Patent ID: 7302802

Claim:
A gas turbine engine comprising: a combustor portion including at least one combustor, the combustor having a plurality of holes therein for admitting combustion air into the combustor; a casing defining at least one chamber therein, the chamber containing the combustor and a volume of air around at least a portion of the combustor; a compressor portion communicating with the chamber via a compressor diffuser outlet for delivering compressed air to the chamber for subsequent admission into the combustor; and a ring extending into the chamber substantially continuously around the chamber so as to extend partially into an air flow exiting the compressor diffuser outlet into the chamber, the ring sized and positioned in the chamber to cause a step change in direction and pressure of at least a portion of the air flow, the step change adapted to effect a redistribution of air around the combustor to thereby achieve at least one of reduced combustion noise and more uniform temperature distribution in the combustor.