Combustor having driver jets for a gas turbine engine

Abstract

A combustor including a dome structure, an inner liner and an outer liner connected to the dome structure to define a combustion chamber, and a first segment coupled to the outer liner and a second segment coupled to the inner liner, the first segment including a first geometric ramp and the second segment including a second geometric ramp. The first geometric ramp and the second geometric ramp have one or more driver holes, driver slots, and/or a plurality of driver vanes. An upstream crossflow enters the one or more driver holes, driver slots, and/or the plurality of driver vanes to generate an airflow jet having an increased angle at an exit of the one or more to driver holes, driver slots, and/or the plurality of driver vanes relative to a surface of the inner liner or a surface of the outer liner.

1 . A combustor having driver jets to drive a vortex inside a combustion chamber of the combustor, the combustor comprising:
 a dome structure;   an inner liner and an outer liner connected to the dome structure to define the combustion chamber; and   a first segment coupled to the outer liner and a second segment coupled to the inner liner, the first segment comprising a first geometric ramp and the second segment comprising a second geometric ramp,   wherein the first geometric ramp and the second geometric ramp comprise a body connected to the inner liner or to the outer liner and one or more driver holes, one or more driver slots, or a plurality of driver vanes, or any combination thereof, distributed circumferentially within the body, and wherein the one or more driver holes, the one or more driver slots, or the plurality of driver vanes are configured so that an upstream crossflow enters the one or more driver holes, the one or more driver slots, or the plurality of driver vanes to generate an airflow jet having an increased angle at an exit of the one or more driver holes, the one or more driver slots, or the plurality of driver vanes relative to a surface of the inner liner or a surface of the outer liner and to enhance penetration into the combustion chamber to generate and to drive a vortex inside the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a diameter of the one or more driver holes to a length of the one or more driver holes is from 0.20 to 5.0. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a length of the one or more driver holes to a diameter of the one or more driver holes is increased to greater than 0.5 to reduce sensitivity of the airflow jet to back side velocity of the upstream crossflow. 
     
     
         4 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more driver holes, the one or more driver slots, or the plurality of driver vanes have an axis that defines a same angle relative to a tangent to the surface of the inner liner or the outer liner, and the same angle varies from 300 to 150°. 
     
     
         5 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the first geometric ramp has a fuel conduit provided within the body configured to cause fuel to flow into the combustion chamber, wherein the fuel conduit communicates with the combustion chamber via a fuel channel provided in the body to generate a fuel jet through a nozzle of the fuel channel. 
     
     
         6 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein each driver hole in the one or more driver holes have a center axis that forms an angle α with a tangent to the surface of the outer liner, and the angle α of the center axis with the tangent to the surface of the outer liner is from 30° to 150°. 
     
     
         7 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein each driver hole in the one or more driver holes have a lateral axis that forms an angle β with a radial line of the combustor so that the one or more driver holes curve relative to the radial line, the angle β varying from −60° to +60°. 
     
     
         8 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein each driver hole in the one or more driver holes have a center axis that forms an angle ϕ with a tangent to the surface of the inner liner, the angle ϕ of the center axis with the tangent to the surface of the inner liner being from 300 to 150°. 
     
     
         9 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein each driver hole in the one or more driver holes have a lateral axis that forms a same angle ψ with a radial line of the combustor so that the one or more driver holes curve relative to the radial line, the same angle ψ of the lateral axis of the one or more driver holes relative to the radial line of the combustor varying from −60° to +60°. 
     
     
         10 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the body has a trapezoid cross-sectional shape and the one or more driver holes are provided in a thicker portion of the trapezoid cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         11 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more driver holes include an inlet chamfer or an inlet curvature or both. 
     
     
         12 . The combustor according to  claim 11 , wherein the inlet chamfer forms an angle with a sidewall of the one or more driver holes, and the angle opens from a chamfer depth of the one or more driver holes to the exit of the one or more driver holes. 
     
     
         13 . The combustor according to  claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the chamfer depth of the one or more driver holes to a diameter of the one or more driver holes is selected to maximize a discharge coefficient of the airflow jet in a constant regime of the discharge coefficient versus the ratio of the chamfer depth of the one or more driver holes to the diameter of the one or more driver holes. 
     
     
         14 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the first geometric ramp has a hood coupled to the body, the hood being spaced apart from the body to define an airflow channel. 
     
     
         15 . The combustor according to  claim 14 , wherein the hood curves to form an upstream curved portion, the upstream curved portion being spaced apart from the body and follows contours of the body to define an inlet, wherein the hood is configured to guide a portion of the upstream crossflow captured by the upstream curved portion through the airflow channel. 
     
     
         16 . The combustor according to  claim 15 , wherein the hood curves to form a downstream curved portion, the downstream curved portion being spaced apart from the body at an interface of the first geometric ramp with the outer liner to define an outlet, the portion of the upstream crossflow that enters through the inlet and guided through the airflow channel splits into a first airflow portion to enter the one or more driver holes and a second airflow portion exits the airflow channel through the outlet. 
     
     
         17 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more driver holes traverse an entire thickness of the body, the one or more driver holes being configured to guide the airflow jet into the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The combustor according to  claim 17 , wherein the body comprises a single scoop that forms a single ridge extending 360° around a circumference of the inner liner, the one or more driving holes ending near the single scoop, the single scoop being configured to intercept a first portion of the upstream crossflow to guide the first portion through the one or more driver holes to generate the airflow jet, and a second portion of the upstream crossflow passes over the single scoop. 
     
     
         19 . The combustor according to  claim 17 , wherein the body comprises one or more scoops, each of the one or more scoops is located near each of the one or more driver holes, the one or more scoops being configured to intercept a first portion of the upstream crossflow to guide the first portion through the one or more driver holes to generate the airflow jet, and a second portion of the upstream crossflow passes between or over the one or more scoops. 
     
     
         20 . The combustor according to  claim 19 , wherein the one or more scoops are configured to convert more of a total pressure of the upstream crossflow to increase pressure supply to the one or more airflow jets and to increase momentum of the one or more airflow jets to increase penetration of the one or more airflow jets to drive the vortex.