Combustor for a turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025109856-A1
Application number	US-202418980574-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 13, 2024
Priority date	Aug 12, 2022
Publication date	Apr 3, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A combustor for a turbine engine. The combustor includes a fuel injector and a fluid injection system in fluid communication with the combustor. The fuel injector includes a mixer assembly with a pilot mixer and a main mixer. The pilot mixer and the main mixer operate during high power operation of the turbine engine. The fluid injection system injects a fluid into the combustor during high power operation of the turbine engine. The fluid is shut off during low power operation of the turbine engine and during mid-level power operation of the turbine engine.

First claim

1 . A method of operating a combustor for a turbine engine, the method comprising:
operating a pilot mixer and a main mixer of a mixer assembly of the combustor during a high power operation of the turbine engine; injecting a fluid into the combustor during the high power operation; and shutting off the fluid during a low power operation of the turbine engine and during a mid-level power operation of the turbine engine.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the pilot mixer includes generating a pilot flame with a rich fuel-air mixture and operating the main mixer includes generating a main flame with a lean fuel-air mixture.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising shutting off the main mixer and operating only the pilot mixer during the low power operation of the turbine engine.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling a fuel split between the pilot mixer and the main mixer during the high power operation while the fluid is injected into the combustor to maintain operating conditions of combustion gases at predetermined operating conditions.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling a compressed air split between the pilot mixer and the main mixer during the high power operation while the fluid is injected into the combustor to maintain operating conditions of combustion gases at predetermined operating conditions.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the turbine engine is operating at the high power operation based on operating conditions of compressed air entering the mixer assembly.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the fluid into the combustor comprises pumping the fluid from a fluid supply into the combustor.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the pilot mixer and the main mixer during the mid-level power operation of the turbine engine.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting the fluid upstream of the combustor.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting the fluid upstream of an annular dome of the combustor.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting the fluid into the mixer assembly.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting the fluid into swirler passages of the mixer assembly.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting the fluid into the combustor by a fluid injector.

14 . The method of claim 13 , the fluid injector comprising at least one of a spray bar or a manifold for injecting the fluid.

15 . A method of operating a combustor for a turbine engine, the method comprising:
determining a power level for the turbine engine; determining whether the turbine engine is in a high power operation based on the power level; operating a pilot mixer and a main mixer of a mixer assembly of the combustor during the high power operation of the turbine engine; injecting a fluid into the combustor during the high power operation; shutting off the fluid into the combustor if the turbine engine is not in the high power operation; determining whether the turbine engine is in a mid-level power operation; operating the pilot mixer and the main mixer of the mixer assembly during the mid-level power operation such that a fuel split or a compressed air split between the pilot mixer and the main mixer is different during the mid-level power operation than during the high power operation; preventing the fluid from being injected into the combustor during the mid-level power operation; determining whether the turbine engine is in a low power operation; shutting off the main mixer and operating only the pilot mixer during the low power operation; and preventing the fluid from being injected into the combustor during the low power operation.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein operating the pilot mixer includes generating a pilot flame with a rich fuel-air mixture and operating the main mixer includes generating a main flame with a lean fuel-air mixture.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising injecting the fluid upstream of the combustor.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising injecting the fluid upstream of an annular dome of the combustor.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising injecting the fluid into the mixer assembly.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising injecting the fluid into swirler passages of the mixer assembly.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Zelina Joseph
• Birmaher Shai
• Pal Sibtosh
• Cooper Clayton S

Classifications

• F02C9/44

  responsive to the speed of aircraft, e.g. Mach number control, optimisation of fuel consumption · CPC title

• F23R2900/03343

  Pilot burners operating in premixed mode · CPC title

• F23R3/343

  Pilot flames, i.e. fuel nozzles or injectors using only a very small proportion of the total fuel to insure continuous combustion (ignition in gas-turbine plants F02C7/264; pilot flame igniters F23Q9/00) · CPC title

• F23R3/28

  characterised by the fuel supply (burners F23D) · CPC title

• F23R3/286 Primary

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