The present subject matter relates generally to gas turbine engine combustion assemblies for gas turbine engines.
Combustion assemblies for gas turbine engines generally include orifices in the combustion liners to dilute the combustion gases within the combustion chamber with air from the diffuser cavity. The air may be employed to mix with an over rich combustion gas mixture to complete the combustion process; to stabilize combustion flames within the recirculation zone of the combustion chamber; to minimize oxides of nitrogen emissions; or to decrease combustion gas temperature before egressing to the turbine section.
Although dilution orifices provide known benefits, there is a need for structures that may provide and improve upon these benefits via egressing the air into the combustion chamber in increasingly detailed or specific modes.
Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine including a combustor assembly. The combustor assembly includes a liner defining a combustion chamber therewithin and a pressure plenum surrounding the liner. The liner defines an opening. The liner includes a walled chute disposed at least partially through the opening. A plurality of flow openings is defined through the walled chute.
In one embodiment, the walled chute is extended into the pressure plenum surrounding the liner.
In another embodiment, the walled chute defines a flow passage therethrough from the pressure plenum to the combustion chamber.
In yet another embodiment, the plurality of flow openings through the walled chute is in fluid communication with the pressure plenum.
In various embodiments, the walled chute further includes a flow guide member extended from each of the plurality of flow openings through the walled chute. In one embodiment, the flow guide member is extended into the pressure plenum defined by the liner. In still various embodiments, the flow guide member is extended at an angle relative to walled chute. In one embodiment, the flow guide member is extended between 35 degrees and 90 degrees relative to the walled chute.
In one embodiment, the walled chute defines an upstream portion and a downstream portion each relative to a flow of gases in the combustion chamber defined by the liner. The plurality of flow openings is defined through the downstream portion of the walled chute.
In various embodiments, the liner defines a liner flow opening through the liner in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. In one embodiment, the liner flow opening is defined through the liner within a distance from the walled chute equal to a length of the walled chute.
In still various embodiments, the combustor assembly further includes a support member extended through the opening from the liner to the walled chute. The support member fixes the walled chute within the opening of the liner. In one embodiment, the support member and walled chute together define a first flow passage through the walled chute and a second flow passage between the walled chute and the liner.
In one embodiment, the plurality of flow openings is defined through the walled chute tangentially to an inner surface of the walled chute.
In another embodiment, the plurality of flow openings is defined through the walled chute at least partially along a radial direction relative to the walled chute.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, the terms “first”, “second”, and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components.
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.
Embodiments of combustor assembly dilution structures are generally provided that may improve emissions and combustion gas quenching via egressing the air into the combustion chamber in increasingly detailed or specific modes. The various embodiments of combustor assemblies generally define a walled chute configured to egress air from the diffuser cavity to the combustion chamber in multiple or tailored modes.
Referring now to the drawings,
The core engine 16 may generally include a substantially tubular outer casing 18 that defines an annular inlet 20. The outer casing 18 encases or at least partially forms, in serial flow relationship, a compressor section having a booster or low pressure (LP) compressor 22, a high pressure (HP) compressor 24, a combustion section 26, a turbine section including a high pressure (HP) turbine 28, a low pressure (LP) turbine 30 and a jet exhaust nozzle section 32. A high pressure (HP) rotor shaft 34 drivingly connects the HP turbine 28 to the HP compressor 24. A low pressure (LP) rotor shaft 36 drivingly connects the LP turbine 30 to the LP compressor 22. The LP rotor shaft 36 may also be connected to a fan shaft 38 of the fan assembly 14. In particular embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Referring still to
During operation of the engine 10, as shown in
The compressed air 82 pressurizes the pressure plenum 84. A first portion of the of the compressed air 82, as indicated schematically by arrows 82(a) flows from the pressure plenum 84 into the combustion chamber 62 where it is mixed with the fuel 72 and burned, thus generating combustion gases, as indicated schematically by arrows 86, within the combustor 50. Typically, the LP and HP compressors 22, 24 provide more compressed air to the pressure plenum 84 than is needed for combustion. Therefore, a second portion of the compressed air 82 as indicated schematically by arrows 82(b) may be used for various purposes other than combustion. For example, as shown in
Additionally, at least a portion of compressed air 82(b) flows out of the pressure plenum 84 into the combustion chamber 62 via the first flow passage 111 (
Referring now to
The walled chute 100 defines an upstream portion 114 and a downstream portion 115 each relative to the flow of combustion gases 86 in the combustion chamber 62. In various embodiments, the plurality of flow openings 115 may be defined anywhere through the walled chute 100. In one embodiment, such as generally depicted in
Referring now to
Referring still to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring still to
In one embodiment, the plurality of flow openings 115 is defined through the walled chute 100 tangentially to the inner surface 101 of the walled chute 100. For example, referring to the exemplary embodiment depicted in regard to
Referring still to
It should be appreciated that in various embodiments the passage 103 may extend in both the tangential direction and the radial direction through the walled chute 100.
Embodiments of the walled chute 100 including the flow openings 115 may generally enable, promote, or increase turbulence in the flow of air 83, 85 from the pressure plenum 84 to the combustion chamber 62. The increased turbulence of the flow of air 83 may improve mixing of the flow of air 83, 85 with the combustion gases 86 such as to decrease production of nitrogen oxides (e.g., NOx), improve durability of the combustor assembly 50 (e.g., improve durability at the liners 52, 54), or both. As another example, the walled chute 100 including the plurality of flow openings 115 may further improve mixing of the flow of air 83 with the combustion gases 86 while mitigating losses in penetration of the flow of air 83 with the combustion gases 86 into the combustion chamber 62.
The walled chute 100 further including the support member 130 may further define the support member 130 as a destabilizer member splitting the flow of air 83 into a counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP) into two or more pairs, thereby adding additional vorticity or wake from the flow of air 83 to the jet flow of combustion gases 86. The additional vorticity may induce cross-wise perturbations that may further be amplified or destabilized to enable oscillation to the flow of air 83 defining a dilution jet to the combustion gases 86. The oscillation of the flow of air 83 may improve penetration and mixing of the flow of air 83 with the combustion gases 86 to reduce production of nitrogen oxides (i.e., NOx).
Various embodiments of the engine 10 and combustor assembly 50 may define a rich burn combustor in which the walled chute 100 may define dilution jets providing additional mixing air (e.g., air 83, 85) with a mixture of combustion gases (e.g., combustion gases 86) to improve or complete the combustion process. The walled chute 100 may further define dilution jets that further enable or augment a combustion recirculation zone within the combustion chamber 62 to stabilize a flame therein. Still further, the walled chute 100 may define dilution jets that may relatively rapidly quench the combustion gases 86 to minimize production of nitrogen oxides. Furthermore, various embodiments of the combustor assembly 50 and walled chute 100 shown and described herein may enable customization of a distribution of combustion gas temperature to improve durability of components at or downstream of the combustor assembly 50 (e.g., the liners 52, 54, the HP turbine 28).
Still further, the walled chute 100 may generally define the support member 130 as a bluff-body device such as to provide a jet destabilizer to modify counter rotating vortex pairs (CVP) formed in jets in cross flow (JIC). For example, the portion of air 83 provided through the second flow passage 112 may define a CVP formed relative to the flow of combustion gases 86 defining a JIC.
All or part of the combustor assembly may be part of a single, unitary component and may be manufactured from any number of processes commonly known by one skilled in the art. These manufacturing processes include, but are not limited to, those referred to as “additive manufacturing” or “3D printing”. Additionally, any number of casting, machining, welding, brazing, or sintering processes, or any combination thereof may be utilized to construct the combustor 50, including, but not limited to, the liners 52, 54, the walled chute 100, the flow guide member 120, the support member 130, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the combustor assembly may constitute one or more individual components that are mechanically joined (e.g. by use of bolts, nuts, rivets, or screws, or welding or brazing processes, or combinations thereof) or are positioned in space to achieve a substantially similar geometric, aerodynamic, or thermodynamic results as if manufactured or assembled as one or more components. Non-limiting examples of suitable materials include high-strength steels, nickel and cobalt-based alloys, and/or metal or ceramic matrix composites, or combinations thereof.
Various embodiments of the walled chute 100 including the support member 130 may define the support member 130 of one or more cross sectional areas, such as, but not limited to, a circular cross section, a rectangular cross section, a ovular or racetrack cross section, an airfoil or teardrop cross section, a polygonal cross section, or an oblong cross section, or another suitable cross section, or combinations thereof.
Additionally, or alternatively, various embodiments of the walled chute 100, the opening 105 through which the walled chute 100 is disposed, the flow openings 115, or combinations thereof, may define one or more cross sectional areas, such as, but not limited to, a circular cross section, a rectangular cross section, a ovular or racetrack cross section, an airfoil or teardrop cross section, a polygonal cross section, or an oblong cross section, or another suitable cross section, or combinations thereof.
Furthermore, additional or alternative embodiments of the walled chute 100 may define the inner surface 101, the outer surface 102, or both as a contoured structure, including, but not limited to, a helical, spiral, screw, or grooved structure. The contoured structure of the inner surface 101, the outer surface 102, or both, may substantially correspond to the tangential and/or radial profile of the flow openings 115 through the walled chute 100. However, it should further be appreciated that the inner surface 101, the outer surface 102, or both, of the walled chute 100 may be configured to promote flow turbulence, jet destabilization, or mixing generally of the flows of air 83, 85 with combustion gases 86.
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 include 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.
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