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A gas turbine engine combustor (26) including a primary combustion chamber (28), a mixer element (34), a mixing chamber (46) and a secondary combustion chamber (48). The primary combustion chamber receives a fuel oxidizer mixture flow (22) and discharges a partially oxidized mixture flow (32). The m

A gas turbine engine combustor (26) including a primary combustion chamber (28), a mixer element (34), a mixing chamber (46) and a secondary combustion chamber (48). The primary combustion chamber receives a fuel oxidizer mixture flow (22) and discharges a partially oxidized mixture flow (32). The mixer element includes a plurality of flow channels (36, 38) for separating the partially oxidized mixture from a flow of an oxidizer (24) and producing a plurality of partially oxidized mixture flows interspersed with a plurality of oxidizer fluid flows. The mixer element may include a plurality of tubes (62) retained by an upstream tubesheet (70) and a downstream tubesheet (76). The mixer element may function as a heat exchanger to heat the oxidizer fluid flow and to cool the partially oxidized mixture flow upstream of the post-mixing chamber.

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1. A combustor comprising:a primary combustion chamber receiving a first fuel-oxidizer mixture and discharging a partially oxidized mixture;a mixer element receiving the partially oxidized mixture and a flow of an oxidizer into a plurality of separate flow channels and comprising a plurality of outl

1. A combustor comprising:a primary combustion chamber receiving a first fuel-oxidizer mixture and discharging a partially oxidized mixture;a mixer element receiving the partially oxidized mixture and a flow of an oxidizer into a plurality of separate flow channels and comprising a plurality of outlet ends discharging the partially oxidized mixture interspersed among a plurality of outlet ends discharging the oxidizer;a chamber in fluid communication with the outlet ends of the mixer element for mixing the partially oxidized mixture with the oxidizer downstream of the mixer element; andfurther comprising a secondary combustion chamber for further combusting the partially oxidized mixture with the oxidizer downstream of the chamber.2. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the mixer element comprises a heat exchanger.3. The combustor of claim 2, wherein the mixer element comprises a tube/shell heat exchanger.4. A combustor comprising:a primary combustion chamber receiving a first fuel-oxidizer mixture and discharging a partially oxidized mixture;a mixer element receiving the partially oxidized mixture and a flow of an oxidizer into a plurality of separate flow channels and comprising a plurality of outlet ends discharging the partially oxidized mixture interspersed among a plurality of outlet ends discharging the oxidizer;a chamber in fluid communication with the outlet ends of the mixer element for mixing the partially oxidized mixture with the oxidizer downstream of the mixer element;wherein the mixer element comprises a heat exchanger; andwherein the mixer element flow channels have sufficient respective lengths along a direction of flow so that a temperature of the oxidizer is increased by a minimum of 100 degrees Fahrenheit across the mixer element.5. A combustor comprising:a primary combustion chamber receiving a first fuel-oxidizer mixture and discharging a partially oxidized mixture;a mixer element receiving the partially oxidized mixture and a flow of an oxidizer into a plurality of separate flow channels and comprising a plurality of outlet ends discharging the partially oxidized mixture interspersed among a plurality of outlet ends discharging the oxidizer;a chamber in fluid communication with the outlet ends of the mixer element for mixing the partially oxidized mixture with the oxidizer downstream of the mixer element; andwherein the mixer element flow channels have respective lengths along a direction of flow so that a temperature of the oxidizer is increased by a maximum of 100 degrees Fahrenheit across the mixer element.6. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the mixer element comprises a plurality of tubes.7. The combustor of claim 6, wherein the mixer element further comprises a tubesheet at a downstream end of the tubes for allowing passage of the partially oxidized mixture and the oxidizer into the chamber.8. The combustor of claim 6, further comprising a tubesheet at an upstream end of the tubes.9. The combustor of claim 1, further comprising an igniter positioned in the primary combustion chamber.10. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the mixer element further comprises a baffle plate disposed upstream of the respective outlet ends of the mixer element proximate a primary combustion chamber outlet end and configured to allow passage of the oxidizer and the partially oxidized mixture therethrough.11. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the mixer element further comprises a manifold dividing the oxidizer into a plurality of oxidizer fluid flows.12. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the first fuel-oxidizer mixture has an equivalence ratio of between approximately 1 and 3.5.13. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the partially oxidized mixture has an adiabatic flame temperature of between approximately 1500 degrees Fahrenheit and 3000 degrees Fahrenheit in the primary combustion chamber.14. A gas turbine engine comprising the combustor of claim 1.15. A combustor for a gas turbine engine comprising:a primary combustion chamber receiving a first fuel-oxidizer mixture and discharging a partially oxidized mixture;a mixer element receiving the partially oxidized mixture and a flow of an oxidizer into a plurality of separate flow channels, wherein the mixer element comprises a heat exchanger comprising a shell for receiving the partially oxidized mixture, a plurality of tubes for receiving the flow of the oxidizer, and a plurality of outlet ends discharging the partially oxidized mixture interspersed among the plurality of outlet ends discharging the oxidizer;a chamber in fluid communication with the outlet ends of the mixer element for mixing the partially oxidized mixture with the oxidizer downstream of the mixer element; anda secondary combustion chamber for further combusting the partially oxidized mixture with the oxidizer downstream of the mixing chamber.16. The combustor of claim 15, further comprising a tubesheet at a downstream end of the tubes.17. The combustor of claim 15, further comprising a tubesheet at an upstream end of the tubes.18. The combustor of claim 15, further comprising a baffle plate, disposed upstream of the respective outlet ends of the heat exchanger proximate a primary combustion chamber outlet end.