Gas turbine engine combustor

• US 9,335,050 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Cunha, Frank J., Erbas-Sen, Nurhak
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg, Ehud
• Assistant Examiner(s): Manfredi, Filippo
• Application Number:
  US13/627,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20140083100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 607/37, 607/48, 607/47, 239/5, 431/284
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/14 by using swirl vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/16 with devices inside the flame tube or the combustion chamber to influence the air or gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/286 having fuel-air premixing devices F23R3/30 takes precedence

Abstract

A swirler assembly for a gas turbine engine includes an outer annular injector which at least partially surrounds an inner injector. In sonic embodiments, a combustor section for a gas turbine engine comprises an inner injector which defines an axis, an outer annular injector which surrounds said inner injector, and a combustor vane along said axis.

Claims

1. A swirler for a combustor of a gas turbine engine comprising:

an inner injector;

an outer annular injector which at least partially surrounds said inner injector; and

an annular recess tube within said outer annular injector,

wherein the outer annular injector includes an outer annular passage radially outboard of an inner annular passage of the inner injector, wherein an outer wall bounds the outer annular passage, wherein the annular recess tube is contained within the outer wall and an inner annular wall that bounds the inner annular passage, and wherein vanes are located in the inner annular passage; and

wherein the outer wall and the inner annular wall are configured to diverge from one another at an exit end of the outer annular passage, and wherein said annular recess tube is disposed upstream of the exit end of the outer annular passage and upstream of an exit end of the inner injector.

2. The swirler as recited in claim 1, wherein said inner injector is operable to generate a first swirl and said outer annular injector is operable to generate a second swirl, said first swirl different than said second swirl.

3. The swirler as recited in claim 1, wherein said inner injector is operable to generate a first swirl and said outer annular injector is operable to generate a second swirl, said first swirl greater than said second swirl.

4. The swirler as recited in claim 1, wherein said inner injector provides a one-dimensional swirl and said outer annular injector provides a three-dimensional swirl.

5. The swirler as recited in claim 1, wherein said inner injector defines a convergent-divergent exit.

6. The swirler as recited in claim 1, wherein said inner injector defines a central passage and the inner annular passage is radially outboard of said central passage.

7. The swirler as recited in claim 1, wherein the annular recess tube is configured to settle a flame at a location beyond a divergent exit defined by an outer wall distal end of the outer wall and a distal end of the inner annular wall.

8. The swirler as recited in claim 1, wherein the annular recess tube is oriented substantially along a central longitudinal axis of the outer annular injector.

9. The swirler as recited in claim 1, wherein the inner injector includes a central passage and an annular central passage radially outboard of said central passage, and wherein the inner annular passage is radially outboard of said annular central passage, and wherein the central passage and the annular central passage are configured to communicate fuel, and wherein the inner annular passage is configured to communicate an airflow.

10. The swirler as recited in claim 9, wherein the annular central passage communicates with a multiple of jets to promote a degree of turbulence intensity.

11. The swirler as recited in claim 1, wherein an outer wall of the annular recess tube includes a first multiple of apertures, and wherein an inner wall of the annular recess tube includes a second multiple of apertures, and wherein the first and second apertures are circumferentially offset to induce a swirl in the annular recess tube and from the outer annular passage.

12. A combustor section for a gas turbine engine comprising:

an inner injector which defines an axis;

an outer annular injector which surrounds said inner injector;

a combustor vane along said axis; and

an annular recess tube within said outer annular injector,

wherein the outer annular injector includes an outer annular passage radially outboard of an inner annular passage of the inner injector, wherein an outer wall bounds the outer annular passage, wherein the annular recess tube is contained within the outer wall and an inner annular wall that bounds the inner annular passage, and wherein vanes are located in the inner annular passage; and

wherein the outer wall and the inner annular wall are configured to diverge from one another at an exit end of the outer annular passage, and wherein said annular recess tube is disposed upstream of the exit end of the outer annular passage and upstream of an exit end of the inner injector.

13. The combustor section as recited in claim 12, wherein said combustor vane defines a length between 35%-65% of said combustor section.

14. The combustor section as recited in claim 12, further comprising a multiple of fuel injectors which flank said combustor vane.

15. The combustor section as recited in claim 12, wherein said inner injector defines a central passage and the inner annular passage is radially outboard of said central passage, said central passage includes a convergent-divergent exit.

16. The combustor section as recited in claim 12, wherein said inner injector selectively receives a fuel-air mixture.

17. The combustor section as recited in claim 12, wherein said outer annular injector selectively receives a fuel-air mixture.

18. The combustor section as recited in claim 15, wherein said inner annular passage selectively receives an airflow.

19. The combustor section as recited in claim 12, wherein said inner injector provides a one-dimensional swirl and said outer annular injector provides a three-dimensional swirl.