(19)
(11) EP 0 728 989 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
20.08.1997 Bulletin 1997/34

(43) Date of publication A2:
28.08.1996 Bulletin 1996/35

(21) Application number: 96300281.1

(22) Date of filing: 15.01.1996
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6: F23C 7/00, F23D 14/24, F23D 14/74, F23D 23/00, F23D 17/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
CH DE FR GB IT LI SE

(30) Priority: 13.01.1995 GB 9500627
29.09.1995 GB 9519826

(71) Applicant: EUROPEAN GAS TURBINES LIMITED
Lincoln LN2 5DJ (GB)

(72) Inventors:
  • Norster, Eric Roy
    Harby, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG23 7EP (GB)
  • de Pietro, Simon Mario
    Lincoln LN1 3DX (GB)
  • Kowkabi, Mahmoud
    Lincoln LN2 2JU (GB)

(74) Representative: Dargavel, Laurence Peter 
European Gas Turbines Limited Mechanical Engineering Centre Cambridge Road
Whetstone, Leicester LE8 6LH
Whetstone, Leicester LE8 6LH (GB)

   


(54) Gas turbine engine combustor


(57) A lean burn combustor for a gas turbine engine has a pilot burner (114) which injects fuel and air separately, the air being injected as a swirling column from a circular slot (302) in the burner head (214) to establish a divergent columnar shear layer (303) in the combustor, and the fuel being injected from a peripheral annular gap in the burner head towards the column of air (300) for mixing with it in the shear layer (303). A main burner (120,122) surrounds the pilot burner and by means of swirler passages (122) injects a fuel-lean main fuel/air mixture into the combustor towards the shear layer (303) for mixing with the pilot fuel and air. The shear layer establishes a sheltered combustion region (107) near the pilot burner and some fuel/air mixture (304) capable of stable combustion in the sheltered region is recirculated from the shear layer into the sheltered region to increase the stability of lean burn combustion in the combustor over a wide range of engine load conditions.






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