Patent ID: 6141954
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: F23C,F23D

Abstract:
A premixing fuel injector comprising a centerbody and at least two circumferentially neighboring scrolls, each scroll having a circumferentially leading end and a circumferentially trailing end that terminates at a trailing edge, the scrolls collectively circumscribing the centerbody to radially bound a mixing chamber with the leading end of each scroll and the trailing end of the neighboring scroll cooperating to define radially outer and inner extremities of an intake slot for admitting a stream of air into the mixing chamber, the leading end of at least one of the scrolls including an array of axially distributed fuel injection passages each having a discharge opening for introducing fuel into the air stream, the injector having a prescribed state of operation and also being operable in a degraded state associated with combustion inside the mixing chamber, selected fuel injection passages being oriented and positioned upstream relative to the trailing edge of the neighboring scroll so that during operation in the degraded state the fuel issuing therefrom is ineffective at sustaining the combustion inside the mixing chamber for more than a limited period of time at fuel-air ratios below an independently specified threshold.