Swirler for a burner of a gas turbine engine

Abstract

A fuel injection structure for a swirler of a burner of a gas turbine engine, wherein the swirler includes a plurality of vanes and a plurality of mixing channels between the vanes to channel air from a radially outer end of the mixing channel to a radially inner end of the mixing channel, of the fuel injection structure which includes at least two injection ports to inject fuel into the channeled air. A swirler for a burner of a gas turbine engine, and a burner of a gas turbine engine and a gas turbine engine includes the fuel injection structure.

1 . A swirler for a burner of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a fuel injector,   a plurality of vanes, and   a plurality of mixing channels between the vanes to channel air from a radially outer end of the mixing channel to a radially inner end of the mixing channel,   the fuel injector comprising at least two injection ports to inject fuel into the channelled air,   wherein the fuel injector is enabled to change the number of injection ports used for the fuel injection.   
     
     
         2 . The swirler according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the fuel injector comprises a spring loaded mechanism to change the number of injection ports used for the fuel injection.   
     
     
         3 . The swirler according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the spring loaded mechanism is enabled to be driven by the pressure of the fuel to be injected.   
     
     
         4 . The swirler according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the at least two injection ports share a common feeding pipe and wherein spring loaded mechanism comprises a piston arranged in the common feeding pipe.   
     
     
         5 . The swirler according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the spring loaded mechanism has a non-linear bias.   
     
     
         6 . The swirler according  claim 1 ,
 wherein the fuel injector are enabled to be arranged at a trailing edge of one of the vanes of the swirler.   
     
     
         7 . The swirler according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the fuel injector are constructed as a fuel injection lance.   
     
     
         8 . The swirler according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the injection ports are arranged in a counter-flow or a co-flow or a vertical spiral direction in respect to a direction of the channelled air.   
     
     
         9 . The swirler as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the fuel injector varies an axial extent over which fuel can be injected into the channelled air.   
     
     
         10 . The swirler as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the fuel injector comprises the at least two injection ports located at axially spaced apart locations.   
     
     
         11 . The swirler as claimed in  claim 10 ,
 wherein the at least two injection ports are located along an axial line.   
     
     
         12 . The swirler ) as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein there are at least three injection ports and the injection ports are unequally spaced.   
     
     
         13 . The swirler as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least two injection ports have different outlet areas.   
     
     
         14 . The swirler as claimed in  claim 11 ,
 wherein the mixing channel has a base and the injection port further away from the base has a greater outlet area.   
     
     
         15 . A burner of a gas turbine engine, comprising
 a swirler and a combustion chamber,   wherein the swirler is constructed according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         16 . A gas turbine engine, comprising
 at least one burner,   wherein the burner is constructed according to  claim 14 .