Combustion method and apparatus

Patent · Tue Sep 03 04:00:00 EDT 1974

OSTI ID:7348149

Cornelius, W; Fredriksen, H P

A method is described for generating combustion products for operating a gas turbine. The method consists of compressing air, heating the air, flowing a portion of the heated compressed air as primary air into a prechamber, supplying fuel to the prechamber, mixing the fuel and primary air and vaporizing the fuel in the prechamber, discharging the air-fuel mixture through a throat into a reaction chamber, burning the fuel in the reaction chamber, flowing the remainder of the heated compressed air as secondary air, mixing the secondary air with the combustion products flowing from the reaction chamber, controlling the relative proportions of primary and secondary air so as to maintain a constantly lean ratio of fuel to primary air over the operating regime, and concurrently controlling the swirl of the primary air entering into the prechamber so as to insure vaporization and homogeneous mixing of the fuel with the air. A substantial swirl is given to the primary air during start-up of combustion, sufficient to promote recirculation from the reaction chamber into the prechamber to stabilize combustion. A sufficiently slight swirl is given to the primary air throughout the operating regime to insure the expulsion of flame from the prechamber and complete combustion of the lean fuel-air mixture in the reaction zone to minimize undesired components in the resulting combustion products.

• Assignee: General Motors Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 3958413
• OSTI ID: 7348149
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
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330603* -- Vehicle Design Factors-- Engine System
330700 -- Advanced Propulsion Systems-- Emission Control
AIR
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
EQUIPMENT
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FUEL SYSTEMS
FUEL-AIR RATIO
GAS COMBUSTION PROCESS
GAS FLOW
GAS TURBINES
GASES
MIXING
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY