Patent ID: 6968699

Claim:
A combustor comprising: annular outer and inner combustion liners joined together at upstream ends by an annular dome to define a combustion chamber therebetween; a row of air swirlers mounted in said dome for swirling air into said chamber; a row of main injectors mounted in said swirlers for injecting fuel for mixing with said swirled air to form corresponding fuel and air mixtures; a plurality of pilot injectors fewer in number than said main injectors, and mounted in said dome between corresponding ones of said swirlers for injecting fuel into said chamber; a common fuel manifold joined to said plurality of pilot injectors and having a common flow valve to control fuel flow thereto; at least one common fuel manifold joined to said plurality of main injectors and having a common flow valve to control fuel flow thereto; and a controller operatively joined to said flow valves for staging fuel delivery to said manifolds firstly to only said pilot injectors and following in turn circumferentially to said main injectors.