Patent ID: 8001761

Claim:
An apparatus for actively controlling fuel flow from a fuel pump to a mixer assembly of a gas turbine engine combustor, said mixer assembly including a pilot mixer and a main mixer, wherein said pilot mixer further includes an annular pilot housing having a hollow interior, a primary fuel injector mounted in said pilot housing and adapted for dispensing droplets of fuel to said hollow interior of said pilot housing, and a plurality of axial swirlers positioned upstream from said primary fuel injector, said fuel flow control apparatus comprising: (a) at least one sensor for detecting dynamic pressure in a combustion chamber of said combustor; (b) a fuel nozzle including: (1) a feed strip with a plurality of circuits wherein the feed strip comprises a first circuit for supplying fuel to a fuel tube that is in flow communication with said primary fuel injector, a second circuit for supplying fuel to a first fuel manifold that is in flow communication with said pilot mixer, and a third circuit for supplying fuel to a second fuel manifold that is in flow communication with said main mixer; and (2) a plurality of valves associated with said fuel nozzle and in flow communication with said feed strip thereof; and, (c) a system for actively controlling fuel flow supplied to said pilot mixer and said main mixer of said mixer assembly by said fuel nozzle, wherein said control system activates said valves in accordance with signals received from said pressure sensor.