Combustor with staged, axially offset combustion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10006637-B2
Application number	US-201715411274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

In some aspects, a gas turbine combustor assembly is arranged around a longitudinal axis. The gas turbine combustor comprises a first fuel/air mixer assembly, the mixer assembly comprising a first fuel injector and a plurality of first mixer elements, each mixer element defining an air flow passage therethrough having an outlet in a first plane. A second fuel/air mixer assembly comprises a second fuel injector and a plurality of second mixer elements, and each second mixer element defines an air flow passage therethrough having an outlet in a second plane, longitudinally offset from the first plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
supplying air without fuel at an outlet of a first fuel/air mixer assembly in a gas turbine combustor assembly; and
concurrently, burning a fuel and air mixture at an outlet of a second, adjacent fuel/air mixer assembly in the gas turbine combustor assembly, the second mixer assembly having an outlet in a second plane that is offset in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the gas turbine combustor assembly relative to a first plane of the outlet of the first fuel/air mixer assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising, in response to a change in operating conditions, concurrently, while burning the fuel and air mixture at the outlet of the second fuel/air mixer assembly, burning a fuel and air mixture at the outlet of the first fuel/air mixer assembly.

3. The method of claim 2 , where concurrently burning the fuel and air mixtures at the outlets of the first and second fuel/air mixer assemblies comprises directing a first flow of fuel toward the first fuel/air mixer assembly along a first set of fuel circuits and directing a second flow of fuel toward the second fuel/air mixer assembly along a second set of fuel circuits that is separate and independent of the first.

4. The method of claim 3 , where the first and second flows of fuel have different flow rates.

5. The method of claim 1 , where supplying air to the outlet of the first fuel/air mixer assembly comprises directing air toward a plurality of first fuel/air mixer assemblies, and where burning the fuel and air mixture at the outlet of the second fuel/air mixer comprises directing air toward a plurality of second fuel/air mixer assemblies nested in a ring with the first fuel/air mixer assemblies.

6. The method of claim 5 , where the first and second fuel/air mixer assemblies are arranged in alternating order around the ring.

7. The method of claim 6 , where the second fuel/air mixer assemblies are recessed relative to the first fuel/air mixer assemblies in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

8. The method of claim 1 , where the second fuel/air mixer assembly comprises a plurality of second fuel/air mixer elements arranged around a center location on the longitudinal axis, and where burning the fuel and air mixture comprises directing fuel toward a fuel injector tip residing at the center location.

9. The method of claim 8 , where the plurality of second fuel/air mixer elements is symmetrically arranged around the center location.

10. The method of claim 8 , where the first fuel/air mixer assembly comprises a plurality of first fuel/air mixer elements, the plurality of first fuel/air mixer elements comprising a different number of mixer elements than the plurality of second fuel/air mixer elements.

11. The method of claim 1 , where burning the fuel and air mixture at the outlet of the second fuel/air mixer assembly comprises forming a flame cone extending to a length in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and where the second plane is offset by a distance substantially equal to the length of the flame cone.

12. The method of claim 1 , where burning the fuel and air mixture at the outlet of the second fuel/air mixer assembly comprises conveying a flow of air through converging-diverging venturi passage.

13. The method of claim 12 , where burning the fuel and air mixture at the outlet of the second fuel/air mixer assembly further comprises inducing swirl in the flow of air as the air is conveyed through the converging-diverging venturi passage.

14. A method, comprising:
supplying air without fuel at an outlet of a first fuel/air mixer assembly in a gas turbine combustor assembly having a longitudinal axis; and
concurrently, burning a fuel and air mixture at an outlet of a second, adjacent fuel/air mixer assembly in the gas turbine combustor assembly to form a flame cone extending to a length in a direction of the longitudinal axis, the second mixer assembly having an outlet in a second plane that is recessed in the direction relative to a first plane of the outlet of the first fuel/air mixer assembly,
where the second plane is recessed relative to the first plane by a distance sufficient to at least partially shield the flame cone from airflow emanating from the outlet of the first fuel/air mixing assembly.

15. The method of claim 14 , where the second plane is recessed by a distance substantially equal to the length of the flame cone.

16. The method of claim 14 , comprising, in response to a change in operating conditions, concurrently, while burning the fuel and air mixture at the outlet of the second fuel/air mixer assembly, burning a fuel and air mixture at the outlet of the first fuel/air mixer assembly.

17. The method of claim 16 , where concurrently burning the fuel and air mixtures at the outlets of the first and second fuel/air mixer assemblies comprises directing a first flow of fuel toward the first fuel/air mixer assembly along a first set of fuel circuits and directing a second flow of fuel toward the second fuel/air mixer assembly along a second set of fuel circuits that is separate and independent of the first.

18. The method of claim 17 , where the first and second flows of fuel have different flow rates.

19. The method of claim 14 , where supplying air to the outlet of the first fuel/air mixer assembly comprises directing air toward a plurality of first fuel/air mixer assemblies, and where burning the fuel and air mixture at the outlet of the second fuel/air mixer comprises directing air toward a plurality of second fuel/air mixer assemblies nested in a ring with the first fuel/air mixer assemblies.

20. The method of claim 14 , where the second fuel/air mixer assembly comprises a plurality of second fuel/air mixer elements arranged around a center location on the longitudinal axis, and where burning the fuel and air mixture comprises directing fuel toward a fuel injector tip residing at the center location.

Assignees

• Woodward Inc

Inventors

• Lee Fei Philip

Classifications

• F23R3/286

  having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2240/35

  Combustors or associated equipment · CPC title

• F23R3/346 Primary

  for staged combustion · CPC title

• F23R3/12

  inducing a vortex · CPC title

• F23R3/46

  Combustion chambers comprising an annular arrangement of {several essentially tubular} flame tubes within a common annular casing or within individual casings · CPC title