General Electric Company

John W Vinson

Stephen John Howell

Elias Harry Lampes

Paul Edward Sabla

Pamela C Kwong

An improved air swirler and fuel injector for a gas turbine combustor system employs primary fuel injection into a primary recirculation combustion zone supplied by an inner annulus of swirling air at high fuel-air ratio under low power conditions. A selectively staged secondary fuel flow is supplied into an outer annulus downstream of secondary air swirlers supplying a secondary recirculation zone for combustion at higher fuel flows but lower fuel-air ratios under high power conditions. The secondary fuel flow may be separately injected into the outer annulus through conduit means extending through the primary air swirler vanes. Alternatively, the secondary fuel flow may be combined with the primary fuel in the fuel injector body and the momentum due to mass flow used to inject the fuel into the outer annulus.

Bimodal swirler injector for a gas turbine combustor

A gas turbine engine carburetor including an annular swirler and a new and improved fuel injector cooperating therewith is disclosed which is effective for providing low BTU gaseous fuel to a combustor. The swirler includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced swirler vanes effective for channeling air along an annular inner surface of the swirler. The fuel injector includes a hollow injector tip having an aft portion including a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet apertures disposed in an outer surface thereof. The outer surface is aligned obliquely to a longitudinal centerline axis of the injector tip and the swirler.

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Salem, MA, United States of America

John W Vinson