US Patent 9400110 Reverse-flow annular combustor for reduced emissions

A combustor for a gas turbine engine is provided. The combustor includes an annular inner liner; an annular outer liner circumscribing the annular inner liner; and a combustor dome having a first edge coupled to the annular inner liner and a second edge coupled to the annular outer liner, the combustor dome forming a combustion chamber with the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner. The combustion chamber accommodates fluid flow through the annular inner and annular outer liners. The combustion chamber converges in the direction of the air flow to reduce a diameter of the combustion chamber. The combustor dome is configured to bifurcate the air flow at the combustor dome into a first stream directed to the annular inner liner and a second stream directed to the annular outer liner.