General Electric Company

Richard E Stenger

Stanford P Seto

Edward E Ekstedt

Melvin Bobo

David Orus Fitts

Robert Alan Frederick

Douglas Marti Fortuna

William C Lippmeier

Eugene N Tuley

Keith A Williams

Malachi Lawrence, Jr

Madeleine Elise Fessler

John M Richey

Joseph S Alford

Kenneth E Monson

A double annular combustor having concentrically disposed inner and outer annular combustors is provided with inner and outer domes. A centerbody is disposed between the inner and outer domes and is constructed of a plurality of substantially rectangular segments positioned such that circumferential gaps between adjacent centerbody segments align alternatively with and between carburetors positioned in the inner and outer domes.

Segmented centerbody for a double annular combustor

A spring biased bearing is slidably mounted within a clevis joint so as to apply a frictional damping force to a flap of a jet engine exhaust nozzle. A forward hinge joint restrains the bearing against rotation with the flap while an aft hinge joint provides for both rotation and translation of the bearing about the flap. A tubular canister may be used with the hinge joint to preset the axial compression and biasing force generated by a coil spring enclosed within the canister.

Vibration damping hinge joints for variable area jet engine exhaust

A dual manifold fuel supply system for the combustor of gas generator in a turbofan engine wherein alternating circumferentially aligned fuel injectors are alternately supplied with fuel by a first or second fuel manifold. Fuel flow to both manifolds are controlled by a fuel control, preferably a full authority digital electronic control, and the second manifold has an off valve interposed between it and the fuel control.

Dual manifold fuel system

A low pressure fuel tube delivers fuel to a fuel injector disposed in the central position of the carburetor dome where it is conducted along a plurality of radially extending passages to the periphery of the injector. A high pressure air supply is provided directly to the peripheral fuel flow, in a substantially radial direction, by a disc surrounding the nozzle and having a plurality of radially extending passageways formed therein. A portion of the fuel is blasted directly onto a surrounding venturi surface where it is swirled in a given direction and then exits the downstream end of the venturi where it interacts with a counterrotating pattern of air from the secondary swirler flow to be atomized into a mist. Another portion of the air-blasted fuel from the venturi flows in the axial direction to also enter the combustor as a finely atomized fuel/air mixture.

Central injection fuel carburetor

A double annular combustor is provided with a main stage section disposed on the radially outer side such that its length is thereby minimized to reduce the resulting NOX emissions and its profile is thereby linearized so as to reduce the impingement of hot gases against the combustor wall. The pilot stage section is located radially inward so that its increased length tends to increase the residence time for idle and thereby reduce the hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions.

Double annular combustor configuration

In a combustor carburetor device having a secondary swirler which axially introduces airflow between the venturi and a splashplate, a cylindrical sleeve is inserted between the venturi and the splashplate to axially extend the air outer flow path. The cavity defined by the axial extension and the splashplate is then purged by a source of air such that the combination prevents the flow of fuel from the venturi to the surface of the splashplate to thereby reduce emissions during engine idle operation. At the downstream end of the cylindrical sleeve is attached a frustoconical portion which allows controlled dispersion of the fuel/air mixture for resultant improved ignition characteristics.

Combustor dome sleeve

A low pressure fuel stream is injected into a carburetor by way of a fuel tube injector combination having an insulating air space provided between the internal flow path structure and the outer surface of the combination which is exposed to relatively high temperatures. The fluid stream is thus maintained at a relatively low temperature and pressure until it is discharged from the fuel injector, at which time a surrounding airstream prevents the direct contact of the fuel flow with the surface of the fuel injector, and therefore prevents any carbon build-up which would otherwise occur on or near the fuel exit orifice.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Richard E Stenger