Patent Application
20190112943
The apparatus described herein relates generally to aft frame assemblies, and more specifically, to an aft frame assembly for a transition piece of a gas turbine where the aft frame assembly includes plenum chambers in fluid communication with microchannel cooling slots.
Turbine systems are widely utilized in fields such as power generation. For example, a conventional gas turbine system includes a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. In a conventional gas turbine system, compressed air is provided from the compressor to the combustor. The air entering the combustor is mixed with fuel and combusted. Hot gases of combustion flow from the combustor to the turbine to drive the gas turbine system and generate power.
In a typical arrangement, an annular array of combustors is connected to the first stage of the turbine by a plurality of transition pieces. The transition pieces are each shaped at one end to conform to respective combustor liners, and at an opposite end to conform to the inlet of the turbine. Thus, at the opposite (or downstream) end, a transition piece has an aft frame by which the transition piece is secured to the turbine. An impingement sleeve may surround the transition duct, and may be used to direct working fluid discharged from the compressor into contact with the transition piece. This working fluid eventually mixes with the fuel in the combustor.
Currently, some of the working fluid that enters the flow path between the transition piece and the surrounding impingement sleeve is removed through holes in the aft frame. This working fluid, which is used to cool the aft frame, dumps into the hot gas from the combustor just before the hot gas enters the turbine. The problem with this current cooling method is that this working fluid does not always reach the areas of the aft frame that need to be cooled. The downstream face of the aft frame is one area that is in need of cooling, but in the past it has been very difficult to cool this area.
In an aspect of the present invention, an aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece is provided. The aft frame assembly includes a main body having an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface. The upstream facing surface is opposed to the downstream facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface, and each of the feed hole inlets are coupled to one of a plurality of cooling channels passing through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. A plurality of plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface, and each of the plurality of cooling channels are connected to and terminate in at least one of the plenums. The cooling channels are configured as inputs to the plenums. A plurality of microchannel cooling slots are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each of the plurality of microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums. The microchannel cooling slots are configured as outputs of the plenums. Two or more of the cooling channels and two or more of the microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums.
In another aspect of the present invention, a transition piece assembly has an aft frame assembly, and the aft frame assembly includes a main body having an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface. The upstream facing surface is generally opposed to the downstream facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface, and the feed hole inlets are coupled to a plurality of cooling channels passing through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. A plurality of plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface, and each of the plurality of cooling channels are connected to and terminate in one of the plenums. The cooling channels are configured as inputs to the plenums. A plurality of microchannel cooling slots are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each of the plurality of microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums. The microchannel cooling slots are configured as outputs of the plenums. Two or more of the cooling channels and two or more of the microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a gas turbine includes a compressor, and a combustion section disposed downstream from the compressor. The combustion section is in fluid communication with the compressor. A turbine is disposed downstream from the combustion section, and is in fluid communication with the combustion section. The combustion section includes an aft frame assembly having a main body including an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface. The upstream facing surface is opposed to the downstream facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface, and the feed hole inlets are coupled to a plurality of cooling channels passing through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. A plurality of plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface, and each of the plurality of cooling channels are connected to and terminate in one of the plenums. The cooling channels are configured as inputs to the plenums. A plurality of microchannel cooling slots are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each of the plurality of microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums. The microchannel cooling slots are configured as outputs of the plenums. Two or more of the cooling channels and two or more of the microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums.
One or more specific aspects/embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these aspects/embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with machine-related, system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present invention, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Any examples of operating parameters and/or environmental conditions are not exclusive of other parameters/conditions of the disclosed embodiments. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment”, “one aspect” or “an embodiment” or “an aspect” of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments or aspects that also incorporate the recited features.
As used herein, the terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to the direction to which the fluid flows. The term “radially” refers to the relative direction that is substantially perpendicular to an axial centerline of a particular component, and the term “axially” refers to the relative direction that is substantially parallel to an axial centerline of a particular component, and perpendicular to the radial direction.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein identical numerals indicate the same elements throughout the figures,
The compressed working fluid 18 is mixed with a fuel 20 from a fuel source 22 such as a fuel skid to form a combustible mixture within one or more combustors 24 of a combustion section 26 of the gas turbine 10. The combustible mixture is burned to produce combustion gases 28 having a high temperature, pressure and velocity. The combustion gases 28 flow through a turbine 30 of a turbine section to produce work. For example, the turbine 30 may be connected to a shaft 32 so that rotation of the turbine 30 drives the compressor 16 to produce the compressed working fluid 18.
Alternately or in addition, the shaft 32 may connect the turbine 30 to a generator 34 for producing electricity. Exhaust gases 36 from the turbine 30 flow through an exhaust section 38 that connects the turbine 30 to an exhaust stack 40 downstream from the turbine 30. The exhaust section 38 may include, for example, a heat recovery steam generator (not shown) for cleaning and extracting additional heat from the exhaust gases 36 prior to release to the environment.
An end cover 54 may be connected to the outer casing 50. In particular combustor designs, the end cover 54 is in fluid communication with the fuel source 22. A fuel nozzle 56 in fluid communication with the end cover 54 and/or the fuel source 22 extends downstream from the end cover 54. The fuel nozzle 56 extends generally axially through an annular cap assembly 58 disposed within the outer casing 50. An annular liner 60 such as a combustion liner or transition duct at least partially defines a combustion chamber 62 within the combustor 24 downstream from an outlet end 64 of the fuel nozzle 56. A flow sleeve 66 may circumferentially surround at least a portion of the liner 60. The flow sleeve 66 is radially separated from the liner 60 so as to define a flow passage 68 therebetween. The flow passage 68 is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber 62 via a head end portion 70 of the combustor 24. The head end portion 70 may be at least partially defined by the end cover 54 and/or the outer casing 50.
A transition duct (or transition piece) 72 extends downstream from the combustion chamber 62. The transition duct 72 includes an upstream end 74 that is axially separated from a downstream end 76. In particular configurations, the upstream end 74 surrounds a downstream portion 78 of the annular liner 60. The downstream end 76 of the transition duct 72 terminates proximate to an inlet 80 of the turbine 30. The annular liner 60 and/or the transition duct 72 at least partially define a hot gas path 82 for routing the combustion gases 28 from the combustion chamber 62 through the high pressure plenum 52 and into the turbine 30.
An outer sleeve 84 such as an impingement or flow sleeve extends circumferentially around the transition duct 72. The outer sleeve 84 is radially separated from the transition duct 72 to define a cooling annulus 86 therebetween. The outer sleeve 84 may include a plurality of cooling holes 88 or passages that provide for fluid communication between the high pressure plenum 52 and the cooling annulus 86. In one embodiment, the cooling annulus 86 is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber 62.
One or more fuel injectors 90, also commonly known as late lean fuel injectors, may extend through the outer sleeve 84, the cooling annulus 86 and the transition duct 72 to provide for fuel injection into the hot gas path 82 downstream from the combustion chamber 62. In addition or in the alternative, the fuel injectors 90 may extend through the flow sleeve 66, the flow passage 68 and the liner 60 to provide for fuel injection into the hot gas path 82 downstream from the combustion chamber 62. In addition or in the alternative, other penetrations such as cross fire tubes, igniters, pressure probes and flame detectors may act as bluff bodies within the flow annulus 86, thus creating disturbances to the flow such as wakes.
An aft frame assembly (or aft frame) 92 is disposed at or proximate to the downstream end 76 of the transition duct 72. The aft frame 92 is integral with the downstream end 76 of the transition duct 72. A portion of the outer sleeve 84 such as a forward edge 94 may be integral or connected to the aft frame 92 to at least partially define the cooling annulus 86. The aft frame 92 and the transition duct 72 may be manufactured as a singular component. In the alternative, the aft frame 92 may be connected to the transition duct 72 via welding, brazing or any other suitable process. In one embodiment, the transition duct 72, the outer sleeve 84, the cooling annulus 86 and the aft frame 92 are provided as a transition piece assembly 96. The aft frame 92 generally provides structural support to reduce and/or prevent deformation of the downstream end 76 of the transition duct 72 during operation of the combustor. In addition or in the alternative, the aft frame 92 may provide a means for mounting the transition duct 72 within the outer casing 50.
As shown in
The side rails of the aft frame have unique cooling needs due to the transition from a “can” combustor to an “annular” hot gas path where the inner and outer rails match up to the hot gas path. However, the side rails of the aft frame have no corresponding part in the hot gas path and therefore are exposed to hot gases more directly than the inner and outer rails.
Each plenum 124 is connected to a plurality of microchannel cooling slots 126. The microchannel cooling slots 126 are formed in or near the downstream facing surface 112, and extend outward to the radially outer surfaces 102, 104, 106, 108. The microchannel cooling slots may have depths in the range from approximately 0.2 millimeters (mm) to approximately 3 mm, or 0.5 mm to 1 mm, or any subranges therebetween. Further, the microchannel cooling slots 126 may have widths in the range from approximately 0.2 mm to approximately 3 mm, or 0.5 mm to 1 mm, or any subranges therebetween. The length of each microchannel 126 will vary based on the distance from the plenum to the radially outer surface of the aft frame. The microchannel cooling slots 126 may be covered by a pre-sintered preform 128, which forms a part of the downstream facing surface 112.
The base alloy of the pre-sintered preform 128 can comprise any composition such as one similar to the main body 100 to promote common physical properties between the pre-sintered preform 128 and the main body 100. For example, in some embodiments, the base alloy and the main body share a common composition (i.e., they are the same type of material). In some embodiments, the base alloy can comprise a superalloy, a nickel-based superalloy or a cobalt-based superalloy. In some embodiments, the properties for the base alloy include chemical and metallurgical compatibility with the main body 100. The pre-sintered preform 128 may also be replaced by a suitable sheet metal or an additively manufactured (e.g., 3D printed) member that is brazed or diffusion-bonded to the main body 100.
Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” “approximately” and “substantially,” are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. The terms “about” and “approximately” as applied to a particular value of a range applies to both values, and unless otherwise dependent on the precision of the instrument measuring the value, may indicate +/−10% of the stated value(s).
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
