Patent Grant
12247738
This disclosure relates generally to combustors for gas turbine engines, and more particularly to cooling of combustor panels.
Combustors, such as those used in gas turbine engines, may generally include radially spaced inner and outer shells which define a combustion chamber therebetween. The combustor may also include liner panels mounting to the inner and outer shells on their combustion chamber sides. The liner panels may include effusion holes configured to provide cooling to the liner panels by directing cooling air through the effusion holes.
The use of effusion holes having a narrow angle relative to a liner panel surface may provide a greater surface area for cooling air to convectively cool the liner panel as it passes through the effusion holes. However, effusion holes having a narrow angle through the liner panel may not allow for relatively rapid changes in directions of pluralities of effusion holes (e.g., forward to aft) due to the minimum ligament spacing requirements between adjacent effusion holes. It may be desirable to have effusion holes oriented in multiple directions (e.g., forward, aft, circumferentially) to provide improved cooling to the liner panel or other components or to promote efficient circulation of combustion gases but, as a result, density of the effusion holes, and hence convective cooling of the liner panel, may be sacrificed. Accordingly, what is needed is an improved liner panel which addresses one or more of the above-noted concerns.
It should be understood that any or all of the features or embodiments described herein can be used or combined in any combination with each and every other feature or embodiment described herein unless expressly noted otherwise.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a combustion chamber defined between an inner shell and an outer shell. The combustor further includes a bulkhead extending between the inner shell and the outer shell. The combustor further includes a liner panel mounted to one of the inner shell and the outer shell aft of the bulkhead. The liner panel includes a first section including a first plurality of effusion holes extending through the liner panel between an inner surface and an outer surface. A first portion of the first plurality of effusion holes extends in a substantially circumferential direction. A second portion of the first plurality of effusion holes, disposed forward of the first portion, transitions from the substantially circumferential direction toward a substantially forward direction as a first axial distance from the first portion increases. A third portion of the first plurality of effusion holes, disposed aft of the first portion, transitions from the substantially circumferential direction to a substantially aft direction as a second axial distance from the first portion increases.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the liner panel further includes a second section including a second plurality of effusion holes extending through the liner panel between the inner surface and the outer surface.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the second plurality of effusion holes has a greater density of effusion holes than the first plurality of effusion holes.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, each effusion hole of the second plurality of effusion holes is directed in the substantially aft direction from the outer surface to the inner surface.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, effusion holes of the second portion of the first plurality of effusion holes are directed toward the bulkhead so as to direct cooling air toward an aft surface of the bulkhead.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, a forward end of the liner panel is axially adjacent the aft surface of the bulkhead.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the combustor further includes a heat shield panel mounted to the aft surface of the bulkhead. Effusion holes of the second portion of the first plurality of effusion holes are configured to provide cooling air for cooling the heat shield panel.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, effusion holes of the first plurality of effusion holes are oriented through the liner panel at an angle between 15 and 35 degrees relative to the inner surface of the liner panel.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the third portion of the first plurality of effusion holes includes a plurality of effusion hole rows, each effusion hole row extending in the substantially circumferential direction along the liner panel. Effusion holes of each effusion hole row of the plurality of effusion holes rows, proceeding axially aft from the first portion of the first plurality of effusion holes, are directed increasingly toward the substantially aft direction and away from the substantially circumferential direction.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the plurality of effusion hole rows includes at least four effusion hole rows.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for convectively cooling a liner panel of a combustor for a gas turbine engine includes providing the combustor including a combustion chamber defined between an inner shell and an outer shell. The combustor further includes a bulkhead extending between the inner shell and the outer shell. The method further includes convectively cooling the liner panel mounted to one of the inner shell and the outer shell aft of the bulkhead with a first plurality of effusion holes disposed in a first section of the liner panel. A first portion of the first plurality of effusion holes extends in a substantially circumferential direction. A second portion of the first plurality of effusion holes, disposed forward of the first portion, transitions from the substantially circumferential direction toward a substantially forward direction as a first axial distance from the first portion increases. A third portion of the first plurality of effusion holes, disposed aft of the first portion, transitions from the substantially circumferential direction to a substantially aft direction as a second axial distance from the first portion increases.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the liner panel further includes a second section including a second plurality of effusion holes extending through the liner panel between the inner surface and the outer surface.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the second plurality of effusion holes has a greater density of effusion holes than the first plurality of effusion holes.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, each effusion hole of the second plurality of effusion holes is directed in the substantially aft direction from the outer surface to the inner surface.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the method further includes directing cooling air toward an aft surface of the bulkhead with the second portion of the first plurality of effusion holes.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the method further includes providing a heat shield panel mounted to the aft surface of the bulkhead and cooling the heat shield by directing cooling air toward the heat shield with the second portion of the first plurality of effusion holes.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, effusion holes of the first plurality of effusion holes are oriented through the liner panel at an angle between 15 and 35 degrees relative to the inner surface of the liner panel.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a combustion chamber defined between an inner shell and an outer shell. The combustor further includes a bulkhead extending between the inner shell and the outer shell. The combustor further includes a liner panel mounted to one of the inner shell and the outer shell aft of the bulkhead. The liner panel includes a first section including a first plurality of effusion holes extending through the liner panel between an inner surface and an outer surface. A first portion of the first plurality of effusions holes extends in a substantially circumferential direction and a third portion of the first plurality of effusion holes, disposed aft of the first portion, transitions from the substantially circumferential direction to a substantially aft direction as a second axial distance from the first portion increases. The third portion of the first plurality of effusion holes includes a plurality of effusion hole rows. Each effusion hole row extends in the substantially circumferential direction along the liner panel and effusion holes of each effusion hole row of the plurality of effusion hole rows, proceeding axially aft from the first portion of the first plurality of effusion holes, are directed increasingly toward the substantially aft direction and away from the substantially circumferential direction. The effusion hole rows includes at least four effusion hole rows. The effusion holes of the first plurality of effusion holes are oriented through the liner panel at an angle between 15 and 35 degrees relative to the inner surface of the liner panel.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, the liner panel further includes a second section including a second plurality of effusion holes extending through the liner panel between the inner surface and the outer surface. The second plurality of effusion holes has a greater density of effusion holes than the first plurality of effusion holes and each effusion hole of the second plurality of effusion holes is directed in the substantially at direction from the outer surface to the inner surface.
In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment, a second portion of the first plurality of effusion holes, disposed forward of the first portion, transitions from the substantially circumferential direction toward a substantially forward direction as a first axial distance from the first portion increases.
The present disclosure, and all its aspects, embodiments and advantages associated therewith will become more readily apparent in view of the detailed description provided below, including the accompanying drawings.
It is noted that various connections are set forth between elements in the following description and in the drawings. It is noted that these connections are general and, unless specified otherwise, may be direct or indirect and that this specification is not intended to be limiting in this respect. A coupling between two or more entities may refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection. An indirect connection may incorporate one or more intervening entities. It is further noted that various method or process steps for embodiments of the present disclosure are described in the following description and drawings. The description may present the method and/or process steps as a particular sequence. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the description should not be construed as a limitation.
Referring to
The gas turbine engine 10 generally includes a low-pressure spool 24 and a high-pressure spool 26 mounted for rotation about a longitudinal centerline 28 of the gas turbine engine 10 relative to an engine static structure 30 via one or more bearing systems 32. It should be understood that various bearing systems 32 at various locations may alternatively or additionally be provided.
The low-pressure spool 24 generally includes a first shaft 34 that interconnects a fan 36, a low-pressure compressor 38, and a low-pressure turbine 40. The first shaft 34 may be connected to the fan 36 through a gear assembly of a fan drive gear system 42 to drive the fan 36 at a lower speed than the low-pressure spool 24. The high-pressure spool 26 generally includes a second shaft 44 that interconnects a high-pressure compressor 46 and a high-pressure turbine 48. It is to be understood that “low pressure” and “high pressure” or variations thereof as used herein are relative terms indicating that the high pressure is greater than the low pressure. An annular combustor 50 is disposed between the high-pressure compressor 46 and the high-pressure turbine 48 along the longitudinal centerline 28. The first shaft 34 and the second shaft 44 are concentric and rotate via the one or more bearing systems 32 about the longitudinal centerline 28 which is collinear with respective longitudinal centerlines of the first and second shafts 34, 44.
Airflow along the core flowpath 22 is compressed by the low-pressure compressor 38, then the high-pressure compressor 46, mixed and burned with fuel in the combustor 50, and then expanded over the high-pressure turbine 48 and the low-pressure turbine 40. The low-pressure turbine 40 and the high-pressure turbine 48 rotationally drive the low-pressure spool 24 and the high-pressure spool 26, respectively, in response to the expansion.
Referring to
The combustor 50 may include one or more liner panels 60 mounted to and spaced away from one or both of the outer shell 52 and the inner shell 54. The liner panel 60 may include an inner surface 62 facing the combustion chamber 56 and an outer surface 64 opposite the inner surface 62. The outer surface 64 of the liner panel 60 may be spaced from the respective shell 52, 54 so as to define a liner cooling chamber 66 therebetween.
The combustor 50 includes a bulkhead 68 having a first surface 70 facing the combustion chamber 56 and a second surface 72 opposite the first surface 70. The bulkhead 68 further includes an outer radial end 74 and an inner radial end 76 opposite the outer radial end 74. The bulkhead 68 may be connected to and extend between the outer shell 52 and the inner shell 54. For example, the bulkhead 68 may be connected to the outer shell 52 at the outer radial end 74 while the bulkhead 68 may be connected to the inner shell 54 at the inner radial end 76. The bulkhead 68 divides the combustion chamber 56 and a hood chamber 78 (i.e., the combustion chamber 56 is disposed downstream of the bulkhead 68 while the hood chamber 78 is disposed upstream of the bulkhead 68). The bulkhead 68 may include an annular heat shield 80 mounted to the first surface 70 of the bulkhead 68 and generally serving to thermally protect the bulkhead 68 and forward portions of the combustor 50, such as the hood chamber 78. The heat shield 80 may include one or more heat shield panels 82. The heat shield panel 82 may include a first surface 84 facing the combustion chamber 56 and a second surface 86 opposite the first surface 84.
Referring to
The effusion holes of the first plurality of effusion holes 90 may have a “tree root” configuration which provides some effusion cooling flow in a circumferential direction while additionally providing convective cooling to the liner panel 60 in low-density effusion regions of the liner panel 60, such as the first section 88. The “tree root” configuration of the first plurality of effusion holes 90 may provide an increased convective cooling area to the first section 88 of the liner panel 60 while providing a smooth transition of the effusion holes of the first plurality of effusion holes 90 from a forward facing to an aft facing direction of effusion cooling flow. The direction of effusion holes, as used herein, will refer to the direction of an effusion hole center axis 92 (see
As illustrated in
In various embodiments, the liner panel 60 includes a second section 100 having a second plurality of effusion holes 102 disposed therein and extending between the inner surface 62 and the outer surface 64 of the liner panel 60. Similar to the effusion holes of the first plurality of effusion holes 90, cooling air within the liner cooling chamber 66 exits the liner cooling chamber 66 through the second plurality of effusion holes 102 so as to form a film on the outer surface 64 of the liner panel 60 and to provide convective cooling to the liner panel 60. Convective cooling is provided to the liner panel 60 by the cooling air as the cooling air transits the second plurality of effusion holes 102.
The second section 100 of the liner panel 60 may be a high-density effusion region of the liner panel 60 relative to the first section 88. Accordingly, the second plurality of effusion holes 102 may have a greater density of effusion holes than the first plurality of effusion holes 90. For example, the second plurality of effusion holes 102 may represent a greater portion of a volume of the second section 100 of the liner panel 60 compared to a portion of a volume of the first section 88 represented by the first plurality of effusion holes 90. In various embodiments, each effusion hole of the second plurality of effusion holes 102 may be directed in a same direction as each other effusion hole of the second plurality of effusion holes 102. In various embodiments, each of the effusion holes of the second plurality of effusion holes 102 may be directed in the substantially aft direction.
As illustrated in
In various embodiments, the liner panel 60 may be a forward liner panel having a forward end 104 which is axially adjacent the first surface 70 of the bulkhead 68. In embodiments having the annular heat shield 80, the forward end 104 of the liner panel 60 may be axially adjacent the first surface 84 of the one or more heat shield panels 82. Accordingly, in various embodiments, the second portion 96 of the first plurality of effusion holes 90 may be directed toward the bulkhead 68 and/or the one or more heat shield panels 82 so as to direct cooling air toward the bulkhead 68 and/or the one or more heat shield panels 82.
In various embodiments, the effusion holes of the first plurality of effusion holes 90 may be arranged as a plurality of effusion hole rows 106 with each effusion hole row of the plurality of effusion hole rows 106 extending in a substantially circumferential direction along the liner panel 60. For example, the effusion holes of the third portion 98 of the first plurality of effusion holes 90 may be arranged as a plurality of effusion hole rows 106A-n proceeding axially aft from the first portion 94 of the first plurality of effusion holes 90. Each proceeding effusion hole row 106A-n from the first portion 94 in the aft direction includes effusion holes, each of which are directed increasingly toward the substantially aft direction and away from the substantially circumferential direction. The effusion holes of each effusion hole row of the plurality of effusion hole rows 106A-n may each be substantially directed in the same direction relative to the substantially aft and substantially circumferential directions.
In various embodiments, the plurality of effusion hole rows 106A-n of the second portion 96 of the first plurality of effusion holes 90 includes at least four effusion hole rows, where the last effusion hole row 106n of the plurality of effusion hole rows 106A-n is a first effusion hole row from the first portion 94 having effusion holes directed in the substantially aft direction. For example,
As illustrated in
Circumferential effusion flow may be desirable in the low-density region represented by the first section 88 of the liner panel 60 in order to provide film cooling of the liner panel 60 in the circumferential direction as well as to further promote swirling of combustor gases which have entered the combustion chamber 56 via one or more fuel injectors (not shown) and swirlers 108. The “tree root” configuration of the first plurality of effusion holes 90, as described herein, may provide circumferential flow of effusion cooling air while the gradual transition of the effusion holes from the substantially circumferential direction to the substantially forward and aft directions may provide for a greater density of effusion holes within the first section 88 of the liner panel 60, thereby providing improved convective cooling of the liner panel 60.
While various aspects of the present disclosure have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the present disclosure as described herein includes several aspects and embodiments that include particular features. Although these particular features may be described individually, it is within the scope of the present disclosure that some or all of these features may be combined with any one of the aspects and remain within the scope of the present disclosure. References to “various embodiments,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.
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| Entry |
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| EP search report for EP21152121.6 daed Jun. 7, 2021. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210222879 A1 | Jul 2021 | US |
