United Technologies Corporation

Aaron S Hu

Barry C Schlein

Timothy S Snyder

John B McVey

Thomas J Rosfjord

Theodore G Fox

Donald T Lemon

A combustor is disclosed capable of averting engine flameout. This combustor comprises a combustion chamber, which comprises an outlet for discharging heated combustion products. The combustor further comprises a primary injector for injecting a fuel and compressed air into a primary zone of the combustion chamber such that the fuel is induced into a recirculation zone at a corner of the primary zone. Combustion means for combusting the fuel and the compressed air in the combustion chamber resulting in heated combustion products are also incorporated in the combustor. Moreover, the combustor comprises sensing means for monitoring the combustor to substantially detect a pre-flameout condition. To realize the advantages of the present invention, the combustor additionally comprises a pilot injector for injecting a propellant into the recirculation zone in response to detecting said flameout condition by the sensing means, such that the propellant combusts as a diffusion flame.

Pilot injector for gas turbine engines

A premix liquid fuel nozzle has longitudinal air entrance slots (24) into a cylindrical chamber (20). A centerbody (42) produces an axially increasing flow area toward the chamber outlet (32). Liquid fuel is atomized in a specified location (58) adjacent the conical centerbody (42). This area has a high axial shear velocity producing thorough vaporization and uniform mixing before combustion.

Tangential entry fuel nozzle

A fuel injector 28 utilizing air, a liquid fluid and a gaseous fluid is disclosed. Various construction details are developed to enhance mixing and reduce carbon monoxide emissions for a given level of nitrous oxide emissions. In one detailed embodiment, the fuel nozzle 28 has two radially spaced passages 68, 104 for air having swirlers 86, 114, a liquid fluid passage 57 for water therebetween and a gaseous fluid fuel passage 118 which injects fuel into one of the air passages.

Fuel injector and method of operating the fuel injector

A premix gas nozzle has longitudinal tangential entrance slots to a cylindrical chamber. There is an axially increasing flow area toward the chamber outlet, with pilot fuel centrally introduced near the outlet. A lean mix low NOx fuel nozzle is thereby stabilized.

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Hartford, CT, United States of America

Aaron S Hu