This application claims priority to German Patent Application 102015202570.5 filed Feb. 12, 2015, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
This invention relates to a sealing of a radial gap between effusion tiles of a gas-turbine combustion chamber and in particular to a combustion chamber of a gas-turbine in accordance with features as disclosed herein. The invention thus relates to a combustion chamber of a gas turbine with a combustion chamber wall to which effusion tiles are fastened which adjoin one another while forming a rim gap, with a seal being arranged in the area of said rim gap.
It is known from the state of the art that rim gaps are created between adjacent effusion tiles and are caused for example by tolerances of the effusion tiles or by differing thermal expansions. This problem is known from the state of the art, where different sealing elements are described which are intended to seal the rim gap against gap losses in the cooling air to be passed through the effusion tiles. It is also desirable to seal off the rim gap created between adjacent effusion tiles and the cavity thereby formed from the ingress of hot gas out of the combustion chamber and from a thermal radiation load.
EP 1 310 735 B1 shows a design in which the seal is designed strip-like and abuts the rims of the adjacent effusion tiles. The seal is positioned by lateral guides.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,586 B2 describes a design in which a U-shaped seal is used, whose side sections facing the combustion chamber are received in grooves of the effusion tiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,864 B2 shows a sealing element which is elastically pretensioned against those rims of the effusion tiles facing the combustion chamber wall. A similar solution is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 8,359,865 B2, where a substantially U-shaped sealing element is clamped between the effusion tiles and the combustion chamber wall. In accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 7,849,694 B2, it is provided that sealing strips are laid into grooves in the rims of the effusion tiles and pretensioned against the combustion chamber wall.
A disadvantage of the previously known designs is that the seals must each be secured and positioned by complicated design measures and that both their manufacture and fitting require heavy expenditure.
The object underlying the present invention is to provide a sealing of the type mentioned at the beginning which, while being simply designed and easily and cost-effectively producible, enables an effective sealing of the radial gap and an effective thermal insulation.
It is a particular object to provide a solution to the above problems by a combination of features as disclosed herein. Further advantageous embodiments will become apparent from the present disclosure.
It is provided in accordance with the invention that the effusion tiles at their rim facing the combustion chamber wall are provided with a bevel or recess extending along the rim in order to form a sealing space. A bevel or recess of this type can be manufactured simply and cost-effectively. Inside the sealing space formed by the bevels of the two adjacent effusion tiles, a seal is placed in accordance with the invention, having a cross-section which is manufactured to match and precisely fit the bevel or recess of the rim of the effusion tiles. The seal has for example a V-shaped cross-section, such that the seal can be brought into sealing contact with the bevel or the surface of the rim of the combustion chamber tile. It is furthermore provided that the combustion chamber wall has at least one recess which issues into the sealing space and is used to supply cooling air through the combustion chamber wall into said sealing space. The cooling air thus effects a pressure buildup on that side of the seal facing the combustion chamber wall. The seal is brought by this pressure into contact with the bevel or recess of the rim of the respective effusion tile. The result of this is effective sealing in a particularly simple manner.
In accordance with the invention, automatic centering and positioning of the seal is thus achieved. Furthermore, the seal is moved into a sealing position by the pressure applied by the cooling air and held in said position.
The solution in accordance with the invention thus leads to effective sealing of the rim gap and prevents hot gas being able to impact the combustion chamber wall through the rim gap. Furthermore, the seal achieves shielding of thermal radiation and thus protects the combustion chamber wall.
The seal in accordance with the invention does not need, as in the state of the art, to be fastened structurally: instead the seal centers itself and is moved into a sealing position by the pressure applied. This simplifies not only the manufacture of the combustion chamber tiles and of the seal, but also the assembly work necessary.
Sealing in accordance with the invention has the further substantial advantage that in the event of a failure of the seal the cooling effect of the cooling air flowing in through the recess leads to the rim of the effusion tile being cooled. This protects the effusion tile itself and prevents failure.
It is also possible to provide the seal with recesses in order to allow a defined quantity of cooling air for creation of a cooling firm on the tile rim.
In accordance with the invention, it is thus particularly advantageous when the seal is designed such that it is can be brought into sealing contact with the bevels or recesses of the combustion chamber tile rims.
The seal can for example be manufactured from a sheet metal material, with the result that the manufacturing expense is considerably reduced.
In a favourable embodiment of the invention, it is furthermore provided that the seal has lateral sections which are arranged between the rim of the effusion tile and the combustion chamber wall. This makes it possible to additionally provide sealing between the combustion chamber wall and the effusion tile to prevent any exit, through the rim gap, of the cooling air introduced into the intermediate space between the combustion chamber wall and the effusion tiles.
In a preferred development of the invention, it is provided that the side sections of the seal are provided with retaining areas intended for positive engagement with the rims of the effusion tiles. This ensures that the seal remains exactly positioned even in the non-operational state of the gas turbine.
The present invention is described in the following in light of the accompanying drawing, showing exemplary embodiments. In the drawing,
The gas-turbine engine 110 in accordance with
The intermediate-pressure compressor 113 and the high-pressure compressor 114 each include several stages, of which each has an arrangement extending in the circumferential direction of fixed and stationary guide vanes 120, generally referred to as stator vanes and projecting radially inwards from the core engine casing 121 in an annular flow duct through the compressors 113, 114. The compressors furthermore have an arrangement of compressor rotor blades 122 which project radially outwards from a rotatable drum or disk 125 linked to hubs 126 of the high-pressure turbine 116 or the intermediate-pressure turbine 117, respectively.
The turbine sections 116, 117, 118 have similar stages, including an arrangement of fixed stator vanes 123 projecting radially inwards from the casing 121 into the annular flow duct through the turbines 116, 117, 118, and a subsequent arrangement of turbine blades 124 projecting outwards from a rotatable hub 126. The compressor drum or compressor disk 125 and the blades 122 arranged thereon, as well as the turbine rotor hub 126 and the turbine rotor blades 124 arranged thereon rotate about the engine center axis 101 during operation.
As shown in particular in
An elongated or strip-like seal 4, which can be manufactured from a sheet metal material and extends along the rim gap 3, is arranged in a sealing space 6 formed by the bevels 7. The bevel 7 and the V-shaped contour of the seal 4 are matched to one another, such that the seal 4 can be brought into sealing contact with the faces of the bevels 7.
The combustion chamber wall 1 has in the area of the rim gap 3 at least one recess 8, through which cooling air can be introduced into the sealing space 6. Since the seal 4 is in sealing contact with the bevels 7, a pressure builds up in the sealing space 6 and presses the seal 4 against the bevels 7 and positions it.
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2015 202 570 | Feb 2015 | DE | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6675586 | Maghon | Jan 2004 | B2 |
6901757 | Gerendas | Jun 2005 | B2 |
7152864 | Amos et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7849694 | Dahlke et al. | Dec 2010 | B2 |
8156744 | Hernandez | Apr 2012 | B2 |
8359865 | Dierberger et al. | Jan 2013 | B2 |
8695989 | Dahlke | Apr 2014 | B2 |
20050150233 | Glessner | Jul 2005 | A1 |
20050242525 | Dahlke | Nov 2005 | A1 |
20050242526 | Dahlke | Nov 2005 | A1 |
20070151249 | Barbeln | Jul 2007 | A1 |
20110179798 | Pieussergues | Jul 2011 | A1 |
20130019603 | Dierberger et al. | Jan 2013 | A1 |
20130283818 | Flanagan | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20150167557 | Thomas | Jun 2015 | A1 |
20160033134 | Johnson | Feb 2016 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
19727407 | Jan 1999 | DE |
1310735 | May 2003 | EP |
1557611 | Jul 2005 | EP |
1582699 | Oct 2005 | EP |
1591724 | Nov 2005 | EP |
1591725 | Nov 2005 | EP |
2354660 | Aug 2011 | EP |
2511481 | Oct 2012 | EP |
2549188 | Jan 2013 | EP |
Entry |
---|
German Search Report dated Oct. 30, 2015 from counterpart German App No. 10 2015 202 570.5. |
European Search Report dated Jun. 27, 2016 for counterpart European Patent Application No. 16154683.3. |
Office Action dated Jul. 11, 2018 for counterpart European Patent Application No. 16 154 683.3. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20160238247 A1 | Aug 2016 | US |