초록 ▼

A burner has a port facing into a combustion chamber along an axis. A secondary fuel injector structure has secondary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber at locations spaced radially outward from the burner port. A tertiary fuel injector structure has tertiary fuel injection p

A burner has a port facing into a combustion chamber along an axis. A secondary fuel injector structure has secondary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber at locations spaced radially outward from the burner port. A tertiary fuel injector structure has tertiary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber in directions perpendicular to the axis at locations spaced axially downstream from the secondary fuel injection ports.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method comprising: delivering fuel and oxidant to a combustion chamber at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio, while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber, by: a) delivering the entire target rate of oxidant and a first

The invention claimed is: 1. A method comprising: delivering fuel and oxidant to a combustion chamber at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio, while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber, by: a) delivering the entire target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel together in a fuel-lean primary reactant stream that is directed into the combustion chamber along an axis to define a primary combustion zone expanding radially outward along the axis; b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel in second stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber at locations radially outward of the primary reactant stream to define a secondary combustion zone radially outward of the primary combustion zone; and c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate in third stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber at locations within the primary reactant stream to define a tertiary combustion zone extending axially downstream from the primary combustion zone. 2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first partial target rate is the highest partial target rate, and the second partial target rate is the lowest partial target rate. 3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the first partial target rate is about 65% of the target rate, the second partial target rate is about 15% of the target rate, and the third partial target rate is about 20% of the target rate. 4. A method comprising: delivering fuel and oxidant to a combustion chamber at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio, while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber, by: a) delivering the entire target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel together in a fuel-lean primary reactant stream that is directed into the combustion chamber through a primary port centered on an axis; b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel in second stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber through secondary fuel injection ports spaced radially outward from the primary port; and c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate in third stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber in directions perpendicular to the axis through tertiary fuel injection ports that are spaced axially downstream from the secondary fuel injection ports. 5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the first partial target rate is the highest partial target rate, and the second partial target rate is the lowest partial target rate. 6. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the first partial target rate is about 65% of the target rate, the second partial target rate is about 15% of the target rate, and the third partial target rate is about 20% of the target rate. 7. A method comprising: delivering fuel and oxidant to a combustion chamber at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio by: a) delivering the target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel together in a fuel-lean primary reactant stream that is directed into the combustion chamber along an axis to define a primary combustion zone expanding radially outward along the axis; b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel in second stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber at locations radially outward of the primary reactant stream to define a secondary combustion zone radially outward of the primary combustion zone; and c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate in third stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber at locations within the primary reactant stream to define a tertiary combustion zone extending axially downstream from the primary combustion zone; wherein the target rate of fuel and the target rate of oxidant together define one of a plurality of fractional portions of an overall combined target rate of reactant delivery, and the overall combined target rate is provided by simultaneously and separately performing steps a, b and c for each fractional portion of the overall combined target rate while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber. 8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein each first partial target rate is the highest partial target rate in the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate, and each second partial target rate is the lowest partial target rate in the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate. 9. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein each first partial target rate is about 65% of the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate, each second partial target rate is about 15% of the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate, and each third partial target rate is about 20% of the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate. 10. A method comprising: delivering fuel and oxidant to a combustion chamber at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio by: a) delivering the entire target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel together in a fuel-lean primary reactant stream that is directed into the combustion chamber through a primary port centered on an axis; b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel in second stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber through secondary fuel injection ports spaced radially outward from the primary port; and c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate in third stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber in directions perpendicular to the axis through tertiary fuel injection ports that are spaced axially downstream from the secondary fuel injection ports; wherein the target rate of fuel and the target rate of oxidant together define one of a plurality of fractional portions of an overall combined target rate of reactant delivery, and the overall combined target rate is provided by simultaneously and separately performing steps a, b and c for each fractional portion of the overall combined target rate while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber. 11. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein each first partial target rate is the highest partial target rate in the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate, and each second partial target rate is the lowest partial target rate in the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate. 12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein each first partial target rate is about 65% of the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate, each second partial target rate is about 15% of the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate, and each third partial target rate is about 20% of the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate. 13. An apparatus comprising: a structure defining a combustion chamber; a burner having a burner port that faces into the combustion chamber in a downstream direction extending along an axis; a secondary fuel injector structure having secondary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber at locations spaced radially outward from the burner port; a tertiary fuel injector structure having tertiary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber at locations spaced axially downstream from the secondary fuel injection ports; and a system configured to deliver fuel and oxidant to the combustion chamber through the burner, the secondary fuel injector structure, and the tertiary fuel injector structure at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio, while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber, by: a) delivering the entire target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel to the burner; b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel to the secondary fuel injector structure; and c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate to the tertiary fuel injector structure. 14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the tertiary fuel injection ports face into the combustion chamber in radially outward directions. 15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the structure defining the combustion chamber has first and second walls spaced apart from each other along the axis, the burner port faces into the combustion chamber axially toward the second wall, and the tertiary fuel injection ports are closer to the second wall than to the first wall. 16. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the burner is a premix burner. 17. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the combustion chamber has a central axis, and the burner port faces into the combustion chamber in a downstream direction extending along the central axis. 18. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the combustion chamber has a central axis, and the burner port faces into the combustion chamber in a downstream direction extending along an axis offset from the central axis. 19. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the reactant supply and control system is configured to provide the first partial target rate as the highest partial target rate, and to provide the second partial target rate as the lowest partial target rate. 20. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the reactant supply and control system is configured to provide the first partial target rate at about 65% of the target rate, to provide the second partial target rate at about 15% of the target rate, and to provide the third partial target rate at about 20% of the target rate. 21. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the burner, the secondary fuel injector structure, and the tertiary fuel injector structure together comprise one of a plurality of separate arrays of reactant delivery structures, the target rate of fuel and the target rate of oxidant together define one of a corresponding plurality of fractional portions of an overall combined target rate of reactant delivery, and the system is configured to provide the overall combined target rate by simultaneously and separately performing steps a, b and c at each array of reactant delivery structures for each corresponding fractional portion of the overall combined target rate. 22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein each first partial target rate is the highest partial target rate in the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate, and each second partial target rate is the lowest partial target rate in the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate. 23. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein each first partial target rate is about 65% of the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate, each second partial target rate is about 15% of the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate, and each third partial target rate is about 20% of the respective fractional portion of the overall target rate.