Patent ID: 6820411
Filing Date: 2004-11-23
Classification: F23C,F23R,Y02T

Abstract:
A fuel/oxidizer mixing and combusting apparatus comprising:a combustor having a combustor inlet; and a swirl generator having: an inlet housing coupled to the combustor inlet, the inlet housing defining a hollow interior volume therein and serving as a conduit through which an oxidizer flow is conducted, the oxidizer flow having a velocity that is substantially defined by an axial velocity component, the hollow interior volume intersecting the combustor inlet at a dump step wherein the inlet housing has an inner dimension that is smaller than that of the combustor inlet; a swirl vane pack disposed within the hollow interior volume and having a plurality of vanes, the vanes cooperating to change the velocity of the oxidizer flow so that the velocity includes a substantial tangential velocity component; a centerbody assembly disposed in the hollow interior volume, the centerbody assembly being coupled to the swirl vane pack and extending rearwardly therefrom; the center body assembly including an aft bluff body, an aft-most portion of the aft bluff body being sized relatively larger than an adjacent upstream portion of the centerbody assembly; and a plurality of groups of fuel injectors coupled to at least one of the inlet housing, the swirl vane pack and the centerbody assembly and dispensing a fuel therefrom directly into the oxidizer flow for at least partially mixing the fuel and oxidizer prior to entering the combustor; wherein the swirl generator converts the oxidizer flow received therein into a swirling, three-dimensional flowfield; wherein a first portion of the flowfield flows over the dump step to form an outer recirculation zone; wherein a second portion of the flowfield forms a central recirculation zone that is anchored by an aft end of the centerbody assembly; wherein a first portion of the fuel mixes with the first portion of the flowfield to fuel the outer recirculation zone; wherein a second portion of the fuel mixes with the second portion of the flowfield to fuel the central recirculation zone; and wherein a remaining portion of the fuel enters and fuels a core flow.