Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine operates with high combustion efficiency and low carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and smoke emissions during low, intermediate, and high engine power operations is described. The combustor includes a mixer assembly including a pilot mixer and a main mixer. The pilot mixer includes a pilot fuel injector, at least one swirler, and an air splitter. The main mixer extends circumferentially around the pilot mixer and includes a plurality of fuel injection ports and a conical air swirler upstream from the fuel injection ports. During idle engine power operation, the pilot mixer is aerodynamically isolated from the main mixer, and only air is supplied to the main mixer. During increased power operations, fuel is also supplied to the main mixer, and the main mixer conical swirler facilitates radial and circumferential fuel-air mixing to provide a substantially uniform fuel and air distribution for combustion.

Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine operates with high combustion efficiency and low carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and smoke emissions during low, intermediate, and high engine power operations is described. The combustor includes a mixer assembly including a pilot mixer and a main mixer. The pilot mixer includes a pilot fuel injector, at least one swirler, and an air splitter. The main mixer extends circumferentially around the pilot mixer and includes a plurality of fuel injection ports and a conical air swirler upstream from the fuel injection ports. During idle engine power operation, the pilot mixer is aerodynamically isolated from the main mixer, and only air is supplied to the main mixer. During increased power operations, fuel is also supplied to the main mixer, and the main mixer conical swirler facilitates radial and circumferential fuel-air mixing to provide a substantially uniform fuel and air distribution for combustion.

Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine operates with high combustion efficiency, and low carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide emissions during low, intermediate, and high engine power operations. The combustor includes a fuel delivery system that includes at least two fuel stages, at least one trapped vortex cavity, and at least one mixer assembly radially inward from the trapped vortex cavity. The two fuel stages include a pilot fuel circuit that supplies fuel to the trapped vortex cavity through a fuel injector assembly and a main fuel circuit that also supplies fuel to the mixer assembly with the fuel injector assembly.

Abstract: A mixer for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. The mixer includes an annular housing having an upstream end, a downstream end, a mount for attaching the housing to an upstream end of the combustion chamber, and an interior surface defining a hollow interior. The mixer also has a first swirler mounted inside the annular housing including a plurality of vanes extending inward from the housing for swirling air traveling through the housing. In addition, the mixer includes an annular fuel injector having a plurality of fuel injection ports arranged in a generally circular pattern mounted inside the first swirler for releasing droplets of fuel into swirling air downstream from the fuel injector. Further, the mixer has a second swirler mounted inside the fuel injector including a plurality of vanes extending inward from the injector for swirling air traveling through the housing downstream from the fuel injector.

Abstract: A mixer assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. The mixer assembly includes a mixer housing having a hollow interior, an inlet and an outlet. The housing delivers a mixture of fuel and air through the outlet to the combustion chamber for burning. The mixer assembly includes a fuel nozzle assembly mounted in the housing having a fuel passage adapted for connection to a fuel supply. The passage extends to an outlet port for delivering fuel from the passage to the hollow interior of the mixer housing. The nozzle assembly includes a plasma generator for generating at least one of a dissociated fuel and an ionized fuel from the fuel delivered through the nozzle outlet port to the hollow interior of the housing.

Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine operates with high combustion efficiency, and low carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide emissions during low, intermediate, and high engine power operations. The combustor includes a fuel delivery system that includes at least two fuel stages, at least one trapped vortex cavity, and at least one mixer assembly radially inward from the trapped vortex cavity. The two fuel stages include a pilot fuel circuit that supplies fuel to the trapped vortex cavity through a fuel injector assembly and a main fuel circuit that also supplies fuel to the mixer assembly with the fuel injector assembly.

Abstract: A mixer assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. The mixer assembly includes a mixer housing having a hollow interior, an inlet and an outlet. The housing delivers a mixture of fuel and air through the outlet to the combustion chamber for burning. The mixer assembly includes a fuel nozzle assembly mounted in the housing having a fuel passage adapted for connection to a fuel supply. The passage extends to an outlet port for delivering fuel from the passage to the hollow interior of the mixer housing. The nozzle assembly includes a plasma generator for generating at least one of a dissociated fuel and an ionized fuel from the fuel delivered through the nozzle outlet port to the hollow interior of the housing.

Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine operates with high combustion efficiency and low carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and smoke emissions during low, intermediate, and high engine power operations is described. The combustor includes a mixer assembly including a pilot mixer, a main mixer, and a mid-power and cruise mixer. The pilot mixer includes a pilot fuel injector, at least one swirler, and an air splitter. The main mixer extends circumferentially around the pilot mixer. The mid-power and cruise mixer extends between the main and pilot mixers and includes a plurality of fuel injection ports which inject fuel radially inwardly to facilitate radial and circumferential fuel-air mixing to provide a substantially uniform fuel and air distribution for combustion.

Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine operates with low nitrous oxide emissions during engine operations. The combustor includes a center mixer assembly and a second mixer assembly radially outward from the center mixer assembly. The center mixer assembly includes a pilot fuel injector, a swirler, and an air splitter, and the second mixer assembly includes a plurality of mixers that include a swirler, an atomizer, and a venturi. A combustor fuel delivery system includes a pilot fuel circuit to supply fuel to the center mixer assembly and a main fuel circuit to supply fuel to the second mixer assembly.

Abstract: A two-stage fuel nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine. The primary combustion region is centrally positioned and includes a fuel injector that is surrounded by one or more swirl chambers to provide a fuel air mixture that is ignited to define a first stage combustion zone. A secondary combustion region is provided by an annular housing that surrounds the primary combustion region, and it includes a secondary fuel injector having a radially outwardly directed opening and surrounded by an annular ring that includes openings for providing a swirl chamber for the secondary combustion region. Cooling air is directed angularly between the primary and secondary combustion zones to delay intermixing and thereby allow more complete combustion of the respective zones prior to their coalescing further downstream. The primary combustion region is activated during idle and low engine power conditions and both the primary and secondary combustion regions are activated during high engine power conditions.

Abstract: A mixer assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. The assembly includes a pilot mixer and a main mixer. The pilot mixer includes an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior, a pilot fuel nozzle mounted in the housing adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel to the hollow interior of the pilot housing, and a plurality of concentrically mounted axial swirlers positioned upstream from the pilot fuel nozzle. Each of the swirlers has a plurality of vanes for swirling air traveling through the respective swirler to mix air and the droplets of fuel dispensed by the pilot fuel nozzle. The main mixer includes a main housing surrounding the pilot housing defining an annular cavity, a plurality of fuel injection ports for introducing fuel into the cavity, and a swirler positioned upstream from the plurality of fuel injection ports having a plurality of vanes for swirling air traveling through the swirler to mix air and the droplets of fuel dispensed by the fuel injection ports.

Abstract: A mixer for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. The mixer includes a first fuel injector adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel during ignition and low power settings of the engine and a pilot swirler positioned upstream from the first fuel injector. The pilot swirler has a plurality of vanes for swirling air to mix air and the droplets of fuel. The mixer also includes a second fuel injector adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel during high power settings of the engine and a main swirler adjacent the pilot swirler and upstream from the second fuel injector. The main swirler has a plurality of vanes for swirling air traveling through the main swirler to mix air and the droplets of fuel dispensed by the second fuel injector. The mixer also includes a barrier positioned between the pilot swirler and main swirler for separating the first fuel injector from the second fuel injector.

Abstract: A mixer assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. The assembly includes a pilot mixer and a main mixer. The pilot mixer includes an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior, a pilot fuel nozzle mounted in the housing and adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel to the hollow interior of the pilot housing, and one or more axial swirlers positioned upstream from the pilot fuel nozzle. The main mixer includes a main housing surrounding the pilot housing and defining an annular cavity, an annular fuel injector having a plurality of fuel injection ports arranged in a circular pattern surrounding the pilot housing and mounted inside the annular cavity of the main mixer for releasing droplets of fuel into swirling air downstream from the fuel injector, and one or more axial swirlers positioned upstream from the plurality of fuel injection ports.