Gas turbine combustor

Abstract

A combustor ( 18 ) for a gas turbine engine ( 10 ) includes a combustor burner ( 34 ) receiving an oxidizer flow ( 36 ). The combustor burner includes an annular vortex generator ( 38 ) disposed around a central region ( 40 ) of the burner. A fuel outlet ( 46 ) is disposed proximate the vortex generator for discharging a combustible fuel ( 47 ) into the oxidizer flow. A pilot burner ( 56 ) is disposed in the central region of the burner.

1 . A combustor comprising: 
 a burner receiving an oxidizer flow, the burner comprising an annular vortex generator disposed around a central region of the burner and separating a first portion of the oxidizer flow from a second portion of the oxidizer flow;    a fuel outlet disposed proximate the vortex generator discharging a combustible fuel into at least one of the portions of the oxidizer flow; and    a pilot burner disposed in the central region of the burner.    
     
     
         2 . The combustor of  claim 1 , the annular vortex generator comprising: 
 a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart radially extending lobes defining a plurality of external flow directing channels between the spaced apart lobes conducting the first portion along external surfaces of each lobe; and    the lobes defining a plurality of internal flow directing channels conducting the second portion along internal surfaces of each lobe.    
     
     
         3 . The combustor of  claim 2 , wherein a first lobe comprises a different geometry than a second lobe effective to generate different respective vortex flow patterns.  
     
     
         4 . The combustor of  claim 3 , wherein the fuel outlet comprises a plurality of radially extending fuel pegs disposed to discharge the combustible fuel into the first portion flowing through the external flow directing channels.  
     
     
         5 . The combustor of  claim 4 , wherein the fuel pegs are radially aligned with the lobes to inject the combustible fuel into the external flow directing channels.  
     
     
         6 . The combustor of  claim 5 , wherein each fuel peg comprises opposed fuel orifices spaced apart along a radial length of the peg for directing respective jets of the combustible fuel at an oblique angle to a flow direction of the first portion.  
     
     
         7 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel outlet is disposed upstream of the vortex generator.  
     
     
         8 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel outlet is disposed between an upstream end of the vortex generator and a downstream end of the vortex generator.  
     
     
         9 . The combustor of  claim 8 , wherein the fuel outlet comprises an orifice positioned in a surface of the vortex generator  38 .  
     
     
         10 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel outlet is disposed to discharge the combustible fuel into the first potion and the second portion.  
     
     
         11 . A gas turbine engine comprising the combustor of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         12 . A combustor comprising: 
 a plurality of combustor burners spaced apart around a central region, each burner receiving an oxidizer flow at an inlet of the burner;    a lobe vortex generator disposed around a central region of each burner downstream of the inlet and separating a first portion of the oxidizer flow from a second portion of the respective oxidizer flow;    a pilot burner disposed in the central region of the burner; and    a fuel outlet disposed proximate each vortex generator discharging a combustible fuel into at least one of the respective portions of the oxidizer flow.    
     
     
         13 . A combustion method comprising: 
 dividing an oxidizer flow flowing within a combustor into first and second portions;    injecting a combustible fuel into the first portion to produce a fuel/oxidizer mixture;    imparting a flow direction change to at least one of the second portion and the fuel/oxidizer mixture so that the second portion and the fuel/oxidizer mixture flow at different angles with respect to each other;    combining the second portion and the fuel/oxidizer mixture after imparting the flow direction change to create a vortex; and    allowing the second portion and the fuel/oxidizer mixture to mix downstream of the vortex to create combustible mixture.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising providing a pilot burner proximate the downstream end of the burner to ignite the combustible mixture.  
     
     
         15 . A combustor comprising: 
 a combustor burner receiving an oxidizer flow, the burner comprising an annular vortex generator disposed around a central region of the burner;    a fuel outlet disposed proximate the vortex generator discharging a combustible fuel into the oxidizer flow; and    a pilot burner disposed in the central region of the burner.    
     
     
         16 . The combustor of  claim 15 , wherein the annular vortex generator comprises a plurality of flow directing elements.  
     
     
         17 . The combustor of  claim 16 , wherein a first flow directing element comprises a different geometry than a second flow directing element to generate different respective vortex flow patterns of the oxidizer flow.  
     
     
         18 . A gas turbine engine comprising the combustor of  claim 15.