US 12,066,189 B2
Method of optimising gas turbine engine combustion equipment performance
Haidong Li, Bristol (GB); Krishnat Sadashiv Patil, Singapore (SG); and Stewart J. Dawson, Derby (GB)
Assigned to Rolls-Royce PLC, London (GB)
Filed by ROLLS-ROYCE plc, London (GB)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/302,943.
Claims priority of application No. 2206850 (GB), filed on May 11, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0366553 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. F23R 3/34 (2006.01); F02C 7/228 (2006.01); F23R 3/60 (2006.01)
CPC F23R 3/34 (2013.01) [F02C 7/228 (2013.01); F23R 3/343 (2013.01); F23R 3/346 (2013.01); F23R 3/60 (2013.01); F23R 2900/00016 (2013.01); F23R 2900/00017 (2013.01); F23R 2900/00018 (2013.01); F23R 2900/00019 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of optimising performance of combustion equipment of a gas turbine engine having a principal rotational axis, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a fuel flow into the combustion equipment via a plurality of fuel injectors circumferentially disposed about the principal rotational axis at a plurality of injector positions in a first circumferential arrangement, wherein the fuel is mixed with an air and a mixture of the fuel and the air is combusted to produce combustion gases;
determining a plurality of temperatures of the combustion gases at a plurality of circumferential positions downstream of the combustion equipment using a plurality of temperature measurement devices, wherein the plurality of circumferential positions corresponds to the plurality of injector positions;
ranking the plurality of circumferential positions based on the plurality of temperatures of the combustion gases determined using the plurality of temperature measurement devices, wherein the plurality of circumferential positions is ranked from a hottest circumferential position to a coldest circumferential position; and
repositioning at least some fuel injectors of the plurality of fuel injectors between the plurality of injector positions based at least on the ranking of the plurality of circumferential positions, wherein, after repositioning of the at least some fuel injectors of the plurality of fuel injectors, the plurality of fuel injectors is disposed at the plurality of injector positions in a second circumferential arrangement different from the first circumferential arrangement.