초록 ▼

A compact gas turbine engine having improved fuel efficiency, lower emissions, better starting capability, and longer operational life is provided at low cost through the use of a combustor incorporating tangential fuel injection in conjunction with certain strategically placed and sized oxidant inl

A compact gas turbine engine having improved fuel efficiency, lower emissions, better starting capability, and longer operational life is provided at low cost through the use of a combustor incorporating tangential fuel injection in conjunction with certain strategically placed and sized oxidant inlet jets. The oxidant inlet jets include deflector jets which deflect a generally circumferentially spiralling flow of gases within the combustor in a manner causing fuel and oxidant to recirculate for a longer period of time within a primary combustion zone, to thereby improve combustion efficiency and reduce undesirable emissions. Apparatus and methods for regulating injection of the fuel and oxidant in or primary, secondary, and dilution zones of the combustor in a manner providing improvements in fuel efficiency, high altitude starting and other advantages are also defined.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A method for combusting fuel in a combustor defining an annular combustion chamber disposed about an axis, with said combustion chamber having a primary combustion zone at an upstream axial end thereof, an outlet at a downstream axial end thereof, and a secondary combustion zone bet

[ I claim:] [1.] A method for combusting fuel in a combustor defining an annular combustion chamber disposed about an axis, with said combustion chamber having a primary combustion zone at an upstream axial end thereof, an outlet at a downstream axial end thereof, and a secondary combustion zone between said primary combustion zone and said outlet, said method comprising the steps of:(a) injecting streams of fuel and oxidant into said primary combustion zone;(b) mixing said streams to form a combustible mixture of fuel and oxidant;(c) combusting said mixture in a manner producing a generally circumferentially spiraling annular flow of said fuel, oxidant, and hot gases of combustion within said primary combustion zone, emanating from a point of injecting said streams of fuel and oxidant into said primary combustion zone and extending generally in a downstream direction toward said outlet, with said spiraling annular flow having components of motion in both a downstream axial and a tangential direction;(d) injecting a deflecting stream of oxidant, having at least a component of motion in an upstream direction, into said primary combustion zone and across said circumferentially spiraling flow such that said downstream axial component of motion of said circumferentially spiraling flow is reduced, thereby improving combustion efficiency and reducing emissions of the combustor by increasing dwell time of the fuel, oxidant, and hot gases of combustion within the primary combustion chamber,(e) injecting a secondary stream of oxidant into said secondary combustion zone through a plurality of blast tubes extending tangentially into said secondary combustion zone to create a dynamic oxidant baffle to impede the downstream axial component of motion of the circumferentially spiraling flow, to thereby improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions of the combustor by increasing dwell time of the fuel oxidant, and hot gases of combustion within the secondary combustion zone.