Patent ID: 6164074
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: F23R

Abstract:
A combustor for a gas turbine engine, said combustor comprising a combustion chamber defined at one end thereof by a combustor bulkhead and a combustion zone axially downstream of the combustor bulkhead, said bulkhead including fuel nozzles fixedly mounted within the combustor bulkhead, said bulkhead being prized by:at least one baffle fixedly mounted to the bulkhead and disposed axially downstream thereof, said baffle being disposed in close proximity to said bulkhead, said combustor bulkhead including a plurality of holes aligned with said baffle such that cooling air introduced in the bulkhead holes impinges upon said baffle and is substantially redirected radially inwardly toward the fuel nozzles and therefrom, axially downstream into the combustion zone wherein the cooling air leaving the bulkhead produces a toroidal recirculation zone which helps shape and urge a combustible fuel-air mixture vortex emanating from said fuel nozzles away from the bulkhead, thereby shielding the bulkhead from hot combustion products and improving emissions by improving airflow, wherein an opening between said baffles and fuel nozzles being of such a size to accommodate efflux of cooling air into the combustion zone.