Granted Patent B2

US 12,747,863 · App. 18/630,445 · Granted Sep 29, 2026

Inventors: Joseph Zelina (Waynesville, OH); Sibtosh Pal (Mason, OH); Michael T. Bucaro (Arvada, CO); Pradeep Naik (Bengaluru, IN); Steven C. Vise (Loveland, OH); Andrew Wickersham (Liberty Township, OH); Nicholas R. Overman (Sharonville, OH)

Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

F23R3/346F23R3/002F23R3/36F23R3/34F23R2900/00014

Abstract

Claims (79)

1 . A combustor of a turbine engine, the combustor comprising:

a first combustion zone operable to combust a first fuel and air mixture;

an injector-mixer connected to the first combustion zone;

at least one first fuel inlet connected to the injector-mixer, providing a first fuel to the first combustion zone via the injector-mixer;

at least one first air inlet connected to the injector-mixer, providing first zone air to the first combustion zone via the injector-mixer, the first fuel and the first zone air combining in the injector-mixer to form the first fuel and air mixture for delivery to the first combustion zone;

a second combustion zone for combusting a second fuel and air mixture, the second combustion zone being at least partially radially in line with the first combustion zone, wherein the second combustion zone has an axial dimension that is smaller than an axial dimension of the first combustion zone, and wherein the second combustion zone is located biased in an axially downstream direction of the first combustion zone, and wherein the second combustion zone is located radially inward of the first combustion zone;

at least one second fuel inlet connected directly to the second combustion zone, providing a second fuel to the second combustion zone, that operates when the second combustion zone is operating and does not operate when the second combustion zone is not operating; wherein the at least one second fuel inlet includes:

a forward wall fuel inlet entering the second combustion zone through a forward wall defining the second combustion zone;

an aft wall fuel inlet entering the second combustion zone through an aft wall defining the second combustion zone; and

an inner wall fuel inlet entering the second combustion zone through a radially inner wall defining the second combustion zone;

at least one second air inlet connected directly to the second combustion zone, providing second zone air to the second combustion zone, the second fuel and the second zone air combining within the second combustion zone to form the second fuel and air mixture in the second combustion zone;

a third combustion zone disposed upstream of the second combustion zone for combusting a third fuel and air mixture, wherein the third combustion zone is located radially outward of the first combustion zone;

at least one third fuel inlet, connected directly to the third combustion zone, providing a third fuel to the third combustion zone, that operates when the third combustion zone is operating and does not operate when the third combustion zone is not operating; and

at least one third air inlet, providing third zone air directly to the third combustion zone, the third fuel and the third zone air combining within the third combustion zone to form the third fuel and air mixture in the third combustion zone,

wherein the first fuel and the second fuel are disparate fuels, and

wherein the third fuel has a residence time similar to the first fuel.

2 . The combustor of claim 1 , wherein the first fuel is a relatively longer residence time fuel and the second fuel is a relatively shorter residence time fuel.

3 . The combustor of claim 1 , wherein the first fuel is Jet-A.

4 . The combustor of claim 1 , wherein the first fuel is sustainable aviation fuel.

5 . The combustor of claim 1 , wherein the second fuel is hydrogen.

6 . The combustor of claim 1 , wherein the second combustion zone is a trapped vortex combustion zone, at least partially disposed downstream of the first combustion zone.

7 . The combustor of claim 1 , wherein the second combustion zone is smaller than the third combustion zone.

8 . A turbine engine comprising:

a compressor section that provides a compressed air flow;

a fuel system that provides fuel;

a combustor located downstream of the compressor section, the combustor receiving the compressed air flow and the fuel to form a fuel and air mixture, and combusting the fuel and air mixture to generate combustion gases, the combustor comprising:

a first combustion zone operable to combust a first fuel and air mixture;

an injector-mixer connected to the first combustion zone;

at least one first fuel inlet connected to the-injector-mixer, providing a first fuel to the first combustion zone via the injector-mixer;

at least one first air inlet connected to the injector-mixer, providing first zone air to the first combustion zone via the injector-mixer, the first fuel and the first zone air combining in the injector-mixer to form the first fuel and air mixture for delivery to the first combustion zone;

a second combustion zone for combusting a second fuel and air mixture, the second combustion zone being at least partially radially in line with the first combustion zone, wherein the second combustion zone has an axial dimension that is smaller than an axial dimension of the first combustion zone, and wherein the second combustion zone is located biased in an axially downstream direction of the first combustion zone, and wherein the second combustion zone is located radially inward of the first combustion zone;

at least one second fuel inlet connected directly to the second combustion zone, providing a second fuel to the second combustion zone, that operates when the second combustion zone is operating and does not operate when the second combustion zone is not operating, wherein the at least one second fuel inlet of the combustor includes:

a forward wall fuel inlet entering the second combustion zone through a forward wall defining the second combustion zone;

an aft wall fuel inlet entering the second combustion zone through an aft wall defining the second combustion zone; and

an inner wall fuel inlet entering the second combustion zone through a radially inner wall defining the second combustion zone; and

at least one second air inlet connected directly to the second combustion zone, providing second zone air to the second combustion zone, the second fuel and the second zone air combining within the second combustion zone to form the second fuel and air mixture in the second combustion zone;

a third combustion zone disposed upstream of the second combustion zone for combusting a third fuel and air mixture, wherein the third combustion zone is located radially outward of the first combustion zone;

at least one third fuel inlet, connected directly to the third combustion zone, providing a third fuel to the third combustion zone, that operates when the third combustion zone is operating and does not operate when the third combustion zone is not operating;

at least one third air inlet, providing third zone air directly to the third combustion zone, the third fuel and the third zone air combining within the third combustion zone to form the third fuel and air mixture in the third combustion zone; and

a turbine section that is caused to rotate by the combustion gases,

wherein the first fuel and the second fuel are disparate fuels, and

wherein the third fuel has a residence time similar to the first fuel.

9 . A combustor of a turbine engine, the combustor comprising:

a first combustion zone operable to combust a first fuel and air mixture;

an injector-mixer connected to the first combustion zone;

at least one first fuel inlet connected to the injector-mixer, providing a first fuel to the first combustion zone via the injector-mixer;

at least one first air inlet connected to the injector-mixer, providing first zone air to the first combustion zone via the injector-mixer, the first fuel and the first zone air combining in the injector-mixer to form the first fuel and air mixture for delivery to the first combustion zone;

a second combustion zone for combusting a second fuel and air mixture, the second combustion zone being at least partially radially in line with the first combustion zone, wherein the second combustion zone has an axial dimension that is smaller than an axial dimension of the first combustion zone, and wherein the second combustion zone is located biased in an axially downstream direction of the first combustion zone, and wherein the second combustion zone is located radially inward of the first combustion zone;

at least one second fuel inlet connected directly to the second combustion zone, providing a second fuel to the second combustion zone, that operates when the second combustion zone is operating and does not operate when the second combustion zone is not operating, wherein the at least one second fuel inlet includes:

a forward wall fuel inlet entering the second combustion zone through a forward wall defining the second combustion zone;

an aft wall fuel inlet entering the second combustion zone through an aft wall defining the second combustion zone; and

an inner wall fuel inlet entering the second combustion zone through a radially inner wall defining the second combustion zone; and

at least one second air inlet connected directly to the second combustion zone, providing second zone air to the second combustion zone, the second fuel and the second zone air combining within the second combustion zone to form the second fuel and air mixture in the second combustion zone,

wherein the first fuel and the second fuel are disparate fuels.

10 . The combustor of claim 9 , wherein the at least one second air inlet includes:

a forward wall air inlet entering the second combustion zone through the forward wall defining the second combustion zone; and

an aft wall air inlet entering the second combustion zone through the aft wall defining the second combustion zone.

11 . The combustor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second air inlet includes:

a forward wall air inlet entering the second combustion zone through the forward wall defining the second combustion zone; and

an aft wall air inlet entering the second combustion zone through the aft wall defining the second combustion zone.

12 . The combustor of claim 11 , wherein the at least one third fuel inlet includes:

a forward wall fuel inlet entering the third combustion zone through a forward wall defining the first combustion zone and the third combustion zone;

an aft wall fuel inlet entering the third combustion zone through an aft wall defining the third combustion zone; and

an outer wall fuel inlet entering the third combustion zone through a radially outer wall defining the third combustion zone.

13 . The combustor of claim 12 , wherein the at least one third air inlet includes:

a forward wall air inlet entering the third combustion zone through the forward wall defining the first combustion zone and the third combustion zone; and

an aft wall air inlet entering the third combustion zone through the aft wall defining the third combustion zone.

14 . The combustor of claim 13 , wherein the forward wall of the second combustion zone is located axially forward of the forward wall of the first combustion zone.

15 . The turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the at least one second air inlet of the combustor includes:

a forward wall air inlet entering the second combustion zone through the forward wall defining the second combustion zone; and

an aft wall air inlet entering the second combustion zone through the aft wall defining the second combustion zone.

16 . The turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein:

the at least one third fuel inlet of the combustor includes:

a forward wall fuel inlet entering the third combustion zone through a forward wall defining the first combustion zone and the third combustion zone;

an aft wall fuel inlet entering the third combustion zone through an aft wall defining the third combustion zone; and

an outer wall fuel inlet entering the third combustion zone through a radially outer wall defining the third combustion zone; and

the at least one third air inlet of the combustor includes:

a forward wall air inlet entering the third combustion zone through the forward wall defining the first combustion zone and the third combustion zone; and

an aft wall air inlet entering the third combustion zone through the aft wall defining the third combustion zone.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (50)