Sieve rde injector with variable pressure drop capability

Abstract

A combustor and a combustor assembly includes an inner wall, an outer wall, an end wall, and a valve element. The outer wall and the inner wall are spaced to form a combustion chamber, and the end wall joins the inner wall to the outer wall. A plurality of fuel ports extends through one of the inner wall and the outer wall. A plurality of oxidant openings extends through one or more of the inner wall, the outer wall, and the end wall. The valve element is arranged concentrically with one or more of the inner wall and the outer all and is translatable from a first position towards a second position and from the second position towards the first position. The valve element overlaps at least one oxidant opening as the valve element translates towards the second position.

1 . A combustor assembly comprising:
 a controller;   an actuator; and   a combustor comprising:
 an inner wall; 
 an outer wall spaced radially with respect to the inner wall to form a combustion chamber; 
 an end wall joining the inner wall to the outer wall; 
 a plurality of fuel ports extending through one of the inner wall and the outer wall; 
 a plurality of oxidant openings extending through one or more of the inner wall, the outer wall, and the end wall fluidly connecting the combustion chamber with a plenum, wherein the plurality of oxidant openings includes:
 upstream oxidant openings extending through the inner wall and disposed between the fuel ports and the end wall; and 
 downstream oxidant openings extending through the inner wall and disposed between the fuel ports and an outlet end of the combustor opposite the end wall at an inlet end of the combustor; and 
 
 a valve element disposed concentrically with one or more of the inner wall and the outer wall and translatable by the actuator from a first position towards a second position and from the second position towards the first position, wherein the valve element overlaps at least one downstream oxidant opening of the downstream oxidant openings as the valve element translates towards the second position; 
   wherein the controller causes the actuator to translate the valve element based on a signal received by the controller, the signal representative of a differential pressure between the combustion chamber and the plenum such that the combustor operates within a target differential pressure range, and   wherein a maximum differential pressure of the target differential pressure range is associated with a minimum flow rate required to maintain stable detonation wave propagation within combustion chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the valve element overlaps less than all downstream oxidant openings as the valve element translates towards the second position. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fuel plenum extending circumferentially about one of the inner wall and the outer wall and fluidly communicating with the plurality of fuel ports.   
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The combustor or  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of oxidant openings has an oblique orientation that blocks line of sight into the combustion chamber when viewed along an engine axis and along a radial line relative to the engine axis. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the upstream oxidant openings and the downstream oxidant openings have a downstream orientation. 
     
     
         9 . The combustor of  claim 8 , wherein the upstream oxidant openings have one of clockwise downstream orientation and a counterclockwise downstream orientation. 
     
     
         10 . The combustor of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of oxidant openings includes inner oxidant openings extending through the end wall proximate inner wall. 
     
     
         11 . The combustor of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of oxidant openings includes outer oxidant openings extending through end wall proximate to outer wall and radially outward from inner oxidant openings. 
     
     
         12 . The combustor of  claim 11 , wherein one of the inner oxidant openings and the outer oxidant openings has a clockwise orientation and the other of the inner oxidant openings and the outer oxidant openings has a counterclockwise orientation. 
     
     
         13 . A combustor assembly comprising:
 a controller;   an actuator;   a case module comprising:
 an inner case; and 
 an outer case; and 
   a combustor disposed between the inner case and the outer case to form a plenum, the combustor comprising:
 an inner wall; 
 an outer wall spaced radially with respect to the inner wall to form a combustion chamber; 
 an end wall joining the inner wall to the outer wall; 
 a plurality of fuel ports extending through one of the inner wall and the outer wall; 
   a plurality of oxidant openings extending through one or more of the inner wall, the outer wall, and the end wall to fluidly connect the plenum to the combustion chamber, wherein the plurality of oxidant openings includes:
 upstream oxidant openings extending through the inner wall and disposed between the fuel ports and the end wall; and 
 downstream oxidant openings extending through the inner wall and disposed between the fuel ports and an outlet end of the combustor opposite the end wall at an inlet end of the combustor; and 
 an valve element disposed concentrically with one or more of the inner wall and the outer wall and translatable by the actuator from a first position towards a second position and from the second position towards the first position, wherein the valve element overlaps at least one downstream oxidant opening of the downstream oxidant openings as the valve element translates towards the second position 
   wherein the controller causes the actuator to translate the valve element based on a signal received by the controller, the signal representative of a differential pressure between the combustion chamber and the plenum such that the combustor operates within a target differential pressure range, and   wherein a maximum differential pressure of the target differential pressure range is associated with a minimum flow rate required to maintain stable detonation wave propagation within combustion chamber.   
     
     
         14 . The combustor of  claim 13 , wherein the valve element overlaps less than all downstream oxidant openings as the valve element translates towards the second position. 
     
     
         15 . The combustor of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a fuel plenum extending circumferentially about one of the inner wall and the outer wall and fluidly communicating with the plurality of fuel ports.   
     
     
         16 . The combustor or  claim 13 , wherein at least some of the plurality of oxidant openings has an oblique orientation that blocks line of sight into the combustion chamber when viewed along an engine axis and along a radial line relative to the engine axis. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The combustor of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of oxidant openings includes inner oxidant openings extending through the end wall proximate inner wall, and wherein the plurality of oxidant openings includes outer oxidant openings extending through end wall proximate to outer wall and radially outward from inner oxidant openings. 
     
     
         20 . The combustor of  claim 19 , wherein one of the inner oxidant openings and the outer oxidant openings has a clockwise orientation and the other of the inner oxidant openings and the outer oxidant openings has a counterclockwise orientation, and wherein the upstream oxidant openings have the same angular orientation as the outer oxidant openings.