Dilution horn pair for a gas turbine engine combustor

Abstract

A combustor for a gas turbine engine has an annular inner liner and an annular outer liner forming a combustion chamber therebetween. A dilution horn pair includes dilution horns that provide a flow of an oxidizer gas into the combustion chamber in a dilution zone. At least one of the dilution horns forming the dilution horn pair is arranged so as to provide a lateral flow component of the flow of oxidizer gas therethrough into the combustion chamber, the lateral flow component having a flow direction extending laterally across and non-orthogonal to an axial flow direction of combustion gases within the combustion chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A combustor for a gas turbine engine, the combustor comprising:
 an annular inner liner having a cold surface side and a hot surface side;   an annular outer liner having a cold surface side and a hot surface side;   a combustion chamber formed between the hot surface side of the annular inner liner and the hot surface side of the annular outer liner, the combustion chamber providing for a flow of combustion gases in an axial flow direction from an upstream end of the combustion chamber to a downstream end of the combustion chamber;   a first oxidizer inlet horn that provides a flow of an oxidizer gas therethrough from a cold side oxidizer flow passage of the combustor into the combustion chamber; and   a second oxidizer inlet horn that provides a flow of the oxidizer gas therethrough from the cold side oxidizer flow passage of the combustor into the combustion chamber,   wherein:   the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn are arranged as a horn pair,   the horn pair is arranged on at least one of the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner, and   at least one of the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair is arranged to provide a lateral flow component of their respective flow of oxidizer gas therethrough into the combustion chamber, the lateral flow component comprising a flow direction extending laterally across and non-orthogonal to the axial flow direction of the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the horn pair is arranged to project the flow of oxidizer gas from the first oxidizer inlet horn and from the second oxidizer inlet horn to a median portion of the combustion chamber between the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein both the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair are arranged to provide the lateral flow component, and
 wherein the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair are arranged to provide their respective lateral flow components converging on one another.   
     
     
         4 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein both the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair are arranged to provide the lateral flow component, and
 wherein the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair are arranged to provide their respective lateral flow components diverging from one another.   
     
     
         5 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the first oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair is arranged to provide its respective flow of oxidizer gas into the combustion chamber in a direction perpendicular toward the axial flow direction of the combustor, and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair is arranged to provide the lateral flow component of the oxidizer gas into the combustion chamber in a direction converging on the flow of oxidizer gas of the first oxidizer inlet horn. 
     
     
         6 . The combustor according to  claim 3 , further comprising an oxidizer inlet jet between the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair,
 wherein the oxidizer inlet jet is arranged to provide a flow of the oxidizer gas therethrough from the cold side oxidizer flow passage of the combustor into the combustion chamber, the flow of oxidizer gas through the oxidizer inlet jet being perpendicular toward the axial flow direction, and   wherein the respective lateral flow components of the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair are arranged to further converge with the flow of the oxidizer gas of the oxidizer inlet jet in the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         7 . The combustor according to  claim 4 , further comprising an oxidizer inlet jet between the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair,
 wherein the oxidizer inlet jet is arranged to provide a flow of the oxidizer gas therethrough from the cold side oxidizer flow passage of the combustor into the combustion chamber, the flow of oxidizer gas through the oxidizer inlet jet being perpendicular toward the axial flow direction, and   wherein the respective lateral flow components of the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair are arranged to further diverge from the flow of the oxidizer gas of the oxidizer inlet jet in the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The combustor according to  claim 3 , wherein a first horn pair is arranged on the annular outer liner, and a second horn pair is arranged on the annular inner liner,
 wherein the first horn pair is arranged to project the flow of oxidizer gas from the first oxidizer inlet horn and from the second oxidizer inlet horn of the first horn pair to a mixing location at a median portion of the combustion chamber between the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner, and   wherein the second horn pair is arranged to project the flow of oxidizer gas from the first oxidizer inlet horn and from the second oxidizer inlet horn of the second horn pair to the mixing location at the median portion of the combustion chamber between the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner.   
     
     
         9 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein a first horn pair is arranged on the annular outer liner, and a second horn pair is arranged on the annular inner liner,
 wherein the first horn pair is arranged to project the flow of oxidizer gas from the first oxidizer inlet horn and from the second oxidizer inlet horn of the first horn pair to a first mixing location at a first median portion of the combustion chamber between the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner, and   wherein the second horn pair is arranged to project the flow of oxidizer gas from the first oxidizer inlet horn and from the second oxidizer inlet horn of the second horn pair to a second mixing location at a second median portion of the combustion chamber between the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner.   
     
     
         10 . The combustor according to  claim 9 , wherein the first median portion and the second median portion are substantially on a circumferential centerline of the combustion chamber taken between the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner, and the first median portion and the second median portion are offset from one another in a circumferential direction along the circumferential centerline. 
     
     
         11 . The combustor according to  claim 10 , wherein, in both the first horn pair and the second horn pair, a respective first oxidizer inlet horn is arranged to provide its respective flow of oxidizer gas into the combustion chamber in a direction perpendicular toward the axial flow direction of the combustor, and a respective second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair is arranged to provide the lateral flow component of the oxidizer gas into the combustion chamber in a direction converging on the flow of oxidizer gas of the first oxidizer inlet horn. 
     
     
         12 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn comprises a horn body having an oxidizer flow passage that provides the flow of oxidizer gas therethrough, the horn body having a proximal end adjacent to at least one of a respective hot side surface of the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner, and a distal end extending from a respective cold side surface of at least one of the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner into the cold side oxidizer flow passage of the combustor. 
     
     
         13 . The combustor according to  claim 12 , wherein the distal end of the horn body further comprises an oxidizer flow passage inlet, the oxidizer flow passage inlet having an upstream portion and a downstream portion,
 wherein the downstream portion of the oxidizer flow passage inlet extends further into the cold side oxidizer flow passage than does the upstream portion of the oxidizer flow passage inlet.   
     
     
         14 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , further comprising a third oxidizer inlet horn that provides a flow of the oxidizer gas therethrough from the cold side oxidizer flow passage into the combustion chamber,
 wherein the third oxidizer inlet horn is arranged in the horn pair with the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn such that the first oxidizer inlet horn, the second oxidizer inlet horn, and the third oxidizer inlet horn, share a common inlet.   
     
     
         15 . The combustor according to  claim 14 , wherein both the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the horn pair are arranged to provide the lateral flow component, and are arranged to provide their respective lateral flow components diverging from one another, and
 wherein the third oxidizer is arranged between the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn, and is arranged to provide its flow of oxidizer gas into the combustion chamber in a direction perpendicular towards the axial flow direction of the combustor.   
     
     
         16 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of horn pairs arranged on at least one of the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner,
 wherein the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn, of each horn pair among the plurality of horn pairs, are arranged along a same circumference around at least one of the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner, and a same axial distance from at least one of an upstream end of the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner.   
     
     
         17 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn is arranged to provide both the lateral flow component of the oxidizer gas into the combustion chamber and an axial flow component of the oxidizer gas into the combustion chamber, the axial flow component corresponding to the axial flow direction of the flow of combustion gases in the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first horn pair and a second horn pair each arranged on one of the annular inner liner or the annular outer liner,
 wherein the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of both the first and second horn pairs are arranged to provide their respective lateral flow components diverging from one another,   wherein the first horn pair is arranged at a first distance in the axial flow direction from the upstream end of the combustion chamber, and the second horn pair is arranged at a second distance greater than the first distance in the axial flow direction from the upstream end of the combustion chamber,   wherein the first horn pair and the second horn pair are arranged circumferentially offset from one another, and   wherein the first horn pair and the second horn pair are arranged so that the lateral flow component of the oxidizer from one of first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the first horn pair, and the lateral flow component of the oxidizer from one of the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn of the second horn pair, are adjacent to one another in opposing directions and provide an oxidizer flow-shear between their respective lateral flow components.   
     
     
         19 . A dilution horn pair component for a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the dilution horn pair component comprising:
 a base having a cold side surface and a hot side surface;   a first oxidizer inlet horn connected to the base, the first oxidizer inlet horn having an axial flow passage therethrough from a distal end of the first oxidizer inlet horn to a proximal end of the first oxidizer inlet horn extending through the hot side surface of the base; and   a second oxidizer inlet horn connected to the base, the second oxidizer inlet horn having an axial passage therethrough extending from a distal end of the second oxidizer inlet horn to a proximal end of the second oxidizer inlet horn extending through the hot side surface of the base,   wherein the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn are arranged on the base such that an axis off of the first oxidizer inlet horn and an axis of the axial flow passage of the second oxidizer inlet horn converge at a given distance from the hot side surface of the base.   
     
     
         20 . The dilution horn pair component according to  claim 19 , wherein the base further comprises a main jet inlet having a main jet flow passage therethrough extending from the cold side surface of the base to the hot side surface of the base, wherein the main jet inlet is arranged between the first oxidizer inlet horn and the second oxidizer inlet horn.