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US 8,800,290 B2Granted
Combustor
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsSteven W. Burd, Stephen K. Kramer, John T. Ols, Albert K. Cheung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine combustor has inboard and outboard walls. A forward bulkhead extends between the walls and cooperates therewith to define a combustor interior volume. Bluff body fuel injectors are along the bulkhead.
Claims23
A gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- an inboard wall;
- an outboard wall;
- a forward bulkhead extending between the inboard and outboard walls and cooperating therewith to define a combustor interior volume;
- and
- at least one fuel injector along the forward bulkhead and comprising:
- means for introducing fuel to a flow of air entering the interior volume for combusting the fuel and air;
- and
- means for inducing turbulence in a recirculation region downstream of a trailing end of the injector and promoting local flame stabilization of the combusting air and fuel,
- wherein:
- the means for inducing comprises:
- said trailing end of a body of the fuel injector being bluff;
- and
- the trailing end has a width between first and second air passageways of at least 10mm.
10 more elements
A gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- an inboard wall;
- an outboard wall;
- a forward bulkhead extending the inboard and outboard walls and cooperating therewith to define a combustor interior volume;
- and
- a fuel injector system comprising:
- an elongate body having first and second sides and a bluff end extending between the first and second sides;
- a first air flowpath along the first side of the body;
- a second air flowpath along the second side of the body;
- a plurality of first fuel nozzles positioned to direct fuel to a first flow of air in the first air flowpath;
- and
- a plurality of second fuel nozzles positioned to direct fuel to a second flow of air in the second air flowpath,
- wherein:
- there are a plurality of said injectors and a plurality of ducts, each said injector is associated with a respective said duct;
- each said duct comprises first and second outboard lateral walls;
- and
- each said duct comprises a divider wall between the first and second outboard lateral walls and extending downstream to meet an upstream end of a leg of the injector to divide a flow of the air into portions along either side of the injector leg.
13 more elements
A gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- an inboard wall;
- an outboard wall;
- a forward bulkhead extending between the inboard and outboard walls and cooperating therewith to define a combustor interior volume;
- and
- at least one fuel injector along the forward bulkhead and comprising:
- means for introducing fuel to a flow of air entering the interior volume for combusting the fuel and air;
- and
- means for inducing turbulence in a recirculation region downstream of a trailing end of the injector and promoting local flame stabilization of the combusting air and fuel,
- wherein:
- the at least one fuel injector comprises a plurality of fuel injectors arrayed along the forward bulkhead;
- each said injector is associated with a respective duct;
- each said duct comprises first and second outboard lateral walls;
- and
- each said duct comprises a divider wall between the first and second outboard lateral walls and extending downstream to meet an upstream end of a leg of the injector to divide a flow of the air into portions along either side of the injector leg.
11 more elements
A gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- an inboard wall;
- an outboard wall;
- a forward bulkhead extending between the inboard and outboard walls and cooperating therewith to define a combustor interior volume;
- and
- at least one fuel injector along the forward bulkhead and comprising:
- means for introducing fuel to a flow of air entering the interior volume for combusting the fuel and air;
- and
- means for inducing turbulence in a recirculation region downstream of a trailing end of the injector and promoting local flame stabilization of the combusting air and fuel,
- wherein:
- the at least one fuel injector comprises a plurality of fuel injectors arrayed along the forward bulkhead;
- each said injector is associated with a respective duct;
- each said duct comprises first and second outboard lateral walls;
- there is a prediffuser;
- and
- each said duct has an upstream end of the duct engaging a downstream end of the prediffuser.
12 more elements
A gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- an inboard wall;
- an outboard wall;
- a forward bulkhead extending between the inboard and outboard walls and cooperating therewith to define a combustor interior volume;
- and
- at least one fuel injector along the forward bulkhead and comprising:
- means for introducing fuel to a flow of air entering the interior volume for combusting the fuel and air;
- and
- means for inducing turbulence in a recirculation region downstream of a trailing end of the injector and promoting local flame stabilization of the combusting air and fuel,
- wherein:
- there are passageways at respective sides of the injector, the passageways having a width which is 10-50% of a width of a bluff trailing end of the injector.
7 more elements
A gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- an inboard wall;
- an outboard wall;
- a forward bulkhead extending between the inboard and outboard walls and cooperating therewith to define a combustor interior volume;
- and
- at least one fuel injector along the forward bulkhead and comprising:
- means for introducing fuel to a flow of air entering the interior volume for combusting the fuel and air;
- and
- means for inducing turbulence in a recirculation region downstream of a trailing end of the injector and promoting local flame stabilization of the combusting air and fuel,
- wherein:
- viewed in longitudinal section, surfaces of circumferential arrays of panels forming the inboard and outboard walls appear as a series of straight line segments extending downstream from the forward bulkhead.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.