US 8,464,538 B2 · Trapped vortex combustor and method of operating thereof

Abstract

A trapped vortex combustor includes a trapped vortex cavity having a first surface and a second surface. A plurality of fluidic mixers are disposed circumferentially along the first surface and the second surface of the trapped vortex cavity. At least one fluidic mixer includes a first open end receiving a first fluid stream, a coanda profile in the proximity of the first open end, a fuel plenum to discharge a fuel stream over the coanda profile, and a second open end for receiving the mixture of the first fluid stream and the fuel stream and discharging the mixture of the first fluid stream and the fuel stream in the trapped vortex cavity. The coanda profile is configured to enable attachment of the fuel stream to the coanda profile to form a boundary layer of the fuel stream and, to entrain the incoming first fluid stream to the boundary layer of the fuel stream to form a mixture of the first fluid stream and the fuel stream.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A trapped vortex combustor, comprising:

a trapped vortex cavity comprising a first surface and a second surface;
a plurality of fluidic mixers disposed circumferentially along the first surface and the second surface of the trapped vortex cavity, wherein at least one fluidic mixer comprises:
a first open end receiving a first fluid stream;
a coanda profile in the proximity of the first open end;
a fuel plenum to discharge a fuel stream over the coanda profile, wherein the coanda profile is configured to enable attachment of the fuel stream to the coanda profile to form a boundary layer of the fuel stream and, to entrain the incoming first fluid stream to the boundary layer of the fuel stream to form a mixture of the first fluid stream and the fuel stream;
and
a second open end for receiving the mixture of the first fluid stream and the fuel stream and discharging the mixture of the first fluid stream and the fuel stream in the trapped vortex cavity.

4 more elements

A method for operating a trapped vortex combustor, the method comprising:

splitting a fluid stream entering the trapped vortex combustor into a first fluid stream and a second fluid stream;
directing a portion of the second fluid stream to an open end of a trapped vortex cavity in the trapped vortex combustor;
diverting the first fluid stream to a plurality of fluidic mixers disposed circumferentially along a first surface and a second surface of the trapped vortex cavity;
discharging a fuel stream over a coanda profile in the proximity of a first open end of at least one fluidic mixer of the plurality of fluidic mixers so to enable attachment of the fuel stream to the coanda profile to form a boundary layer of the fuel stream and to entrain the incoming first fluid stream to the boundary layer of the fuel stream to form a mixture of the first fluid stream and the fuel stream;
discharging the mixture comprising the first fluid stream and the fuel stream in the trapped vortex cavity via a second open end of the at least one fluidic mixer.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Trapped vortex combustor and method of operating thereof

Life of this patent

Trapped vortex combustor and method of operating thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21