US 6,668,541 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for spraying fuel within a gas turbine engine

AssigneeAllison Advanced Development Company

InventorsEdward Claude Rice, Robert Anthony Ress, Jr., Reginald Guy Williams

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A fuel spraybar assembly for spraying fuel within a gas turbine engine. The spraybar assembly includes radial and lateral members that distribute fuel within the flowpath. In one embodiment two lateral members are located at the radially inward end of a radial member and generally form a “T” shape. Circumferentially spaced adjacent spraybars subdivide the flowpath into a plurality of circumferential combustion zone segments. In one embodiment the junction of the radial and lateral members provides a flameholding feature that stabilizes the combustion flame. In another embodiment, fuel is introduced non-uniformly within the afterburner resulting in thermal vectoring of the engine thrust.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method for changing the direction of a vehicle, comprising:

providing a vehicle with a gas turbine engine including an afterburner, the afterburner having a flowpath with a centerline and a plurality of fuel spraybars disposed therein;
propelling the vehicle in a first direction with thrust from the gas turbine engine, the afterburner being fueled by the plurality of fuel spraybars in a first fuel distribution field;
selecting to propel the vehicle in a second direction distinct from the first direction;
distributing fuel asymmetrically within the flowpath from the plurality of fuel spraybars to define a second fuel distribution field within the afterburner different from the first fuel distribution field;
and
burning the fuel within the second fuel distribution field to an create an off-centerline thrust to modify the direction of the vehicle.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/096,530Filed 11 Mar 2002 · continuation
Priority: 11 Aug 1998
Published: US 2003/0019205 A130 Jan 2003
Granted: 30 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

F23R 3/28
Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel: characterised by the fuel supply
F23R 3/20
Flame stabilising means, e.g. flame holders for after-burners of jet-propulsion plants: incorporating fuel injection means
F23R
Generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity

Family

Application09/132,455Parent of this division · filed 11 Aug 1998
Application09/597,631Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Jun 2000
US 2003/0019205 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Jan 2003
Application09/597,631Parent of this division
US 6,125,627 AParent of this division
US 6,668,541 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.