Method for control of thermoacoustic instabilities in a combustor
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsGregory S. Hagen, Andrzej Banaszuk, Prashant G. Mehta, Jeffrey M. Cohen, William Proscia
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Abstract
A method for controlling a temperature distribution within a combustor having a plurality of chamber sections comprising controlling a fuel-to-air ratio in the chamber sections. At least two chamber sections have different fuel-to-air ratios to create a non-uniform temperature distribution within the combustor to reduce thermoacoustic instabilities.
Claims24
A method for controlling temperature distributions within a combustor comprising, the combustor having a plurality of circumferentially positioned chamber sections therein, controlling fuel-to-air ratios in fuel flows and air flows supplied to each of the chamber sections, the plurality of chamber sections having among them a sequence of chamber sections successively positioned in the combustor with an end chamber section at each end of the sequence, the end chamber sections having fuel-to-air ratios that are larger than the fuel-to-air ratios of two further chamber sections, wherein each of the two further chamber sections are supplied with fuel and air and are positioned in the combustor adjacent to a corresponding one of the two opposite end chamber sections in the sequence of successively positioned chamber sections;
- and wherein the two further chamber sections have at least one additional chamber section from the plurality of chamber sections positioned between them in the combustor, the additional chamber section having a fuel-to-air ratio that is larger than the fuel-to-air ratio of the two further chamber sections.
A method for controlling a combustor having a plurality of circumferentially positioned chamber sections, the method comprising:
- creating a non-uniform temperature distribution within the combustor by controlling fuel-to-air ratios in fuel flows and air flows supplied to each of the plurality of chamber sections, the plurality of chamber sections having among them a sequence of chamber sections successively positioned in the combustor with an end chamber section at each end of the sequence, the end chamber sections having fuel-to-air ratios that are larger than the fuel-to-air ratios of two further chamber sections, wherein each of the two further chamber sections are supplied with fuel and air and are positioned in the combustor adjacent to a corresponding one of the two opposite end chamber sections in the sequence of successively positioned chamber sections;
- wherein the two further chamber sections have at least one additional chamber section from the plurality of chamber sections positioned between them in the combustor, the additional chamber section having a fuel-to-air ratio that is larger than the fuel-to-air ratio of the two further chamber sections.
A method for controlling a combustor having a plurality of circumferentially positioned chamber sections, the method comprising:
- dividing fuel from a fuel source in a flow divider valve;
- distributing controlled amounts of the fuel from the flow divider valve to the plurality of chamber sections in a non-uniform fuel pattern;
- distributing controlled amounts of air to the plurality of chamber sections;
- and
- controlling fuel-to-air ratios in the fuel and air distributed to each of the chamber sections, the plurality of chamber sections having among them a sequence of chamber sections successively positioned in the combustor with an end chamber section at each end of the sequence, the end chamber sections having fuel-to-air ratios that are larger than the fuel-to-air ratios of two further chamber sections, wherein each of the two further chamber sections are supplied with fuel and air and are positioned in the combustor adjacent to a corresponding one of the two opposite end chamber sections in the sequence of successively positioned chamber sections;
- wherein the two further chamber sections have at least one additional chamber section from the plurality of chamber sections positioned between them in the combustor, the additional chamber section having a fuel-to-air ratio that is larger than the fuel-to-air ratio of the two further chamber sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.