Sector airflow variable geometry combustor

Patent · Fri Nov 05 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6222810

Hudson, D A; Hopkins, K N

This invention relates generally to the field of gas turbine engines and combustors therefor, and more particularly to improvements in means controlling combustor dome plenum airflow to the primary combustion zone of a variable geometry combustor. Conventional variable geometry combustors are characteristically configured to control the fuel/air ratio in the primary zone, that is, in the primary burning region of the combustor. This configuration is ordinarily desirable because the primary zone tends to be excessively fuel rich at high engine power levels, but tends to become excessively fuel lean at low power, at idle, during engine deceleration, during ground starts, and at times during windmill air starts. The present invention comprises a means to attain circumferential air staging in the primary zone of a gas turbine engine. This is accomplished by varying the airflow to the primary zone of the engine by regulating dome plenum sector air valves that feed selected dome sectors to achieve desirable local fuel/air ratios in those dome sectors controlled by these valves.

• Assignee: EDB-83-104840
• Patent Number(s): None
• OSTI ID: 6222810
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
421000* -- Engineering-- Combustion Systems
AIR FLOW
COMBUSTORS
CONTROL
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUID FLOW
FUEL-AIR RATIO
FUELS
GAS FLOW
GAS TURBINES
INVENTIONS
MACHINERY
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
VALVES