Gas turbine engine combustor hot streak control

A gas turbine engine combustion system comprising:

• a plurality of fuel injectors circumferentially disposed around a combustor,
• a plurality of fuel nozzle valves in a one to one fuel supply relationship with the fuel injectors,
• temperature sensors operably mounted in the combustor to measure gas temperatures in the combustor,
• at least some of the temperature sensors mounted in one or more positions chosen from a group of first, second, and third positions,
• the first position being in proximity of at least one of the fuel injectors within outer and inner combustor cowlings of the combustor, the second position being in an annular dome plate of the combustor, and the third position being in an outer liner of the combustor, and
• an electronic controller controllably connected to the fuel nozzle valves for individually controlling the fuel nozzle valves to eliminate and/or reduce hot streaking between nozzle vanes in a turbine nozzle immediately downstream of the combustor in response to sensed hot streak conditions indicated at least in part by the temperature sensors in a combustion zone of the combustor.

A method for controlling gas turbine engine combustion system to eliminate and/or reduce hot streaking in a turbine nozzles immediately downstream of a combustor, the method comprising:

• supplying fuel to a plurality of fuel injectors circumferentially disposed around a combustor and igniting and combusting the fuel in the combustor,
• controlling the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel injectors with a plurality of fuel nozzle valves in a one to one fuel supply relationship with the fuel injectors,
• controlling the amount of fuel supplied to each one of the fuel injectors with an electronic controller controllably connected to the fuel nozzle valves to eliminate and/or reduce hot streaking between nozzle vanes in a turbine nozzle immediately downstream of the combustor,
• wherein the sensing hot streaking conditions includes measuring gas temperatures in the combustor with temperature sensors operably mounted in the combustor,
• at least some of the temperature sensors mounted in one or more positions chosen from a group of first, second, and third positions, and
• the first position being in proximity of at least one of the fuel injectors within outer and inner combustor cowlings of the combustor, the second position being in an annular dome plate of the combustor, and the third position being in an outer liner of the combustor.