Diffuser for an annular combustion chamber, in particular for an airplane turbine engine

1. A diffuser for a single-head annular combustion chamber, the diffuser comprising:

a separator configured to split the flow of air leaving a compressor into two annular diffusion streams, the separator being formed by a thin sheet connected by structural arms to inner and outer circularly-symmetrical walls of the diffuser,

wherein a diffuser angle of each diffusion stream defined between said thin sheet in the diffuser and the inner and outer walls of the diffuser is about 12 degrees to 13 degrees,

wherein a total diffuser angle defined by the inner and outer walls of the diffuser is substantially equal to the sum of the diffuser angles of the diffusion streams,

wherein both annular diffusion streams exiting from the diffuser feed a single row of fuel injectors which are disposed on an extension of a surface defined by a downstream end portion of the separator and which are oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the single-head annular combustion chamber substantially in the same manner as said downstream end portion of the separator, and

wherein each fuel injector includes a central axis, and said central axis intersects the downstream end portion of the separator.

2. A diffuser according to claim 1 , wherein the outer diffusion stream is configured to feed the fuel injection system of the single-head annular combustion chamber and a bypass circuit for bypassing the single-head annular combustion chamber on the outside of the single-head annular combustion chamber.

3. A diffuser according to claim 1 , wherein the inner diffusion stream is configured to feed the fuel injection system of the single-head annular combustion chamber and a circuit for bypassing said single-head annular chamber on the inside.

4. A diffuser according to claim 1 , wherein the thin sheet is of streamlined shape in longitudinal section.

5. A diffuser according to claim 1 , wherein the thin sheet includes a tip at its downstream end, having holes formed therein and extending upstream to open out alternately in each of the faces of the thin sheet in order to balance pressures on either side of the separator and at the tip.

6. A diffuser according to claim 5 , wherein the thin sheet includes a straight tip with chamfer edges at its downstream end in order to encourage the diffusion streams to split.

7. A diffuser according to claim 1 , wherein the structural arms form straighteners configured to straighten out the air flow leaving the compressor.

8. A diffuser according to claim 1 , wherein straighteners are arranged between upstream extensions of the inner and outer circularly-symmetrical walls of the diffuser.

9. A diffuser according to claim 1 , wherein the structural arms are streamlined in order to reduce head losses in the diffuser.

10. A diffuser according to claim 1 , including a setback situated between the downstream end of the inner circularly-symmetrical wall of the diffuser and an inner support wall, and a setback situated between the downstream end of the outer circularly-symmetrical wall of the diffuser and an outer support wall, said setbacks forming stable air recirculation zones at the outlet from the diffuser.

11. An airplane turboprop, including a diffuser according to claim 1 .

12. A diffuser according to claim 2 , wherein the outer diffusion stream is configured to feed an extraction duct.

13. A diffuser according to claim 1 , wherein all of the fuel injectors are disposed at the same radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the single-head annular combustion chamber.

14. A diffuser according to claim 13 , wherein the fuel injectors are cylindrical.

15. A diffuser according to claim 1 , wherein the separator is disposed centrally between the inner and outer walls of the diffuser.

16. A diffuser for a single-head annular combustion chamber, the diffuser comprising:

a separator configured to split the flow of air leaving a compressor into two annular diffusion streams, the separator being formed by a single flat thin sheet connected by structural arms to inner and outer circularly-symmetrical walls of the diffuser,

wherein a diffuser angle of each diffusion stream defined between said thin sheet in the diffuser and the inner and outer walls of the diffuser is about 12 degrees to 13 degrees, and

wherein a total diffuser angle defined by the inner and outer walls of the diffuser is substantially equal to the sum of the diffuser angles of the diffusion streams, and

wherein both annular diffusion streams exiting from the diffuser feed a single row of fuel injectors which are disposed on an extension of a surface defined by a downstream end portion of the separator and which are oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the single-head annular combustion chamber substantially in the same manner as said downstream end portion of the separator,

wherein each fuel injector includes a central axis, and said central axis intersects the downstream end portion of the separator.

17. A diffuser for a single-head annular combustion chamber, the diffuser comprising:

a separator configured to split the flow of air leaving a compressor into two annular diffusion streams, the separator being formed by a thin sheet connected by structural arms to inner and outer circularly-symmetrical walls of the diffuser,

wherein a diffuser angle of each diffusion stream defined between said thin sheet in the diffuser and the inner and outer walls of the diffuser is about 12 degrees to 13 degrees, and

wherein both annular diffusion streams exiting from the diffuser feed a single row of fuel injectors which are disposed on an extension of the surface defined by a downstream end portion of the separator and which are oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the combustion chamber substantially in the same manner as said downstream end portion of the separator,

wherein each fuel injector includes a central axis, and said central axis intersects the downstream end portion of the separator, and

wherein the thin sheet includes a tip at its downstream end, having holes formed therein and extending upstream to open out alternately in each of the faces of the thin sheet in order to balance pressures on either side of the separator and at the tip.