Combustor added to a gas turbine engine to increase thrust

摘要

A gas turbine engine having a ramburner is disclosed. The ramburner is disposed downstream of a gas turbine engine combustor and receives an engine exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine combustor. The ramburner also accepts a bypass air. Fuel is injected into the ramburner and a combustion reaction is auto-initiated based upon local gas temperatures. No mechanical flame holders need be used. A slidable valve may be used to vary the amount of bypass air into the ramburner. A movable cowl and a plug nozzle form an exit flow path of the gas turbine engine. The movable cowl can be positioned to vary a throat area and exit area of the gas turbine engine based upon the operation of the ramburner, which may be influenced by the amount of bypass air entering the ramburner.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a gas turbine engine having a first combustion zone located upstream of a second combustion zone, the second combustion zone having a first inlet and a second inlet, the first inlet operable to accept products of combustion from the first combustion zone and the second inlet operable to accept bypass air, the gas turbine engine having a mode of operation wherein a fuel can be combusted within the second combustion zone without the aid of a mechanical flameholder; wherein the second inlet includes a plenum defined by a forward fixed flange, an aft fixed flange, an aft piston ring, and a forward piston ring, wherein the forward piston ring and the aft piston ring are affixed at the radially outer end of the forward fixed flange and the aft fixed flange, respectively, wherein the piston rings provide a sealing mechanism for the bypass air when in contact with a valve, wherein the valve is structured to variably admit the bypass air into the second combustion zone via the second inlet.