Triple annular combustor for gas turbine engine

1. A triple annular combustor for a gas turbine engine having a compressor providing compressed airflow, said combustor having a longitudinal axis therethrough, comprising:

(a) an outer liner;

(b) an inner liner, radially spaced from said outer liner;

(c) a first dome having an outer end fixedly joined to said outer liner and an inner end spaced radially from said outer end, said first dome having a plurality of circumferentially spaced first openings therein;

(d) a second dome spaced radially inward from said first dome having an outer end fixedly joined to said first dome inner end and an inner end spaced radially from said second dome outer end, said second dome having a plurality of circumferentially spaced second openings therein;

(e) a third dome spaced radially inward from said second dome having an outer end fixedly joined to said second dome inner end and an inner end spaced radially from said third dome outer end fixedly joined to said inner liner, said third dome having a plurality of circumferentially spaced third openings therein;

(f) said outer and inner liners defining therebetween first, second, and third combustion zones, respectively, which operated independently of each other; and

(g) means for supplying a fuel/air mixture to each of said first, second, and third combustion zones, wherein said compressed airflow is prevented from entering said first, second, and third combustion zones unless as a part of said fuel/air mixture.

2. The triple annular combustor of claim 1, wherein said supply means for a fuel/air mixture includes means for premixing fuel and said compressed air prior to entry in said first, second, and third combustion zones, said mixing means being disposed in each of said first, second and third openings circumferentially spaced in said first, second and third domes.

3. The triple annular combustor of claim 2, wherein said supply means for a fuel/air mixture includes a fuel manifold for supplying fuel to each of said mixing means.

4. The triple annular combustor of claim 3, further including a means for controlling fuel flowing from said manifold to said mixing means, wherein each of said mixing means of said first, second, and third domes is selectively supplied with fuel.

5. The triple annular combustor of claim 4, wherein said fuel/air mixture is maintained lean throughout all stages of combustor operation.

6. The triple annular combustor of claim 2, wherein there is twice the number of mixing means in said first and second domes than in said third dome.

7. The triple annular combustor of claim 4, wherein the mixing means in said second dome is always supplied with fuel during combustor operation.

8. The triple annular combustor of claim 2, further including a diffuser between said compressor and said triple annular combustor, wherein 70% of more of said compressed airflow is directed through said mixing means.

9. The triple annular combustor of claim 1, further including a diffuser between said compressor and said triple annular combustor, wherein 15% or less of said compressed airflow is directed to said first, second, and third domes for impingement cooling thereof.

10. The triple annular combustor of claim 4, wherein each of said combustion zones is maintained in a temperature range of 2500 to 3000.degree. F.

11. The triple annular combustor of claim 1, wherein the volume of said combustor provides residence times of said fuel/air mixture in said first, second and third combustion zones in the range of 2 to 5 milliseconds.

12. The triple annular combustor of claim 3, wherein said fuel manifold includes a first fuel tube to supply to said first dome, a second fuel tube to supply fuel to said second dome, and a third fuel tube to supply fuel to said third dome.

13. The triple annular combustor of claim 3, said mixing means and said manifold being an integral structure, wherein said structure is removable from and insertable into said combustor as an individual module.

14. The triple annular combustor of claim 2, further including first, second and third ferrules into which said mixing means is positioned and first, second and third ferrule retainers to maintain said first, second and third ferrules within said first, second and third dome openings.

15. The triple annular combustor of claim 1, further including first, second and third heat shields fixedly joined to said first, second and third domes.

16. The triple annular combustor of claim 15, wherein said first heat shield includes an annular endbody adjacent the outer end of said first dome to insulate an upstream end of said first combustion zone from said outer liner, said second heat shield includes annular centerbodies adjacent the outer and inner ends of said second dome to insulate an upstream end of said second combustion zone from said first and third combustion zones, and said third heat shield includes an annular endbody adjacent the inner end of said third dome to insulate an upstream end of said third combustion zone from said inner liner.

17. The triple annular combustor of claim 16, wherein each annular centerbody and annular endbody of said first, second and third heat shields includes a passage at the tip thereof, wherein air for impingement cooling said first, second and third domes escapes downstream of said first, second and third combustion zones.

18. The triple annular combustor of claim 14, further including means for sealing compressed air from flowing between said first, second and third ferrules and said mixing means.

19. The triple annular combustor of claim 15, further including means for sealing compressed air from flowing between the junctions of said first, second, and third heat shields and said first and third domes, respectively.

20. The triple annular combustor of claim 16, wherein the annular endbodies of said first and third heat shields include stand-offs on their outer and inner surfaces, respectively, to constrict air flow circulating between said outer liner and said first heat shield and said inner liner and said third heat shield.

21. The triple annular combustor of claim 1, further including a casing surrounding said outer and inner liners to form an outer passage and an inner passage, respectively, wherein air passes therethrough to convectively cool said inner and outer liners, said outer and inner passages including a baffle therein to increase the velocity of air therethrough.