Gas turbine engine combustor
A gas turbine engine combustor includes a gas-turbine-engine-combustor outer annular case and a gas-turbine-engine-combustor premixer tube. The outer annular case has a longitudinal axis. The premixer tube has an entrance, an exit, and a centerline. The premixer tube is adapted to receive fuel-injector-discharged fuel. The entrance is adapted to receive at least some compressor-discharge air. The exit is located inside the outer annular case. At the exit the centerline points in a direction which is more perpendicular to, than parallel to, the longitudinal axis. In one example, the combustor is a straight-flow combustor. In a different example, the combustor is a reverse-flow combustor.
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The present invention relates generally to combustors, and more particularly to a gas turbine engine combustor.
Conventional gas turbine engine combustors have outer and inner annular cases, outer and inner liners (with air dilution holes) located radially between the outer and inner annular cases, a combustor dome connecting the outer and inner liners, and circumferentially arrayed premixer tubes each having an entrance and an exit. Each premixer tube is adapted to receive fuel-injector-discharged fuel, the entrance is adapted to receive at least some compressor-discharge air, and the exit is aligned to axially deliver such fuel-air mixture for ignition in the combustor. The combustion gases power a downstream turbine which rotates the compressor. Straight flow and reverse flow combustors are known. Gas turbine engines have been used to power aircraft, ships, etc.
Still, scientists and engineers continue to seek improved gas turbine engine combustors.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONA first expression of a first embodiment of the invention is a gas turbine engine combustor including a gas-turbine-engine-combustor outer annular case and a gas-turbine-engine-combustor premixer tube. The outer annular case has a longitudinal axis. The premixer tube has an entrance, an exit, and a centerline. The premixer tube is adapted to receive fuel-injector-discharged fuel. The entrance is adapted to receive at least some compressor-discharge air. The exit is located inside the outer annular case. At the exit the centerline points in a direction which is more perpendicular to, than parallel to, the longitudinal axis.
A second expression of a first embodiment of the invention is a gas turbine engine combustor including a straight-flow-combustor outer annular case and a gas-turbine-engine-combustor premixer tube. The outer annular case has a longitudinal axis. The premixer tube has an entrance, an exit, and a centerline. The premixer tube is adapted to receive fuel-injector-discharged fuel. The entrance is adapted to receive at least some compressor-discharge air. The exit is located inside the outer annular case. At the exit the centerline points in a direction which is more perpendicular to, than parallel to, the longitudinal axis. The direction is angled between generally sixty degrees and generally eighty degrees away from the longitudinal axis.
A first expression of a second embodiment of the invention is a gas turbine engine combustor including a reverse-flow-combustor outer annular case and a gas-turbine-engine-combustor premixer tube. The outer annular case has a longitudinal axis. The premixer tube has an entrance, an exit, and a centerline. The premixer tube is adapted to receive fuel-injector-discharged fuel. The entrance is adapted to receive at least some compressor-discharge air. The exit is located inside the outer annular case. At the exit the centerline points in a direction which is more perpendicular to, than parallel to, the longitudinal axis. The direction is angled between generally sixty degrees and generally eighty degrees away from the longitudinal axis.
In one example of any expression of any embodiment of the invention, use of a premixer tube whose centerline, at the exit of the premixer tube, points in a direction more perpendicular to, than parallel to, the longitudinal axis of the gas-turbine-engine-combustor outer annular case creates a swirled flow from the exit of the premixer tube. In this example, such swirled flow results in a shorter and simpler combustor design with fewer swirlers, lower soot, lower carbon monoxide, lower NOx, a greater turndown (e.g., 20:1), an excellent pattern factor (e.g., less than 0.20), and a lower cost compared to the axial flow from the exit of a premixer tube of a conventional gas-turbine-engine combustor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe accompanying drawings illustrate two embodiments of the invention wherein:
Referring now to the drawings,
In one enablement of the first expression of the first embodiment of
In one implementation of the first expression of the first embodiment of
In one application of the first expression of the first embodiment of
In one deployment of the first expression of the first embodiment of
Designs of the first expression of the first embodiment of
In one example of the first expression of the first embodiment of
It is noted that the first combustor embodiment of
A second expression of the first embodiment of
In one enablement of the second expression of the first embodiment of
In one implementation of the second expression of the first embodiment of
A first expression of the second embodiment of
In one enablement of the first expression of the second embodiment of
In one implementation of the first expression of the second embodiment of
While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of several expressions of embodiments, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or limit the spirit and scope of the appended claims to such detail. Numerous other variations, changes, and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- a) a gas-turbine-engine-combustor outer annular case having a longitudinal axis; and
- b) a gas-turbine-engine-combustor premixer tube having an entrance, an exit, and a centerline, wherein the premixer tube is adapted to receive fuel-injector-discharged fuel, wherein the entrance is adapted to receive at least some compressor-discharge air, wherein the exit is disposed inside the outer annular case, and wherein at the exit the centerline points in a direction which is more perpendicular to, than parallel to, the longitudinal axis.
2. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 1, wherein the direction is more perpendicular to, than along, a reference line which extends from the centerline at the exit to the longitudinal axis.
3. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 2, wherein the direction is angled between generally sixty degrees and generally eighty degrees away from the longitudinal axis, and wherein the direction is angled between generally sixty degrees and generally eighty degrees away from the reference line.
4. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 2, also including a gas-turbine-engine-combustor inner annular case, a gas-turbine-engine-combustor outer liner, and a gas-turbine-engine-combustor inner liner, wherein the outer and inner liners are disposed radially between the outer and inner annular cases and wherein the exit is disposed radially between the outer and inner liners.
5. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 4, also including a plurality of gas-turbine-engine-combustor additional premixer tubes substantially identical to the premixer tube, wherein the premixer and additional premixer tubes are substantially circumferentially arrayed with a substantially equal circumferential distance between adjacent ones of the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes.
6. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 5, wherein the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes are disposed wherein ignition at one of the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes will cause ignition, in sequential rotation, at each of the other of the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes.
7. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 6, wherein the outer and inner liners each include a plurality of air dilution holes.
8. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 7, wherein the premixer tube is a thermal-barrier-coated tube.
9. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 8, also including a combustor dome connecting the outer and inner liners.
10. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 9, wherein the combustor dome is a thermal-barrier-coated combustor dome.
11. A gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- a) a straight-flow-combustor outer annular case having a longitudinal axis; and
- b) a gas-turbine-engine-combustor premixer tube having an entrance, an exit, and a centerline, wherein the premixer tube is adapted to receive fuel-injector-discharged fuel, wherein the entrance is adapted to receive at least some compressor-discharge air, wherein the exit is disposed inside the outer annular case, wherein at the exit the centerline points in a direction which is more perpendicular to, than parallel to, the longitudinal axis, and wherein the direction is angled between generally sixty degrees and generally eighty degrees away from the longitudinal axis.
12. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 11, wherein the direction is more perpendicular to, than along, a reference line which extends from the centerline at the exit to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the direction is angled between generally sixty degrees and generally eighty degrees away from the reference line.
13. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 12, also including a straight-flow-combustor inner annular case, a gas-turbine-engine-combustor outer liner, and a gas-turbine-engine-combustor inner liner, wherein the outer and inner liners are disposed radially between the outer and inner annular cases and wherein the exit is disposed radially between the outer and inner liners.
14. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 13, also including a plurality of gas-turbine-engine-combustor additional premixer tubes substantially identical to the premixer tube, wherein the premixer and additional premixer tubes are substantially circumferentially arrayed with a substantially equal circumferential distance between adjacent ones of the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes.
15. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 14, wherein the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes are disposed wherein ignition at one of the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes will cause ignition, in sequential rotation, at each of the other of the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes.
16. A gas turbine engine combustor comprising:
- a) a reverse-flow-combustor outer annular case having a longitudinal axis; and
- b) a gas-turbine-engine-combustor premixer tube having an entrance, an exit, and a centerline, wherein the premixer tube is adapted to receive fuel-injector-discharged fuel, wherein the entrance is adapted to receive at least some compressor-discharge air, wherein the exit is disposed inside the outer annular case, wherein at the exit the centerline points in a direction which is more perpendicular to, than parallel to, the longitudinal axis, and wherein the direction is angled between generally sixty degrees and generally eighty degrees away from the longitudinal axis.
17. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 16, wherein the direction is more perpendicular to, than along, a reference line which extends from the centerline at the exit to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the direction is angled between generally sixty degrees and generally eighty degrees away from the reference line.
18. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 17, also including a reverse-flow-combustor inner annular case, a gas-turbine-engine-combustor outer liner, and a gas-turbine-engine-combustor inner liner, wherein the outer and inner liners are disposed radially between the outer and inner annular cases and wherein the exit is disposed radially between the outer and inner liners.
19. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 18, also including a plurality of gas-turbine-engine-combustor additional premixer tubes substantially identical to the premixer tube, wherein the premixer and additional premixer tubes are substantially circumferentially arrayed with a substantially equal circumferential distance between adjacent ones of the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes.
20. The gas turbine engine combustor of claim 19, wherein the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes are disposed wherein ignition at one of the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes will cause ignition, in sequential rotation, at each of the other of the exits of the premixer and additional premixer tubes.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 28, 2005
Publication Date: May 31, 2007
Applicant:
Inventor: Andrei Evulet (Clifton Park, NY)
Application Number: 11/287,784
International Classification: F23R 3/30 (20060101);