Patent ID: 7762073

Claim:
A mixer assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine, said assembly comprising: (a) a pilot mixer having multiple stages including: (1) an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior; (2) a primary fuel injector mounted in said pilot housing and adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel to said hollow interior of said pilot housing; (3) a plurality of axial swirlers positioned upstream from said primary fuel injector, each of said plurality of swirlers having a plurality of vanes for swirling air traveling through the respective swirler to mix air and the droplets of fuel dispensed by said primary fuel injector; and, (4) a plurality of secondary fuel injection ports for introducing fuel into said hollow interior of said pilot housing, wherein a fuel supply path to the secondary fuel injection ports is independent from a fuel supply path to the primary fuel injector; and, (b) a main mixer including: (1) a main housing surrounding said pilot housing and defining an annular cavity; (2) a plurality of fuel injection ports for introducing fuel into said cavity; and, (3) at least one swirler positioned upstream from said plurality of fuel injection ports, each of said main mixer swirlers having a plurality of vanes for swirling air traveling through the respective swirler to mix air and the droplets of fuel dispensed by said main mixer fuel injection ports; and, (c) a fuel manifold in flow communication with said plurality of secondary fuel injection ports in said pilot mixer and said plurality of fuel injection ports in said main mixer.