Combustion chamber for dissimilar fluids in swirling flow relationship

Claim 2

A combustion chamber including: A. a duct having a bend therein of at least about 90* and defining a combustion chamber with a combustion zone within said bend, B. means to pass a first fluid of density Rho 1 through said duct and around said bend, C. means to pass a second fluid of density Rho 2 through said duct and around said bend, to establish an interface between said first and second fluids within the combustion zone of the combustion chamber, D. means to maintain said first and second fluids separated upstream of said bend, E. means to inject fuel into at least one of said fluids, F. said bend being of selected curvature that the tangential velocity imparted to the first fluid in passing therethrough is Vt1 and the tangential velocity imparted to the second fluid passing therethrough is Vt2 and so that the product parameter Rho 2 Vt22 is greater than the product Rho 1 Vt12 to accelerate intermixing between said two fluids in said bend.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 and including separating means positioned in said duct and extending thereacross and terminating short of said bend to keep said first and second fluids separated upstream of said bend.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said second fluid is a fuel-air mixture and wherein said first fluid are heated products of combustion which serve as a pilot for second fluid and wherein the bent portion of said duct constitutes a combustion zone in which said two fluids mix and burn.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second fluid passes through said bend at a lesser radius than said first fluid.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 and including splitter means dividing said duct upstream of said bend into a first and second passage with said first fluid passing through said first passage and said second fluid passing through said second passage and with said first passage communicating with the pipe bend at the station of greater radius, means to support combustion in said first passage so that said first fluid is a piloting combusting mixture, means to inject fuel into said second passage so that said second fluid is a combustible fuel-air mixture which mixes rapidly and burns with said first fluid in said duct bend.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1 and including separating means dividing said duct upstream of said bend into two passages with said first fluid flowing through said first passage and said second fluid flowing through said second passage and with said first passage being in communication with the duct bend portion of greater radius, and wherein said second fluid is air, first means to inject fuel into said first passage and to support combustion thereof a sufficient distance upstream of the downstream end of the separating means that said products of combustion are substantially fully vitiated at a station upstream of the downstream end of the separating means, second fuel injection means to inject fuel into said first passage at a station to mix with said substantially fully vitiated products of combustion so that said first fluid comprises a mixture of said fuel and said vitiated products of combustion which will mix and burn with said first fluid in said Duct bend.

Claim 8

A combustion chamber including a duct adapted to define a passage through which at least two fluids flow in swirling side-by-side relationship to establish an interface therebetween with one of said fluids having a density Rho 1 and a tangential velocity Vt1 and another of said fluids having a density Rho 2 and a tangential velocity Vt2, means to vary the product parameter Rho Vt2 of one of said fluids to accelerate intermixing therebetween, wherein said combustion chamber is of the folded-type and wherein said duct bends smoothly through at least a 90* arc to define a combustion zone in the bend of the duct and further including means to maintain the flow of said fluids separated upstream of the duct bend and wherein the flows of fluids join to establish an interface therebetween within the duct bend and wherein flow of the two fluids through the duct bend establishes the swirling side-by-side relationship, means to inject fuel into at least one of said fluids, and means positioned in said duct upstream of said bend to disturb the interface and establish interdigitated sheet flow across said duct between said fluids to further accelerate mixing of said fluids.

Claim 9

A combustion chamber including a duct adapted to define a passage through which at least two fluids flow in swirling side-by-side relationship to establish an interface therebetween with one of said fluids having a density Rho 1 and a tangential velocity Vt1 and another of said fluids having a density Rho 2 and a tangential velocity Vt2, means to vary the product parameter Rho Vt2 of one of said fluids to accelerate intermixing therebetween, wherein said combustion chamber is of the folded-type and wherein said duct bends smoothly through at least a 90* arc to define a combustion zone in the bend of the duct and further including means to maintain the flow of said fluids separated upstream of the duct bend and wherein the flows of fluids join to establish an interface therebetween within the duct bend and wherein flow of the two fluids through the duct bend establishes the swirling side-by-side relationship, means to inject fuel into at least one of said fluids, and means positioned in said duct upstream of said bend to disturb the interface and establish interdigitated sheet flow across said duct between said fluids to further accelerate mixing of said fluids.

Claim 10

A combustion chamber including: A. a duct having a bend therein of at least about 90* and defining a combustion chamber with a combustion zone within said bend, B. means to pass a first fluid of density Rho 1 through said duct and around said bend, C. means to pass a second fluid of density Rho 2 through said duct and around said bend, to establish an interface between said first and second fluids within the combustion zone of the combustion chamber, D. means to maintain said first and second fluids separated upstream of said bend, E. means to inject fuel into at least one of said fluids, F. said bend being of selected curvature that the tangential velocity imparted to the first fluid in passing therethrough is Vt1 and the tangential velocity imparted to the second fluid passing therethrough is Vt2 and so that the product parameter Rho 2 Vt22 is greater than the product parameter Rho 1 Vt12 to accelerate intermixing between said two fluids in said bend, and G. means positioned in said duct upstream of said bend to disturb the interface and establish interdigitated sheet flow across said duct between said fluids to further accelerate mixing of said fluids.

Claim 11

A combustion chamber including: A. a duct having a bend therein of at least about 90* and defining a combustion chamber with a combustion zone within said bend, B. means to pass a first fluid of density Rho 1 through said duct and around said bend, C. means to pass a second fluid of density Rho 2 through said duct and around said bend, to establish an interface between said first and second fluids within the combustion zone of the combustion chamber, D. means to maintain said first and second fluids separated upstream of said bend, E. means to inject fuel into at least one of said fluids, F. said bend being of selected curvature that the tangential velocity imparted to the first fluid in passing therethrough is Vt1 and the tangential velocity imparted to the second fluid passing therethrough is Vt2 and so that the product parameter Rho 2 Vt22 is greater than the product parameter Rho 1 Vt12 to accelerate intermixing between said two fluids in said bend, and G. means positioned in said duct upstream of said bend to disturb the interface and establish interdigitated sheet flow across said duct between said fluids to further accelerate mixing of said fluids.