Gas turbine combustion chamber

Claim 1

A gas turbine combustion chamber of generally cylindrical shape having a peripheral wall having primary air inlets therein, a closed head, at least one fuel inlet therein and means for introducing swirl air into the combustion chamber adjacent said fuel inlet, the combustion chamber having an open downstream end and said primary inlets defined by a first set of open-ended tubes, each having an imperforate axially continuous wall extending inwardly through said peripheral wall and projecting a substantial distance from the inner periphery of said peripheral wall into the combustion chamber and having its inner, that is its outlet, end facing in an upstream direction within the combustion chamber, to introduce a discrete stream of air with at least a component of motion in the upstream direction to effect recirculation of fuel, air and combustion gases within the combustion chamber and its outer, that is its inlet, end extending outwardly of the combustion chamber, and outwardly flared, second and third sets of open-ended tubes similar to said first set and similarly arranged in positions downstream of the primary air inlets to effect respectively introduction of secondary and tertiary air streams, said secondary and tertiary air tubes so directed that their respective air streams are offset from a diametral plane through the combustion chamber to create rotation in the same direction as swirl air admitted at the upstream end of the combustion chamber, said air tubes for introducing streams of primary, secondary and tertiary air into the combustion chamber having their longitudinal axes inclined to the longitudinal centre-line of the combustion chamber by obtuse angles defined between the longitudinal axis of each air tube and the longitudinal centre-line of the combustion chamber in the upstream direction.