The present disclosure relates generally to rotating detonation combustion systems and, more specifically, to systems and methods of cooling a rotating detonation combustor.
In rotating detonation engines and, more specifically, in rotating detonation combustors, a mixture of fuel and an oxidizer is ignited such that combustion products are formed. For example, the combustion process begins when the fuel-oxidizer mixture in a tube or a pipe structure is ignited via a spark or another suitable ignition source to generate a compression wave. The compression wave is followed by a chemical reaction that transitions the compression wave to a detonation wave. The detonation wave enters a combustion chamber of the rotating detonation combustor and travels along the combustion chamber. Air and fuel are separately fed into the rotating detonation combustion chamber and are consumed by the detonation wave. As the detonation wave consumes air and fuel, combustion products traveling along the combustion chamber accelerate and are discharged from the combustion chamber. However, rotating detonation combustors generally operate at high local combustion temperatures greater than the temperature limit of materials used to form at least some portions of the rotating detonation combustor.
In one aspect, a turbine engine assembly is provided. The assembly includes a rotating detonation combustor configured to combust a fuel-air mixture. The rotating detonation combustor includes a radially inner side wall, a radially outer side wall extending about the radially inner side wall such that an annular combustion chamber is at least partially defined therebetween, and a cooling conduit extending along at least one of the radially inner side wall or the radially outer side wall. The assembly also includes a first compressor configured to discharge a flow of cooling air towards the rotating detonation combustor, and to channel the flow of cooling air through the cooling conduit.
In another aspect, a rotating detonation combustor is provided. The combustor includes a radially inner side wall, a radially outer side wall extending about the radially inner side wall such that an annular combustion chamber is at least partially defined therebetween, and a cooling conduit configured to channel cooling air therethrough. The cooling conduit extends along at least one of the radially inner side wall or the radially outer side wall.
In yet another aspect, a turbine engine assembly is provided. The assembly includes a rotating detonation combustor configured to combust a fuel-air mixture. The rotating detonation combustor includes a radially inner side wall, a radially outer side wall extending about the radially inner side wall such that an annular combustion chamber is at least partially defined therebetween, and a cooling conduit extending along at least one of the radially inner side wall or the radially outer side wall. The assembly further includes a source of cooling fluid coupled in flow communication with the rotating detonation combustor. The source of cooling fluid is configured to discharge a flow of cooling fluid towards the rotating detonation combustor, and to channel the flow of cooling fluid through the cooling conduit. The cooling fluid includes at least one of steam, water, or fuel.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings provided herein are meant to illustrate features of embodiments of the disclosure. These features are believed to be applicable in a wide variety of systems comprising one or more embodiments of the disclosure. As such, the drawings are not meant to include all conventional features known by those of ordinary skill in the art to be required for the practice of the embodiments disclosed herein.
In the following specification and the claims, reference will be made to a number of terms, which shall be defined to have the following meanings.
The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
“Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where the event occurs and instances where it does not.
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.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods of cooling a rotating detonation combustor. More specifically, the systems described herein include a rotating detonation combustor including an annular combustion chamber defined by a radially inner side wall and a radially outer side wall, and at least one cooling conduit positioned for cooling one or both of the radially inner side wall or the radially outer side wall. The cooling conduit described herein cools the side walls by channeling a cooling fluid therethrough, such as cooling air (i.e., an oxidizer), fuel, steam, or water. As such, the rotating detonation combustor described herein is capable of producing detonations while still operating within predefined material temperature limits.
As used herein, “detonation” and “quasi-detonation” may be used interchangeably. Typical embodiments of detonation chambers include a means of igniting a fuel/oxidizer mixture, for example a fuel/air mixture, and a confining chamber, in which pressure wave fronts initiated by the ignition process coalesce to produce a detonation wave. Each detonation or quasi-detonation is initiated either by external ignition, such as spark discharge or laser pulse, or by gas dynamic processes, such as shock focusing, autoignition or by another detonation via cross-firing. The geometry of the detonation chamber is such that the pressure rise of the detonation wave expels combustion products out the detonation chamber exhaust to produce a thrust force. In addition, rotating detonation combustors are designed such that a substantially continuous detonation wave is produced and discharged therefrom. As known to those skilled in the art, detonation may be accomplished in a number of types of detonation chambers, including detonation tubes, shock tubes, resonating detonation cavities, and annular detonation chambers.
In operation, air enters gas turbine engine assembly 102 through an intake 121 and is channeled through multiple stages of compressor 106 towards combustor 108. Compressor 106 compresses the air and the highly compressed air is channeled from compressor 106 towards combustor 108 and mixed with fuel. The fuel-air mixture is combusted within combustor 108. High temperature combustion gas generated by combustor 108 is channeled towards first turbine 110. Exhaust gas 114 is subsequently discharged from first turbine 110 through an exhaust 123.
In further embodiments, annular combustion chamber 132 is any suitable geometric shape and does not necessarily include an inner liner and/or center body. For example, in some embodiments, annular combustion chamber 132 is substantially cylindrical.
Rotating detonation combustor 124 further includes a cooling conduit 142 extending along at least one of radially outer side wall 126 or radially inner side wall 128. For example, rotating detonation combustor 124 includes at least one annular jacket radially spaced from at least one of radially outer side wall 126 or radially inner side wall 128 for at least partially defining cooling conduit 142. More specifically, in one embodiment, a first annular jacket 144 is spaced from radially outer side wall 126 such that a first cooling conduit 146 is defined between radially outer side wall 126 and first annular jacket 144. In addition, a second annular jacket 148 is spaced from radially inner side wall 128 such that a second cooling conduit 150 is defined between radially inner side wall 128 and second annular jacket 148. In an alternative embodiment, and as applicable to the other embodiments described herein, cooling is provided to either radially outer side wall 126 or radially inner side wall 128, but not both, with a single cooling conduit.
In the exemplary embodiment, compressor 106 (shown in
Moreover, in one embodiment, cooling conduits 142 and fuel-air mixer 134 are coupled in flow communication such that the air in fuel-air mixture 138 is derived entirely from the flow of cooling air 152, and such that no air from compressor 106 bypasses annular combustion chamber 132. As such, limiting airflow bypass facilitates enhancing the pressure gain capability of rotating detonation combustor 124 such that the efficiency of gas turbine engine 102 is increased.
Rotating detonation combustor 124 further includes a first end plate 156 and a second end plate 158. First end plate 156 is coupled to radially outer side wall 126 and radially inner side wall 128 such that annular combustion chamber 132 is at least partially defined by first end plate 156. First end plate 156 includes an air inlet 160 defined therein. Air inlet 160 is positioned to couple cooling conduits 142 in flow communication with annular combustion chamber 132 upstream of fuel-air mixer 134. Second end plate 158 is spaced from first end plate 156 such that cooling conduits 142 are at least partially defined therefrom. As such, cooling air 152 channeled through first cooling conduit 146 and second cooling conduit 150 is channeled towards air inlet 160 for injection into annular combustion chamber 132 and for mixing with fuel 136 to form fuel-air mixture 138.
In addition, referring to
In some embodiments, RDC system 192 includes a cooling device 200 positioned between compressor 106 and second compressor 194. Cooling device 200 cools the flow of bleed air 196 before being channeled towards second compressor 194. As such, compression of bleed air 196 within second compressor 194 is provided in a more cost effective manner relative to compressing uncooled air.
The systems and methods described herein facilitate providing cooling to a rotating detonation combustor. The cooling is provided by channeling a cooling fluid through one or more cooling conduits that extend along a radially outer side wall or a radially inner side wall of the rotating detonation combustor. In addition, the system described herein facilitates using the heat generated by combustion to improve the thermal efficiency of related assemblies.
An exemplary technical effect of the systems and methods described herein includes at least one of: (a) providing cooling to a rotating detonation combustor; (b) increasing the efficiency of a gas turbine engine; and (c) utilizing one or more architectural cooling concepts to improve the thermal efficiency of a turbine engine assembly.
Exemplary embodiments of RDC systems are provided herein. The systems and methods are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather, components of systems and/or steps of the methods may be utilized independently and separately from other components and/or steps described herein. For example, the configuration of components described herein may also be used in combination with other processes, and is not limited to practice with only ground-based, combined cycle power generation systems, as described herein. Rather, the exemplary embodiment can be implemented and utilized in connection with many applications where a RDC system may be implemented.
Although specific features of various embodiments of the present disclosure may be shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. In accordance with the principles of embodiments of the present disclosure, any feature of a drawing may be referenced and/or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing.
This written description uses examples to disclose the embodiments of the present disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice embodiments of the present disclosure, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the embodiments described herein 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.