Patent ID: 8640464

Claim:
A method of operating a combustion system, comprising: a. injecting fuel into a first annular zone of an annular combustor; b. injecting a first portion of air into said first annular zone, wherein at least one of the operations of injecting said fuel or injecting said first portion of air provides for inducing a first poloidal flow in a first poloidal direction within said first annular zone of said annular combustor; c. at least partially combusting said fuel with first portion of air in said first poloidal flow within said first annular zone of said annular combustor so as to generate a first combustion gas; d. discharging said first combustion gas from said first annular zone of said annular combustor into an annular transition zone of said annular combustor; e. transforming said first combustion gas to a second combustion gas within said annular transition zone of said annular combustor; f. inducing at least a partial second poloidal flow of said second combustion gas within said annular transition zone of said annular combustor, wherein said second poloidal flow is in a second poloidal direction that is opposite to said first poloidal direction; g. inducing at least a partial third poloidal flow of said second combustion gas within said annular transition zone of said annular combustor, wherein said third poloidal flow is in said first poloidal direction, wherein the operation of inducing said at least a partial third poloidal flow comprises deflecting said second combustion gas within said annular transition zone with a radially-inwardly-extending annular step aft of said first annular zone and at a location that is radially outward of said first annular zone; h. discharging said second combustion gas from said annular transition zone of said annular combustor into a second annular zone of said annular combustor; i. transforming said second combustion gas to a third combustion gas within said second annular zone of said annular combustor; j. discharging said third combustion gas from said second annular zone of said annular combustor; and k. generating a back pressure within said annular combustor responsive to the operation of discharging said third combustion gas therefrom.