US 12,169,068 B2
Combustor for a turbine engine
Joseph Zelina, Waynesville, OH (US); Shai Birmaher, Cincinnati, OH (US); Sibtosh Pal, Mason, OH (US); and Clayton S. Cooper, Loveland, OH (US)
Assigned to GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Aug. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/819,399.
Prior Publication US 2024/0053013 A1, Feb. 15, 2024
Int. Cl. F23R 3/00 (2006.01); F23R 3/28 (2006.01)
CPC F23R 3/286 (2013.01) 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A combustor for a turbine engine, the combustor comprising:
a fuel injector having a mixer assembly with a pilot mixer and a main mixer, the fuel injector injecting fuel through the pilot mixer to generate a pilot fuel stream and through the main mixer to generate a main fuel stream;
a fluid injection system in fluid communication with the combustor, the fluid injection system injecting a fluid into the combustor; and
a controller that is communicatively coupled to the fuel injector and the fluid injection system, wherein the controller:
controls the fuel injector to inject the pilot fuel stream through the pilot mixer and the main fuel stream through the main mixer during a high power operation of the turbine engine;
controls the fluid injection system to inject the fluid into the combustor during the high power operation; and
controls the fluid injection system to shut off the fluid into the combustor during an entirety of a low power operation of the turbine engine and during an entirety of a mid-level power operation of the turbine engine,
wherein the low power operation is less than 30% of a maximum rated thrust of the turbine engine, the mid-level power operation is 30% to 85% of the maximum rated thrust of the turbine engine, and the high power operation is greater than 85% of the maximum rated thrust of the turbine engine.