A gas turbine engine and combustor assembly including a combustor liner defining therein a combustion chamber for the downstream flow of a main fluid. At least two axially spaced apart annular trapped vortex cavities are located on the combustor liner and staged axially and radially spaced apart. A cavity opening is located at a radially inner end of each of the at least two annular trapped vortex cavities. A plurality of injectors are configured tangentially relative to circular radially outer wall extending between an aft wall and a forward wall of each cavity to provide for an injection of air and fuel to form an annular rotating trapped vortex of a fuel and air mixture within a respective annular trapped vortex cavity. The annular rotating trapped vortex of the fuel and air mixture at the cavity openings is substantially perpendicular to the downstream flow of the main fluid.

A combustor includes a combustion tube having a cylindrical shape with a combustion space where fuel is combusted and including an inlet through which the fuel is introduced, an outlet through which a gas generated when the fuel is combusted is discharged, and a protrusion protruding inward from a wall surface between the inlet and the outlet; an injection unit configured to inject fuel into the combustion tube through the inlet of the combustion tube; and an additional injection unit located on the protrusion of the combustion tube and configured to inject fuel into the combustion tube.

In some aspects, a gas turbine combustor assembly is arranged around a longitudinal axis. The gas turbine combustor comprises a first fuel/air mixer assembly, the mixer assembly comprising a first fuel injector and a plurality of first mixer elements, each mixer element defining an air flow passage therethrough having an outlet in a first plane. A second fuel/air mixer assembly comprises a second fuel injector and a plurality of second mixer elements, and each second mixer element defines an air flow passage therethrough having an outlet in a second plane, longitudinally offset from the first plane.

A combustor includes a combustor shell, an inner liner disposed inside the combustor shell and having an inner surface defining a cavity configured to receive hot combustion gases from a combustion chamber of the combustor, and an outer surface, the combustor shell and the inner liner defining an annular flow channel therebetween, and a segment carrier operatively connected to the inner liner and operative to receive an upper portion of the inner liner, the segment carrier and the inner liner defining a purging cavity therebetween. The inner liner includes a plurality of impingement jet holes configured to direct a flow of cooling air from the annular flow channel to the purging cavity.

Various embodiments include a trapped vortex combustor and a method for operating trapped vortex combustor. In one embodiment, the trapped vortex combustor comprises a trapped vortex combustion zone and at least one secondary combustion zone disposed downstream of the trapped vortex combustion zone. The trapped vortex combustion zone is operable to receive and combust a first fuel and a first air and produce a first combustion product flowing toroidally therein. The at least one secondary combustion zone is operable to receive and combust the first combustion product and at least one second injection consisting of fuel and/or air and produce at least one second combustion product therein. The combustor may reduce the residence time of the highest temperature combustion products and achieve the lower NOx emission.

An afterburner is disclosed for use with a gas turbine engine and, in one form, is structured to receive a bypass air. The afterburner can be situated in a bypass duct and can be a toroidal combustor or a can combustor. In one embodiment, the afterburner includes a combustor arranged to receive bypass air and a plurality of vanes distributed downstream of a turbine of the gas turbine engine. The vanes can include one or more exit apertures through which hot combustion flow from the afterburner combustor can be injected. The exit apertures can be protrusions or slots in some forms. In one embodiment, a cooling passage is arranged around the exit apertures. An upstream vane portion can be positioned to inject fuel to be combusted via interaction with hot flow that is discharged through the exit apertures.

A turbine engine includes a combustor having a main combustion chamber, an annular dome positioned at a first angle with respect to a longitudinal centerline axis of the combustor, and a secondary combustion chamber. The secondary combustion chamber is defined by a portion of the annular dome and an aft wall positioned at a second angle with respect to the longitudinal centerline axis. A pilot mixer is disposed through the annular dome and injects a pilot mixer fuel-air mixture at a pilot mixer fuel-air mixture angle into the main combustion chamber and generates a first recirculation zone. A main mixer is disposed through the aft wall or the annular dome at the secondary combustion chamber. The main mixer injects a main mixer fuel-air mixture at a main mixer fuel-air mixture angle into the secondary combustion chamber to produce combustion gases and generates a second recirculation zone.

In some aspects, a gas turbine combustor assembly is arranged around a longitudinal axis. The gas turbine combustor comprises a first fuel/air mixer assembly, the mixer assembly comprising a first fuel injector and a plurality of first mixer elements, each mixer element defining an air flow passage therethrough having an outlet in a first plane. A second fuel/air mixer assembly comprises a second fuel injector and a plurality of second mixer elements, and each second mixer element defines an air flow passage therethrough having an outlet in a second plane, longitudinally offset from the first plane.

A combustor includes a combustion chamber having an outer liner and an inner liner and defining a first combustion zone, an annular dome coupled to the outer liner and the inner liner, and a trapped vortex cavity extending from at least one of the outer liner or the inner liner and defining a second combustion zone. A plurality of first mixing assemblies are disposed through the annular dome, and operably inject a first fuel-air mixture into the first combustion zone. A plurality of second mixing assemblies are disposed at the trapped vortex cavity, and operably inject a second fuel-air mixture into the second combustion zone defined in the trapped vortex cavity to produce combustion gases. A steam system includes a steam injector in fluid communication with the trapped vortex cavity. The steam injector operably injects steam into the trapped vortex cavity and the steam mixes with the combustion gases.

A combustion chamber may include a first surface and a second surface interconnected by a wall forming a chamber having a central axis. The first surface may define an exhaust opening and the second surface defining a pilot opening, wherein the exhaust opening and the pilot opening align along the central axis. A plurality of inlet ports may be configured to deliver air to the chamber. A plurality of fuel ports may be arranged on an inside of the second surface to deliver fuel to the chamber. The air flow from the inlet ports and fuel from the fuel ports may oppose each other to create a vortex of product proximal to the second surface.