Combustor with annular bluff body

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gas turbine combustor comprising: a flow sleeve; a combustion liner located at least partially within the flow sleeve thereby creating a main passage between the flow sleeve and the combustor liner; a dome located forward of the flow sleeve and encompassing at least a part of the combustion liner, the dome having a substantially rounded head end thereby forming a turning passage between the liner and the head end; and a swirler wall aligned along a centerline of the combustor, the swirler wall projecting into the liner, wherein the swirler wall and the rounded head end are connected, wherein the connection forms an annular end face.

1 . A gas turbine combustor comprising:
 a flow sleeve;   a combustion liner located at least partially within the flow sleeve thereby creating a main passage between the flow sleeve and the combustor liner;   a dome located forward of the flow sleeve and encompassing at least a part of the combustion liner, the dome having a substantially rounded head end thereby forming a turning passage between the liner and the head end; and   a swirler wall aligned along a centerline of the combustor, the swirler wall projecting into a space delimited by the liner,   wherein the swirler wall and the rounded head end are connected, wherein the connection forms an annular end face.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor of  claim 1  further comprising a center body positioned along the centerline and extending into the space delimited by the swirler wall, thereby forming a pilot passage between the swirler wall and the center body. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor of  claim 1  wherein a width of the pilot channel is substantially constant along the length of the pilot channel. 
     
     
         4 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein an area of the annular end face is 1.5 times to 5 times larger than an area of a cross section of the pilot passage. 
     
     
         5 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein a fuel lance is arranged in the center body. 
     
     
         6 . The combustor of  claim 1  further comprising a substantially cylindrical extension extending from a radially inner end of the rounded head end or the end face into the liner, wherein the extension is aligned with the centerline of the combustor. 
     
     
         7 . The combustor of  claim 8 , wherein the extension has substantially constant radius along the centerline of the liner, and/or wherein the thickness of the extension is substantially equal to the thickness of the rounded head end. 
     
     
         8 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein a recess delimited by the central body, the annular end face and the rounded head end comprises a Helmholtz damper or/and a means for pilot oil injection. 
     
     
         9 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the combustion liner comprises a ring shaped rounded lip section and a curved middle section adapted to create a flame stabilization zone during operation. 
     
     
         10 . The combustor of  claim 8 , wherein the lip section comprises a Helmholtz damper and/or liquid fuel injection means. 
     
     
         11 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the pilot passage comprises a pilot swirler in fluid communication with at least one pilot fuel injector, and wherein the pilot swirler is an axial swirler or a radial swirler. 
     
     
         12 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the main passage or the turning passage comprises a main swirler in a fluid communication with at least one main fuel injector, and wherein the main swirler is an axial swirler or a radial swirler. 
     
     
         13 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the swirler wall is a part of a conical burner. 
     
     
         14 . A gas turbine comprising the combustor according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A method for operating the gas turbine combustor according to  claim 1 , the method comprising: supplying a first stream of fuel into the pilot channel or the conical burner, and feeding the resulting first mixture into the combustion zone for providing pilot flame;
 supplying a second flow of air into the main passage; supplying a second stream of fuel into the main passage or turning passage to mix with the second flow of air, and feeding the resulting second mixture into the combustion zone for providing a main flame.