operating a combustion chamber comprising a plurality of combustion zones arranged in flow series defined by at least one peripheral wall, each combustion zone having at least one fuel and air mixing duct for supplying fuel and air into the respective one of the combustion zones, each of the fuel and air mixing ducts having at least one fuel injector for supplying fuel into the respective one of the fuel and air mixing ducts, the fuel injectors in the at least one fuel and air mixing duct for at least two of the combustion zones being arranged into a plurality of circumferentially arranged sectors, fuel supply means being arranged for supplying fuel to the fuel injectors, the method comprising supplying a greater amount of fuel to one or more of the circumferentially arranged sectors than the remainder of the circumferentially arranged sectors to reduce the pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.