General Electric Company

Sarah Marie Monahan

Kapil Kumar Singh

Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala

Narendra Digamber Joshi

Joel Meier Haynes

Arin Elspeth Lastufka Cross

Thomas Michael Lavertu

Daniel Louis Depperschmidt

Hannah Erin Bower

David James Walker

Matthieu Marc Masquelet

Junwoo Lim

Krishna Kumar Venkatesan

Michael Anthony Benjamin

James Michael Storey

Joseph Zelina

Aaron John Avagliano

Sibtosh Pal

Thomas Earl Dyson

Constantin Dinu

Judeth Brannon Corry

Eric John Ruggiero

Gregory Michael Laskowski

Andrew Joseph Wickersham

William Thomas Ross

Prashant Tiwari

Aaron J Glaser

Helge Burghard Herwig Klockow

Denise Marie Rico

A method of operating a rotating detonation combustor includes providing a flow of air through an air inlet to flow into a detonation chamber, providing a flow of fuel from at least one fuel injector into the detonation chamber, mixing the flow of the fuel and the flow of the air in the detonation chamber to generate a fuel-air mixture, detonating the fuel-air mixture in the detonation chamber to generate rotating detonation waves within the detonation chamber, and controlling, during operation of the rotating detonation combustor from a first power operating state to a second power operating state, different from the first power operating state, the air inlet wall to control the flow of the air through the air inlet into the detonation chamber to control a discharge coefficient and an operating mode within the detonation chamber.

Method of operating a rotating detonation combustor

A rotating detonation combustion system includes a detonation channel including an inner wall and an outer wall and extend in a longitudinal direction from an inlet of the detonation channel to an outlet of the detonation channel. A first mixing element and a second mixing element are disposed in the rotating detonation combustion system. The first mixing element forming a ring on the inner wall and the second mixing element forming a ring on the outer wall of the detonation channel adjacent the inlet. Each of the first mixing element and the second mixing element comprise a plurality of protrusions disposed circumferentially along the inner wall and the outer wall and extend into the detonation channel such that the plurality of protrusions affects vectors of at least a portion of the fuel and at least a portion of the fluid passing through recesses between the plurality of protrusions.

Mixing elements for rotating detonation combustion systems

Combustor systems are provided that include rotating detonation combustors (RDCs) arranged in series. In some embodiments, a combustor system includes a volume that receives a core oxidizer-fuel mixture. The combustor system includes a first RDC having a first detonation chamber. The first detonation chamber receives a first pilot oxidizer-fuel mixture and is bounded by a first channel formed in a peripheral wall. The combustor system further includes at least one additional RDC having a second detonation chamber. The second detonation chamber receives a second pilot oxidizer-fuel mixture and is bounded by a second channel formed in the peripheral wall. The first pilot oxidizer-fuel mixture reacts in the first detonation chamber and the second pilot oxidizer-fuel mixture reacts in the second detonation chamber to generate rotating detonation combustion waves that are guided by the first channel and the second channel to support a reaction that consumes the core oxidizer-fuel mixture.

Serial rotating detonation combustor systems

A detonation combustion system includes a detonation combustor. The detonation combustor includes a detonation manifold and one or more detonation chamber walls defining a detonation chamber. The detonation manifold includes a plurality of detonation fluid pathways defined by a monolithic structure of the detonation manifold, and a plurality of detonation orifice groups respectively including a plurality of detonation orifices disposed about a surface of the detonation manifold. Respective ones of the plurality of detonation orifice groups provide fluid communication from a corresponding one of the plurality of detonation fluid pathways to the detonation chamber through the plurality of detonation orifices corresponding to the respective one of the plurality of detonation orifice groups. The plurality of detonation orifices may be symmetrically oriented about a reference element of the detonation combustor.

Detonation combustion systems

A computer-implemented method for multi-mode operation of a combustion system, a combustion system, and a heat engine are provided. The method includes initializing combustion of a fuel/oxidizer mixture, determining whether conditions at the combustion system meet or exceed a first threshold operating parameter, transitioning to detonation combustion of the fuel/oxidizer mixture if conditions at the combustion system meet or exceed the first threshold operating parameter, and maintaining or increasing fuel flow through a deflagrative fuel circuit if conditions at the combustion system do not meet or exceed the first threshold operating parameter.

Multi-mode combustion control for a rotating detonation combustion system

A rotating detonation combustion (RDC) system is provided. The RDC includes a first outer wall and a second outer wall each extended around a centerline axis, and a detonation chamber formed radially inward of the second outer wall. A fuel passage extended between the first outer wall and the second outer wall, the fuel passage including a first inlet opening proximate to the aft end through which a flow of fuel is received into the fuel passage. The flow of fuel is provided through the fuel passage from the aft end to the forward end of the RDC system and to the detonation chamber.

Rotating detonation combustion and heat exchanger system

A combustion system includes an annular tube disposed between an inner wall and an outer wall, the annular tube extending from an inlet end to an outlet end; at least one fluid inlet disposed in the annular tube proximate the inlet end, the fluid inlet providing a conduit through which fluid flows into the annular tube; at least one outlet disposed in the annular tube proximate the outlet end; at least one primary fuel injector, the primary fuel injector dispersing fuel into a fluid stream entering the annular tube via the fluid inlet; and at least one secondary fuel injector, the secondary fuel injector disposed in the annular tube.

Fuel staging for rotating detonation combustor

A combustor for a turbine engine includes an inner combustion liner and an outer combustion liner together defining at least in part an interior. The interior includes a combustion chamber and a main portion. The combustor also includes an inlet combustion liner at least partially defining the combustion chamber of the interior and including an inlet assembly. The inlet assembly includes at least two cavity air tubes arranged along the axial direction, each cavity air tube extending between an inlet and an outlet, the outlet of each cavity air tube in airflow communication with the combustion chamber for providing the combustion chamber with a flow of air.

Gas turbine engine combustor comprising air inlet tubes arranged around the combustor

A combustor assembly for use in a gas turbine engine is provided. The combustor assembly includes a dome assembly, a fuel nozzle coupled to the dome assembly, and a cowl assembly. The cowl assembly includes a radially inner cowl coupled to the dome assembly, and a radially outer cowl including a first cowl member and a second cowl member each positioned about the fuel nozzle. The first and second cowl members substantially align to define a substantially continuous flow path configured to direct a flow of air about the dome assembly.

Combustor assembly for use in a gas turbine engine and method of assembling

A combustor for use in a turbine engine that includes an inner combustion liner and an outer combustion liner. An interior is defined between the inner combustion liner and the outer combustion liner, and the interior includes a cavity portion and a main portion extending radially inward from the cavity portion. The cavity portion includes a flow inlet and the main portion includes a flow outlet. A plurality of film cooling holes are formed in at least one of the inner combustion liner and the outer combustion liner. The plurality of film cooling holes are configured such that cooling airflow discharged therefrom flows helically relative to a centerline of the turbine engine and towards the flow outlet.

Combustor for use in a turbine engine

A fuel injector to reduce NOemissions in a combustor system. The fuel injector including a housing, at least one oxidizer flow path, extending axially through the fuel injector housing and defining therein one or more oxidizer flow paths for an oxidizer stream and a fuel manifold, extending axially through the fuel injector housing and defining therein one or more fuel flow path. The fuel manifold includes a forward portion and an aft portion including an aft face. A plurality of fuel injector outlets are defined in the aft portion, wherein the plurality of fuel injector outlets are configured to inject a fuel flow along a mid-plane of the fuel injector and away from a downstream wall. The fuel flow exiting the fuel manifold undergoes circumferential and radial mixing upon interaction with the oxidizer stream. Additionally disclosed is a combustor system including the fuel injector.

Fuel injector to facilitate reduced NOemissions in a combustor system

An air-shielded fuel injection assembly for use in a combustion chamber of a turbine assembly. The air-shielded fuel injection assembly generally includes a fuel manifold including a plurality of fuel injection ports and an air manifold including a plurality of air injection ports. Each of the plurality of fuel injection ports is configured to introduce a fuel column into an annular cavity of a mixer assembly. Each of the plurality of air injection ports is configured to introduce an air curtain about an associated fuel injection column to minimize recirculation upstream of the fuel injection column and increase penetration of the fuel injection column into the cavity. Also disclosed are a mixer assembly and a turbine assembly including the air-shielded fuel injection assembly.

[object Object]

A gas turbine engine and combustor assembly including a combustor liner defining therein a combustion chamber for the downstream flow of a main fluid. At least two axially spaced apart annular trapped vortex cavities are located on the combustor liner and staged axially and radially spaced apart. A cavity opening is located at a radially inner end of each of the at least two annular trapped vortex cavities. A plurality of injectors are configured tangentially relative to circular radially outer wall extending between an aft wall and a forward wall of each cavity to provide for an injection of air and fuel to form an annular rotating trapped vortex of a fuel and air mixture within a respective annular trapped vortex cavity. The annular rotating trapped vortex of the fuel and air mixture at the cavity openings is substantially perpendicular to the downstream flow of the main fluid.

Trapped vortex cavity staging in a combustor

A gasification quench chamber is disclosed. The gasification quench chamber includes a reservoir that contains liquid coolant in its lower portion and an exit for the cooled syngas in its upper portion; a dip tube that is configured to introduce a syngas mixture to contact the liquid coolant which produces the cooled syngas; a cooling device configured to further cool the cooled syngas in its upper portion; and a stability device in the lower portion that is configured to mitigate coolant level fluctuation and sloshing. In an embodiment of the quench chamber, the cooling device includes a heat exchanger pipe. A quench chamber and scrubber assembly is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Latham, NY, United States of America

Sarah Marie Monahan