Definition
A type of gas turbine engine combustion chamber consisting of several individual cylindrical burner cans arranged in a circle around the engine, each with its own liner and fuel nozzle. Compressed air from the compressor enters each can, mixes with fuel, and burns. The hot gases from each can then flow into the turbine section. Adjacent cans are connected by short flame propagation tubes so that ignition from one or two igniter plugs can spread to all cans during engine start.
Plain English
A combustion chamber design that uses several separate burner cans arranged in a ring around the engine, instead of one big shared burner. Each can does its own burning, and the hot gases all feed into the turbine.
Context Anchor
Seen in turbine-engine systems, especially when studying combustion section design, engine maintenance, or differences between turbine engine types.
Derivation
The word combustor comes from Latin combustio, meaning 'a burning up.' 'Can' simply describes the shape — each individual burner is a metal cylinder, like a can. So a can-type combustor is literally a combustion chamber built from a set of can-shaped burners.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing the type of combustor helps a pilot understand starting behavior, hot-section inspection requirements, and why some turbine engines have multiple igniters and interconnecting tubes. Can-type combustors are simpler to remove and inspect individually but are heavier and less efficient than later annular designs.
Analogy
Think of several small burners working side by side around the engine instead of one large burner shared by the whole engine.
Intuition Check
“Can-type” does not mean a fuel can or an external container. It means the engine has several separate can-shaped burning chambers inside the combustion section.
Example Sentence 1
Early turbojet engines often used a can-type combustor, with each burner can removable for inspection and overhaul.
Example Sentence 2
Older jet engines used can-type combustors because the individual chambers simplified manufacturing and maintenance.