1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to a turbine engine and, more particularly, to a combustor for a turbine engine.
2. Background Information
A floating wall combustor for a turbine engine typically includes a bulkhead that extends radially between inner and outer combustor walls. Each of the combustor walls includes a shell and a heat shield, which defines a radial side of a combustion chamber. Cooling cavities extend radially between the heat shield and the shell. These cooling cavities fluidly couple impingement apertures in the shell with effusion apertures in the heat shield.
There is a need in the art for an improved turbine engine combustor.
According to an aspect of the invention, a combustor for a turbine engine is provided that includes a combustor wall. The combustor wall includes a shell and a heat shield attached to the shell. One or more cooling cavities are defined between the shell and the heat shield, and fluidly couple a plurality of apertures defined in the shell with a plurality of apertures defined in the heat shield. The apertures in the heat shield include a first aperture and a second aperture. An angle of incidence between the first aperture and a surface of the heat shield is different than an angle of incidence between the second aperture and the surface.
According to another aspect of the invention, another combustor for a turbine engine is provided that includes a combustor wall. The combustor wall includes a shell and a heat shield attached to the shell. The heat shield defines a plurality of effusion apertures, which include a first aperture and a second aperture. The first aperture extends along a centerline that is offset from a surface of the heat shield by a first angle. The second aperture extends along a centerline that is offset from the surface by a second angle that is different than the first angle.
According to another aspect of the invention, another combustor is provided for a turbine engine. This combustor includes a combustor shell and a combustor heat shield, which is attached to the shell. One or more cooling cavities are defined between the shell and the heat shield, and fluidly couple a plurality of apertures defined in the shell with a plurality of apertures defined in the heat shield. The apertures in the heat shield include a first aperture and a second aperture. An angle of incidence between the first aperture and a surface of the heat shield is different than an angle of incidence between the second aperture and the surface.
The one or more cooling cavities may include a first cavity and a second cavity. The first aperture may be fluidly coupled with the first cavity. The second aperture may be fluidly coupled with the second cavity.
An angle of incidence between (i) each of the apertures in the heat shield that are fluidly coupled with the first cavity and (ii) the surface may be substantially equal to the angle of incidence between the first aperture and the surface.
The combustor wall may include a rail arranged between the first cavity and the second cavity.
The one or more cooling cavities may include a first cavity. The aperture and the second aperture may be fluidly coupled with the first cavity.
The heat shield may include a plurality of panels. A first of the panels may include the first aperture and the second aperture. Alternatively, a first of the panels may include the first aperture and a second of the panels may include the second aperture.
The first of the panels may extend between an upstream end and a downstream end. The second aperture may be located at the downstream end. The angle of incidence of the second aperture may be greater than the angle of incidence of the first aperture.
The apertures in the heat shield may be configured as or otherwise include effusion apertures. The apertures in the shell may be configured as or otherwise include impingement apertures.
A diameter of the first aperture at the surface may be substantially equal to a diameter of the second aperture at the surface.
A diameter of the first aperture at the surface may be different than a diameter of the second aperture at the surface.
A diameter of the first aperture may increase as the first aperture extends through the heat shield away from the shell. A diameter of the second aperture may also or alternatively increase as the second aperture extends through the heat shield away from the shell.
A plurality of cooling cavities may extend and be defined between the shell and the heat shield. The first aperture may be fluidly coupled with a first of the cooling cavities. The second aperture may be fluidly coupled with a second of the cooling cavities.
A cooling cavity may extend and be defined between the shell and the heat shield. The first aperture and the second aperture may be fluidly coupled with the cooling cavity.
The combustor may include a combustor first wall, a combustor second wall and a combustor bulkhead. The second wall may include the shell and the heat shield. The bulkhead may extend between the first wall and the second wall. The first wall, the second wall and the bulkhead may form a combustion chamber.
The first aperture may be one of a plurality of first apertures defined in the heat shield. A density of the first apertures in a first region of the heat shield may be different (e.g., less) than a density of the first apertures in a second region of the heat shield. In addition or alternatively, the second aperture may be one of a plurality of second apertures defined in the heat shield. A density of the second apertures in the first region of the heat shield may be different (e.g., greater) than a density of the second apertures in the second region of the heat shield.
The density of the first and/or second apertures in the first region and the density of the first and/or second apertures in the second region may be selected to provide more cooling to first region than the second region.
The foregoing features and the operation of the invention will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings.
Each of the engine sections 28, 29A, 29B, 31A and 31B includes a respective rotor 40-44. Each of the rotors 40-44 includes a plurality of rotor blades arranged circumferentially around and connected to (e.g., formed integral with or mechanically fastened, welded, brazed, adhered or otherwise attached to) one or more respective rotor disks. The fan rotor 40 is connected to a gear train 46 (e.g., an epicyclic gear train) through a shaft 47. The gear train 46 and the LPC rotor 41 are connected to and driven by the LPT rotor 44 through a low speed shaft 48. The HPC rotor 42 is connected to and driven by the HPT rotor 43 through a high speed shaft 50. The shafts 47, 48 and 50 are rotatably supported by a plurality of bearings 52. Each of the bearings 52 is connected to the second engine case 38 by at least one stator such as, for example, an annular support strut.
Air enters the turbine engine 20 through the airflow inlet 24, and is directed through the fan section 28 and into an annular core gas path 54 and an annular bypass gas path 56. The air within the core gas path 54 may be referred to as “core air”. The air within the bypass gas path 56 may be referred to as “bypass air”.
The core air is directed through the engine sections 29-31 and exits the turbine engine 20 through the airflow exhaust 26. Within the combustor section 30, fuel is injected into an annular combustion chamber 58 and mixed with the core air. This fuel-core air mixture is ignited to power the turbine engine 20 and provide forward engine thrust. The bypass air is directed through the bypass gas path 56 and out of the turbine engine 20 through a bypass nozzle 60 to provide additional forward engine thrust. Alternatively, the bypass air may be directed out of the turbine engine 20 through a thrust reverser to provide reverse engine thrust.
The combustor 64 may be configured as an annular floating wall combustor, which may be arranged within an annular plenum 72 of the combustor section 30. The combustor 64 of
Referring to
The shell 80 extends circumferentially around the centerline 22. The shell 80 extends axially along the centerline 22 between an upstream end 88 and a downstream end 90. The shell 80 is connected to the bulkhead 74 at the upstream end 88. The shell 80 may be connected to a stator vane assembly 92 or the HPT section 31A at the downstream end 90.
Referring to
Referring to
Each of the panels 94 includes a panel base 100 and one or more panel rails (e.g., rails 102-105). The panel base 100 may be configured as a generally curved (e.g., arcuate) plate. The panel base 100 extends axially between an upstream axial end 106 and a downstream axial end 108. The panel base 100 extends circumferentially between opposing circumferential ends 110 and 112.
The panel rails may include one or more circumferentially extending end rails 102 and 103 and one more axially extending end rails 104 and 105. Each of the foregoing rails 102-105 extends radially out from (or in from) the panel base 100. The rail 102 is arranged at (e.g., on, adjacent or proximate) the axial end 106. The rail 103 is arranged at the axial end 108. The rails 104 and 105 extend axially between and are connected to the rails 102 and 103. The rail 104 is arranged at the circumferential end 110. The rail 105 is arranged at the circumferential end 112.
Referring to
Referring to
Each first aperture 96 may have a circular cross-sectional geometry. Alternatively, one or more of the first apertures 96 may each have a non-circular cross-sectional geometry such as, for example, an oval or polygonal (e.g., rectangular) cross-sectional geometry. Each first aperture 96 has a width 124 (e.g., a diameter). The width 124 of each first aperture 96 may increase as the respective first aperture 96 extends through the panel 94 towards the combustion chamber surface 116 and away from the shell 120 (see
Referring to
Each second aperture 98 may have a circular cross-sectional geometry. Alternatively, one or more of the second apertures 98 may each have a non-circular cross-sectional geometry such as, for example, an oval or polygonal (e.g., rectangular) cross-sectional geometry. Each second aperture 98 has a width 134 (e.g., a diameter), which may be substantially equal to or different than (e.g., greater or less than) the width 124 (see
Referring to
The cooling cavities 84 may be arranged into one or more axial sets. These axial sets are respectively arranged at discrete locations along the centerline 22. Each axial set includes one or more of the cooling cavities 84, which are arranged circumferentially around the centerline 22. Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Certain regions of the heat shield 82 may be subject to higher temperatures than other regions. The heat shield panel 94 of
In some embodiments, a majority (e.g., more than fifty percent) or substantially all of the second apertures 98 in a respective panel 94 may be located in one or more of the high temperature regions 138-142. One or more of the first apertures 96 may also be located in one or more of the high temperature regions 138-142. Alternatively, substantially all of the first apertures 96 may be located in the low temperature region 144. In other embodiments, of course, the first and/or second apertures 98 may be uniformly distributed in the panel 94 between the high temperature region 144 and/or the low temperature regions 138-142.
It should be noted that the example given above with respect to
The foregoing temperature gradients may be accommodated by configuring each panel 94 with (i) more of (or only) the second cooling apertures 98 in the high temperature region(s), and (ii) more of (or only) the first cooling apertures 96 in the low temperature region(s). For example, a density of the first cooling apertures 96 in the region 139 may be higher than a density of the first cooling apertures 96 in the region 138. Conversely, a density of the second cooling apertures 98 in the region 139 may be less than a density of the second cooling apertures 98 in the region 138. The term “density” may describe a ratio of a quantity of cooling apertures per square unit of panel base surface. In this manner, the regions of the panel 94 that are subject to higher temperatures may receive more cooling than the regions of the panel 94 that are subject to lower temperatures.
One or more of the panels 94 may each include at least one intermediate rail 146. The intermediate rail 146 of
The first and the second cavities 148 and 150 may each be fluidly coupled with one or more of the first apertures 96 and one or more of the second apertures 98. Alternatively, each of the cooling apertures fluidly coupled with the first cavity 148 may be a first aperture 96. Each of the cooling apertures fluidly coupled with the second cavity 150 may be a second aperture 98. In this manner, the flow of core air into each cooling cavity 148, 150 may be tailored to the type of cooling apertures to which it is fluidly coupled with. Notably, a similar tailored configuration may be achieved where each of the cooling apertures included in a first of the panels 94 is a first aperture 96, and each of the cooling apertures included in a second of the panels 94 is a second aperture 98.
The heat shield 82 is described above as including the first apertures 96 and the second apertures 98. In some embodiments, however, the heat shield 82 may also include one or more additional cooling apertures with different angles of incidence than those of the first apertures 96 and the second apertures 98. The present invention therefore is not limited to any particular numbers of different cooling aperture configurations.
In some embodiments, the bulkhead 74 may also or alternatively be configured with a multi-walled structure (e.g., a hollow dual-walled structure) similar to that described above with respect to the inner wall 76 and the outer wall 78. The bulkhead 74, for example, may include a shell and a heat shield with a similar multi-cooling aperture configuration as described above with respect to the heat shield 82.
One or more of the foregoing cooling apertures may be formed in the heat shield using manufacturing processes such as, for example, laser drilling, electrical discharge machining (EDM) drilling and/or water jet drilling. One or more of the cooling apertures may also or alternatively be formed by casting the apertures into the heat shield, and/or forming the apertures concurrently with the heat shield body using, for example, additive manufacturing. The present invention, however, is not limited to any particular manufacturing processes.
The terms “upstream”, “downstream”, “inner” and “outer” are used to orientate the components of the turbine engine assembly 62 and the combustor 64 described above relative to the turbine engine 20 and its centerline 22. A person of skill in the art will recognize, however, one or more of these components may be utilized in other orientations than those described above. The present invention therefore is not limited to any particular spatial orientations.
The turbine engine assembly 62 may be included in various turbine engines other than the one described above. The turbine engine assembly 62, for example, may be included in a geared turbine engine where a gear train connects one or more shafts to one or more rotors in a fan section, a compressor section and/or any other engine section. Alternatively, the turbine engine assembly 62 may be included in a turbine engine configured without a gear train. The turbine engine assembly 62 may be included in a geared or non-geared turbine engine configured with a single spool, with two spools (e.g., see
While various embodiments of the present invention 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 invention. For example, the present invention as described herein includes several aspects and embodiments that include particular features. Although these features may be described individually, it is within the scope of the present invention that some or all of these features may be combined within any one of the aspects and remain within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Appln. No. 61/899,540 filed Nov. 4, 2013, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2014/063859 | 11/4/2014 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61899540 | Nov 2013 | US |