Gas turbine engine architecture with nested concentric combustor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10267229-B2
Application number	US-201414775230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes an inner annular combustor radially inboard of an outer annular combustor. An outer variable turbine vane array is downstream of the outer annular combustor and an inner variable turbine vane array downstream of the inner annular combustor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a gas turbine engine comprising:
scheduling fuel flow to an outer annular combustor and an inner annular combustor;
directing a compressed airflow to the outer annular combustor and the inner annular combustor to generate an outer combustion gas stream in the outer annular combustor and an inner combustion gas stream in the inner annular combustor;
scheduling a position of an outer variable turbine vane array downstream of the outer annular combustor;
scheduling a position of an inner variable turbine vane array downstream of the inner annular combustor;
scheduling a position of a high pressure turbine inlet variable vane array downstream of the inner annular combustor; and
closing the outer variable turbine vane array for takeoff operation mode,
wherein the outer combustion gas stream is separated from the inner combustion gas stream downstream of the outer variable turbine vane array and the inner variable turbine vane array.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: opening the high pressure turbine inlet variable vane array.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: providing relatively more fuel flow into the outer annular combustor relative to the fuel flow into the inner annular combustor for the takeoff operation mode.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: providing relatively less fuel flow into the outer annular combustor relative to the fuel flow into the inner annular combustor for cruise operation mode.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: merging the outer combustion gas stream and the inner combustion gas stream at a turbine rotor that is downstream of the outer variable turbine vane array and the inner variable turbine vane array.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the turbine rotor radially spans the outer variable turbine vane array and the inner variable turbine vane array, and wherein the inner variable turbine vane array is downstream of the high pressure turbine inlet variable vane array, and wherein the high pressure turbine inlet variable vane array is exposed to the inner combustion gas stream and is isolated from the outer combustion gas stream.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Kupratis Daniel B
• Gregory Howard K

Classifications

• F02C5/02

  characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the chamber in the plant (combustion chambers per se F23R) · 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

• F02C3/14 Primary

  characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant (combustion chambers per se F23R; F02C3/205 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D17/162

  for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line (F01D17/167 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F23R3/42 Primary

  characterised by the arrangement or form of the flame tubes or combustion chambers · CPC title