초록 ▼

A first orifice on a first inner surface of a first annular zone of a forward-bounded annular combustor provides for injecting air forward and radially outwards thereinto, from a location aft of a fuel slinger/injector. A radial dimension of a first outer surface of the first annular zone exceeds th

A first orifice on a first inner surface of a first annular zone of a forward-bounded annular combustor provides for injecting air forward and radially outwards thereinto, from a location aft of a fuel slinger/injector. A radial dimension of a first outer surface of the first annular zone exceeds that of a corresponding first inner surface. A radial dimension of a second outer surface of a second annular zone of the annular combustor—aft of the first annular zone—exceeds that of a corresponding second inner surface. The first and second outer surfaces, and the first and second inner surfaces, are respectively coupled by transitional outer and inner surfaces of an annular transition zone located therebetween. The radial dimensions of the transitional outer and inner surfaces at the junctions with the corresponding second surfaces exceed the corresponding radial dimensions at the junctions with the corresponding first surfaces.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A combustion system, comprising: a. an annular combustor, comprising: i. a first annular zone, wherein said first annular zone is bounded by a forward surface, a first outer surface, and a first inner surface, a radial dimension of said first outer surface exceeds a corresponding radial dimension

1. A combustion system, comprising: a. an annular combustor, comprising: i. a first annular zone, wherein said first annular zone is bounded by a forward surface, a first outer surface, and a first inner surface, a radial dimension of said first outer surface exceeds a corresponding radial dimension of said first inner surface over said first annular zone relative to a central axis of said annular combustor, said first inner surface incorporates at least one first orifice adapted to inject at least a first portion of a first portion of air into said first annular zone, said at least one first orifice is oriented so as to provide for injecting said first portion of said first portion of air forward and radially outwards within said first annular zone of said annular combustor, and said first portion of said first portion of air when injected from said at least one first orifice provides for inducing a first poloidal flow in a first poloidal direction within said first annular zone;ii. a second annular zone, wherein said second annular zone is aft of said first annular zone, said second annular zone is bounded by a second outer surface and a second inner surface, and a radial dimension of said second outer surface exceeds a corresponding radial dimension of said second inner surface over said second annular zone relative to said central axis of said annular combustor; andiii. an annular transition zone, wherein said annular transition zone is between said first annular zone and said second annular zone, said annular transition zone is bounded by a transitional outer surface and a transitional inner surface, said transitional outer surface provides for coupling said first outer surface to said second outer surface, a radial dimension of said transitional outer surface at said second outer surface exceeds a corresponding radial dimension of said transitional outer surface at said first outer surface, said transitional inner surface provides for coupling said first inner surface to said second inner surface, a radial dimension of said transitional inner surface at said second inner surface exceeds a corresponding radial dimension of said transitional inner surface at said first inner surface, said second inner surface of said second annular zone is stepped radially-outwards relative to said first inner surface of said first annular zone, said second outer surface of said second annular zone is stepped radially-outwards relative to said first outer surface of said first annular zone, said transitional inner surface provides for inducing an at least partial second poloidal flow in a second poloidal direction within said annular transition zone downstream of said first poloidal flow, and said transitional outer surface provides for inducing an at least partial third poloidal flow in said first poloidal direction within said annular transition zone downstream of said second poloidal flow, wherein said second poloidal direction is opposite to said first poloidal direction; andb. a fuel slinger or injector located forward of said at least one first orifice and adapted to sling or inject fuel into said first annular zone of said annular combustor. 2. A combustion system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one of: at least one second orifice, at least one third orifice or at least one fourth orifice, wherein said at least one second orifice, said at least one third orifice and said at least one fourth orifice are adapted to inject a remaining portion of said first portion of air into said first annular zone of said annular combustor, said at least one second orifice is located on and extends through said forward surface and is oriented so as to provide for injecting a second portion of said first portion of air at least partially radially outwards within said first annular zone of said annular combustor, said at least one second orifice is located forward of said fuel slinger or injector, said at least one third orifice is located on and extends through said forward surface radially outwards of a center of said first annular zone and is oriented so as to provide for injecting a third portion of said first portion of air at least partially aftwards within said first annular zone of said annular combustor, said at least one fourth orifice is located on and extends through said first outer surface aft of said center of said first annular zone and is oriented so as to provide for injecting a fourth portion of said first portion of air at least partially radially inwards within said first annular zone of said annular combustor, and each of said at least one second orifice, said at least one third orifice and said at least one fourth orifice is located or oriented so to provide for further inducing said first poloidal flow in said first poloidal direction within said first annular zone. 3. A combustion system as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one first orifice is azimuthally offset with respect to said at least one second orifice. 4. A combustion system as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one first orifice is substantially azimuthally aligned with respect to said at least one third orifice and with respect to said at least one fourth orifice. 5. A combustion system as recited in claim 2, further comprising: a. an annular manifold plenum adjacent to said transitional outer surface, wherein said annular manifold plenum provides for supplying said first portion of air; andb. a forward annular plenum adjacent to said forward surface, wherein said forward annular plenum is in fluid communication with said annular manifold plenum and provides for respectively supplying said second and third portions of said first portion of air to either or both said at least one second orifice or said at least one third orifice. 6. A combustion system as recited in claim 5, further comprising a first set of effusion cooling orifices on and through said forward surface, wherein said first set of effusion cooling orifices are adapted to receive said air from said forward annular plenum and are adapted to provide for effusion cooling of said forward surface. 7. A combustion system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a first outer annular plenum adjacent to said first outer surface, wherein said first outer annular plenum is in fluid communication with an annular manifold plenum adjacent to said transitional outer surface plenum and provides for supplying said fourth portion of said first portion of air received from said annular manifold plenum to said at least one fourth orifice. 8. A combustion system as recited in claim 7, further comprising a second set of effusion cooling orifices on and through said first outer surface, wherein said second set of effusion cooling orifices are adapted to receive said air from said first outer annular plenum and are adapted to provide for effusion cooling of said first outer surface. 9. A combustion system as recited in claim 2, further comprising at least one fifth orifice located on and extending through said transitional inner surface and oriented so as to provide for injecting a second portion of said air at least partially forwards within said annular transition zone of said annular combustor. 10. A combustion system as recited in claim 9, further comprising: a. an annular manifold plenum adjacent to said transitional outer surface, wherein said annular manifold plenum provides for supplying said second portion of said air; andb. a second inner annular plenum adjacent to said transitional inner surface and adjacent to said second inner surface, wherein said second inner annular plenum is in fluid communication with said annular manifold plenum and provides for supplying said second portion of said air to said at least one fifth orifice. 11. A combustion system as recited in claim 10, further comprising at least one radial strut or vane aft of said annular combustor, wherein said second inner annular plenum is in fluid communication with said annular manifold plenum through a hollow interior of said at least one radial strut or vane. 12. A combustion system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a fourth set of effusion cooling orifices on and through said transitional inner surface, wherein said fourth set of effusion cooling orifices are adapted to receive said air from said second inner annular plenum and are adapted to provide for effusion cooling of said transitional inner surface. 13. A combustion system as recited in claim 2, further comprising at least one sixth orifice located on and extending through said transitional outer surface and oriented so as to provide for injecting a third portion of said air at least partially aftwards within said annular transition zone of said annular combustor. 14. A combustion system as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least one sixth orifice is azimuthally offset relative to said at least one first orifice. 15. A combustion system as recited in claim 13, further comprising an annular manifold plenum adjacent to said transitional outer surface, wherein said annular manifold plenum provides for supplying said third portion of said air. 16. A combustion system as recited in claim 15, further comprising a fifth set of effusion cooling orifices on and through said transitional outer surface, wherein said fifth set of effusion cooling orifices are adapted to receive said air from said annular manifold plenum and are adapted to provide for effusion cooling of said transitional outer surface. 17. A combustion system as recited in claim 2, further comprising at least one radial strut or vane aft of said annular combustor, wherein said at least one first orifice is azimuthally offset with respect to said at least one radial strut or vane. 18. A combustion system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a nozzle aft of or defined by said at least one radial strut or vane. 19. A combustion system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an annular manifold plenum adjacent to said transitional outer surface, wherein said annular manifold plenum provides for supplying said first portion of air. 20. A combustion system as recited in claim 19, further comprising a first inner annular plenum adjacent to said first inner surface, wherein said first inner annular plenum is in fluid communication with said annular manifold plenum and provides for supplying said first portion of said first portion of air to said at least one first orifice. 21. A combustion system as recited in claim 20, further comprising at least one radial strut or vane aft of said annular combustor, wherein said first inner annular plenum is in fluid communication with said annular manifold plenum through a hollow interior of said at least one radial strut or vane. 22. A combustion system as recited in claim 21, wherein said at least one radial strut or vane is radially canted so as to provide for introducing a circumferential component of swirl to the flow of said first portion of said first portion of air exiting therefrom. 23. A combustion system as recited in claim 20, further comprising a third set of effusion cooling orifices on and through at least one of said first inner surface or said transitional inner surface, wherein said third set of effusion cooling orifices are adapted to receive said air from said first inner annular plenum and are adapted to provide for effusion cooling of either or both said first inner surface or said transitional inner surface. 24. A combustion system as recited in claim 19, further comprising: a. a second outer annular plenum adjacent to said second outer surface, wherein said second outer annular plenum is in fluid communication with said annular manifold plenum; andb. a seventh set of effusion cooling orifices on and through said second outer surface, wherein said seventh set of effusion cooling orifices are adapted to receive said air from said second outer annular plenum and are adapted to provide for effusion cooling of said second outer surface. 25. A combustion system as recited in claim 19, further comprising an annular diffuser adapted to provide for diffusing incoming said air from a compressor of said combustion system, and to provide diffused said air to said annular manifold plenum. 26. A combustion system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one seventh orifice located on and extending through said second inner surface and oriented so as to provide for injecting a fourth portion of said air radially outwards within said second annular zone of said annular combustor. 27. A combustion system as recited in claim 26, further comprising: a. a second inner annular plenum adjacent to said second inner surface, wherein said second inner annular plenum is in fluid communication with an annular manifold plenum adjacent to said transitional outer surface, and said second inner annular plenum provides for supplying said fourth portion of said air received from said annular manifold plenum to said at least one seventh orifice; andb. a sixth set of effusion cooling orifices on and through said second inner surface, wherein said sixth set of effusion cooling orifices are adapted to receive said air from said second inner annular plenum and are adapted to provide for effusion cooling of said second inner surface. 28. A combustion system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one eighth orifice located on and extending through said forward surface proximate to said fuel slinger or injector so as to provide for injecting a fifth portion of said air within a region of said first annular zone within which fuel is injected by said fuel slinger or injector. 29. A combustion system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one ninth orifice located on and extending through said first inner surface proximate to said fuel slinger or injector so as to provide for injecting a sixth portion of said air within a region of said first annular zone within which fuel is injected by said fuel slinger or injector. 30. A combustion system as recited in claim 1, wherein said fuel slinger or injector is operatively coupled to a central rotatable shaft. 31. A combustion system as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a. an annular manifold plenum adjacent to said transitional outer surface;b. at least one radial strut or vane aft of said annular combustor;c. a second inner annular plenum adjacent to said transitional inner surface and adjacent to said second inner surface; andd. at least one fifth orifice located on and extending through said transitional inner surface and oriented so as to provide for injecting a second portion of said air at least partially forwards within said annular transition zone of said annular combustor, wherein said second inner annular plenum is in fluid communication with said annular manifold plenum through a hollow interior of said at least one radial strut or vane, said annular manifold plenum provides for supplying said second portion of said air to said second inner annular plenum through said at least one radial strut or vane, and said at least one radial strut or vane is radially canted so as to provide for introducing a circumferential component of swirl to the flow of said second portion of said air exiting therefrom. 32. A combustion system as recited in claim 1, wherein said radial dimension of said first inner surface is substantially uniform, and said radial dimension of said second outer surface is substantially uniform.