To prevent combustion instabilities between primary and secondary combustion zones of a gas turbine combustor.
A method of operating the combustor includes steps of delivering a primary fuel flow through a plurality of primary fuel nozzles 30 toward a primary combustion zone 34 and combusting the primary fuel flow in the primary combustion zone. A secondary fuel flow is delivered through a secondary fuel nozzle 32 toward a secondary combustion zone 38 and combusted therein. The secondary fuel nozzle is located such that the plurality of primary fuel nozzles are arrayed around the secondary fuel nozzle. An outer swirler 40 is located between the plurality of primary fuel nozzles and the secondary fuel nozzle and includes a plurality of outer swirler channels 42 extending therebetween. A flow of swirler fuel 54 is delivered through the plurality of outer swirler channels into the combustor substantially between the primary combustion zone and the secondary combustion zone to stabilize combustion in the primary combustion zone and/or the secondary combustion zone.
JOHNSON THOMAS E
Hirokazu Ogura
Toshihisa Kurokawa
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