Claims
- 1. A fuel nozzle having for a fuel injector, said fuel nozzle having a longitudinal centerline, the fuel nozzle comprising:an inlet for receiving fuel; and an outlet for discharging fuel; wherein said outlet intersects the longitudinal centerline, but is offset from the longitudinal centerline and produces a skewed spray pattern.
- 2. The fuel nozzle as recited in claim 1, wherein said outlet has a metering orifice with an eccentric shape.
- 3. The fuel nozzle as recited in claim 2, wherein said eccentric shape comprises overlapping circles.
- 4. The fuel nozzle as recited in claim 3, wherein one of said overlapping circles has a diameter (d), and an amount of offset between said circles is less than approximately 0.5 d.
- 5. The fuel nozzle as recited in claim 4, wherein said amount of offset is approximately 0.25 d.
- 6. The fuel nozzle as recited in claim 1, wherein said outlet further comprises a metering orifice and a plug adjacent said metering orifice, said plug having fuel passages in a non-uniform arrangement.
- 7. A fuel injector, comprising:a fuel nozzle having an outlet for discharging fuel; and a swirler adjacent said fuel nozzle and having an outlet for discharging a fluid concentric with said outlet of said fuel nozzle; wherein said swirler discharges the fluid to produce a crescent-shaped spray pattern in the fuel discharged from said outlet of said fuel nozzle.
- 8. The fuel injector as recited in claim 7, wherein said crescent-shaped spray pattern occupies an arc of greater than approximately 245°.
- 9. The fuel injector as recited in claim 8, wherein said crescent-shaped spray pattern occupies an arc of approximately 270°.
- 10. The fuel injector as recited in claim 7, wherein said outlet has a metering orifice in a shape of overlapping circles.
- 11. The fuel injector as recited in claim 7, wherein said outlet comprises a metering orifice and a plug adjacent said metering orifice, said plug having fuel passages in a non-uniform arrangement.
- 12. A burner section of a gas turbine engine, comprising:a combustion chamber; and a plurality of fuel injectors for providing fuel to said combustion chamber; wherein at least one of said fuel injectors produces a skewed flame pattern in said combustion chamber, said flame pattern having an overlap with a flame pattern from an adjacent one of fuel injectors.
- 13. The burner section as recited in claim 12, wherein said fuel injector has a metering orifice for discharging fuel, said outlet having an eccentric shape.
- 14. The burner section as recited in claim 12, wherein said skewed flame pattern is crescent-shaped.
- 15. The burner section as recited in claim 12, wherein said combustion chamber has a recirculation zone, said skewed flame pattern having a peak flame concentration adjacent said recirculation zone.
- 16. The burner section as recited in claim 15, wherein said recirculation zone comprises an outer recirculation zone and an inner recirculation zone, said peak flame concentration adjacent said outer recirculation zone.
- 17. The burner section as recited in claim 15, wherein said peak flame concentration is also adjacent said overlap.
- 18. The burner section as recited in claim 12, wherein said fuel injector has a longitudinal centerline and an outlet for discharging fuel, said outlet intersecting said longitudinal centerline.
- 19. A method of improving stability of a flame in a burner section of a gas turbine engine, comprising the steps of:providing a plurality of fuel injectors; supplying fuel to said fuel injectors so that at least one of said fuel injectors produce a skewed flame pattern in the burner section, said skewed flame pattern creating a fuel non-uniformity in the burner section; and overlapping said skewed flame pattern with a flame pattern of an adjacent one of said fuel injectors.
- 20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said fuel injector has a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, said skewed fuel flame pattern produced by said primary circuit.
- 21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein skewed flame pattern has a peak flame concentration, and further comprising the step of placing said peak flame concentration adjacent an overlap between said skewed flame patterns.
- 22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the burner section has a recirculation zone, and further comprising the step of placing said peak flame concentration adjacent said recirculation zone.
- 23. A burner section of a gas turbine engine, comprising:a combustion chamber; and a plurality of fuel injectors for providing fuel to said combustion chamber; wherein at least one of said fuel injectors produces a crescent-shaped flame pattern in said combustion chamber, said flame pattern having an overlap with a flame pattern from an adjacent one of fuel injectors.
- 24. A burner section of a gas turbine engine, comprising:a combustion chamber having a recirculation zone; and a plurality of fuel injectors for providing fuel to said combustion chamber; wherein at least one of said fuel injectors produces a skewed flame pattern in said combustion chamber, said flame pattern having an overlap with a flame pattern from an adjacent one of fuel injectors, and said skewed flame pattern having a peak flame concentration adjacent said recirculation zone.
- 25. A method of improving stability of a flame in a burner section of a gas turbine engine, comprising the steps of:providing a plurality of fuel injectors, at least one of said fuel injectors having a primary circuit and a secondary circuit; supplying fuel to said fuel injectors so that said primary circuit of said fuel injector produces a skewed flame pattern in the burner section, said skewed flame pattern creating a fuel non-uniformity in the burner section; and overlapping said skewed flame pattern with a flame pattern of an adjacent one of said fuel injectors.
- 26. A method of improving stability of a flame in a burner section of a gas turbine engine, comprising the steps of:providing a plurality of fuel injectors; supplying fuel to said fuel injectors so that at least one of said fuel injectors produce a skewed flame pattern in the burner section, said skewed flame pattern having a peak flame concentration and creating a fuel non-uniformity in the burner section; overlapping said skewed flame pattern with a flame pattern of an adjacent one of said fuel injectors; and placing said peak flame concentration adjacent an overlap between said skewed flame patterns.
GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
The U.S. Government may have rights in this invention pursuant to Contract Number N00019-97-C-0050 with the U.S. Navy.
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