Patent ID: 6886325

Claim:
A turbine engine comprising: a case having an axis; a compressor; a turbine; and a combustor comprising: a fuel source; a circumferential array of combustion chamber conduits, the conduits being downstream of the compressor and upstream of the turbine; and a manifold positioned to direct a mixture of air from the compressor and fuel from the fuel source to the array, the array supported for continuous rotation relative to the case in a first direction about the axis to cyclically bring each conduit from a charging zone for receiving a charge of said mixture from upstream to a discharging zone for downstream discharging of products of combustion of said charge, a flow path extending between a downstream portion of the manifold and an upstream portion of the array the flow path being locally bounded by first surface portions of the manifold and array and where the first surface portions have a first relative radial alignment when the array is rotating at a first speed and a second radial alignment, closer than the first radial alignment, when the array is rotating at a second speed, greater than the first speed.