The present disclosure generally relates to turbomachines. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to coupling assemblies for turbomachines.
A gas turbine engine generally includes a compressor, one or more combustors, and a turbine. The compressor progressively increases the pressure of air entering the gas turbine engine and supplies this compressed air to the one or more combustors. The compressed air and a fuel (e.g., natural gas) mix within the combustors and burn in a combustion chamber to generate high pressure and high temperature combustion gases. The combustion gases flow from the combustors into the turbine where they expand to produce work. For example, expansion of the combustion gases in the turbine may rotate a rotor shaft connected, e.g., to a generator to produce electricity. The combustion gases then exit the gas turbine via an exhaust section.
Each combustor generally includes an outer casing, a combustion liner, and an outer sleeve. The outer casing surrounds the combustor and contains the compressed air received from the compressor therein. The combustion liner is positioned within the outer casing and defines at least a portion of the combustion chamber. The outer sleeve circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the combustion liner. As such, the outer sleeve and the combustion liner collectively define a cooling flow passage therebetween through which the compressed air may flow before entering the combustion chamber. One or more fuel nozzles supply the fuel to each combustor for mixing with the compressed air therein. This fuel-air mixture flows into the combustion chamber where a spark plug or other ignition device may initiate combustion.
The combustion liner and the outer sleeve may be permitted to move relative to one another during operation of the gas turbine engine to accommodate varying rates of thermal expansion. In this respect, the combustion liner and the outer sleeve may also move relative to each other during removal from the gas turbine engine for maintenance. This may result in expensive and time-consuming repairs to the various coatings on the combustion liner and the outer sleeve.
Aspects and advantages of the technology 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 technology.
In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a coupling assembly for a turbomachine. The coupling assembly includes a liner and a sleeve at least partially positioned circumferentially around the liner. A frame is positioned between the liner and the sleeve. The frame includes a first side wall, a second side wall, and a base wall extending from the first side wall to the second side wall. A block is positioned between the liner and the sleeve and is movable relative to the frame to permit the block to move toward and away from the base wall. Moving the block away from the base wall causes the block to exert an inward force on the liner and the base wall to exert an outward force on the sleeve.
In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a turbomachine having a combustion liner and an outer sleeve at least partially positioned circumferentially around the combustion liner. A plurality of coupling tools couples the combustion liner and the outer sleeve. Each coupling tool includes a frame positioned between the combustion liner and the outer sleeve. The frame includes a first side wall, a second side wall, and a base wall extending between the first side wall and the second side wall. A block is positioned between the combustion liner and the outer sleeve and is movable relative to the frame to permit the block to move toward and away from the base wall. Moving the block away from the base wall causes the block to exert an inward force on the combustion liner and the base wall to exert an outward force on the outer sleeve.
In a further aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a coupling assembly for a turbomachine. The coupling assembly includes a liner defining a liner aperture and a sleeve at least partially positioned circumferentially around the liner. The sleeve defines a sleeve aperture. A body positioned is between the liner and the sleeve. A pin extends through the liner aperture to couple the liner and the body. A clamp member is positioned outward of the sleeve. A threaded member extends through the sleeve aperture and coupled to the body and the clamp member. The threaded member permits the clamp member to move toward and away from the body. Moving the clamp member toward the body causes the body to exert an outward force on the sleeve and the clamp member to exert an inward force on the sleeve to couple the sleeve and the body.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present technology 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 technology and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the technology.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present technology, 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 technology.
Reference will now be made in detail to present embodiments of the technology, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Like or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the technology. 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.
Each example is provided by way of explanation of the technology, not limitation of the technology. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present technology without departing from the scope or spirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present technology covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Although an industrial or land-based gas turbine is shown and described herein, the present technology as shown and described herein is not limited to a land-based and/or industrial gas turbine unless otherwise specified in the claims. For example, the technology as described herein may be used in any type of turbomachine including, but not limited to, aviation gas turbines (e.g., turbofans, etc.), steam turbines, and marine gas turbines.
Referring now to the drawings,
During operation, air 20 flows into the compressor 12, where the air 20 is progressively compressed to provide pressurized air 22 to the combustor 14. At least a portion of the pressurized air 22 mixes with a fuel 24 and burns within the combustor 14 to produce combustion gases 26. The combustion gases 26 flow from the combustor 14 into the turbine 16, where rotor blades (not shown) extract kinetic and/or thermal energy from the combustion gases 26. This energy extraction causes the shaft 18 to rotate. The mechanical rotational energy of the shaft 18 may then be used to, e.g., power the compressor 12 and/or to generate electricity. The combustion gases 26 may then be exhausted from the gas turbine engine 10.
As shown in
A combustion liner or duct 38 may at least partially define a combustion chamber or zone 40 downstream from the one or more fuel nozzles 36. The combustion liner 38 may also at least partially define a hot gas path 42 through the combustor 14 for directing the combustion gases 26 (
The aft end 48 of the combustion liner 38 may terminate at an aft frame 50. The aft frame 50 may be used to mount the combustion liner 38 to the outer casing 30 or to other support hardware, thereby fixing or axially restraining the aft end 48 of the combustion liner 38. As such, the forward end 46 of the combustion 38 may expand and contract axially towards the one or more fuel nozzles 36 as the combustor 14 transitions through various thermal conditions.
As shown, the combustion liner 38 is at last partially circumferentially surrounded by an outer sleeve 52. The outer sleeve 52 may be formed as a single component or formed by multiple sleeve segments, such as by a flow sleeve 54 and an impingement sleeve 56. The impingement sleeve 56 may slidably engage the flow sleeve 54 to permit relative axial movement therebetween. The outer sleeve 52 is radially spaced from the combustion liner 38 so as to define a cooling flow passage 58 therebetween. The outer sleeve 52 may define a plurality of apertures (not shown) that fluidly couple the cooling flow passage 58 and the high pressure plenum 32. In particular embodiments, the outer sleeve 52 may be generally or substantially unrestrained in the axial direction A with respect to the axial centerline 28 of the combustor 14. As such, the outer sleeve 52 may expand and contract axially toward the one or more fuel nozzles 36 and/or toward the aft frame 50 as the combustor 14 transitions through various thermal conditions.
In certain embodiments, the combustor 14 may include at least one auxiliary component 60 axially offset from and disposed downstream from the fuel nozzle(s) 36. The auxiliary component(s) 60 may include any component having a portion thereof that extends radially through the outer sleeve 52, the cooling flow passage 58, and at least partially through the combustion liner 38. For example, the auxiliary component 60 may be a spark igniter, a sensor, a probe, or other combustion hardware device. In the embodiment shown in
Referring now to
The first side wall 110, the second side wall 112, and the base wall 114 include various surfaces. More specifically, the first side wall 110 includes an inner surface 118 and an outer surface 120 axially spaced apart from the inner surface 118. Similarly, the second side wall 112 includes an inner surface 122 and an outer surface 124 axially spaced apart from the inner surface 122. As shown in
The frame 104 may also define various apertures. More specifically, the first side wall 110 may define a first elongated aperture 130 and a second elongated aperture 132 circumferentially spaced apart from the first elongated aperture 130. Similarly, the second side wall 112 may define a first elongated aperture 134 and a second elongated aperture 136 circumferentially spaced apart from the first elongated aperture 134. In certain embodiments, the first elongated apertures 130, 134 are radially and circumferentially aligned. Similarly, the second elongated apertures 132, 136 may also be radially and circumferentially aligned. The elongated apertures 130, 132, 134, 136 are preferably elongated in the radial direction R. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the elongated apertures 130, 132, 134, 136 may receive shafts coupled to the block 106. In this respect, the elongated nature of the elongated apertures 130, 132, 134, 136 permits the block 106 to move in the radial direction R. Furthermore, the base wall 114 may optionally define an aperture 138 that receives the threaded member 108. The second side wall 112 may optionally define a central aperture 140 positioned circumferentially between the first and second elongated apertures 134, 136. In alternate embodiments, the side walls 110, 112 may each define one, three, or more elongated apertures.
As mentioned above, the coupling tool 102 includes the threaded member 108. More specifically, the threaded member 108 may threadingly engage the block 106 via the threaded aperture 154. In this respect, the threaded member 108 may be operable to move the block 106 toward and away from the base wall 114 of the frame 104. In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
As mentioned above, the block 106 is movable relative to the frame 104. In particular, one or more shafts 158 may project outwardly from each of the first and second axial surfaces 142, 144 of the block 106. Each shaft 158 may extend through one of the elongated apertures 130, 132, 134, 136. The elongated apertures 130, 132, 134, 136 permit the shafts 158 to move radially inward and outward therein. In this respect, block 106 may move radially within the slot 116, i.e., toward and away from the base wall 114.
The threaded member 108 may be operable to move the block 106 relative to the frame 106, such as between the decoupled and coupled positions. For example, rotating the threaded member 108 in a first direction (e.g., clockwise) moves the block 106 radially inward and away from the base wall 114, such as to a coupled position. Similarly, rotating the threaded member 108 in a second direction opposite of the first direction (e.g., counterclockwise) moves the block 106 radially outward and toward from the base wall 114, such as to a decoupled position. As such, moving the block 106 away from the base wall 114 causes the block 106 to exert a radially inward force on the combustion liner 38 and the base wall 114 to exert a radially outward force on the outer sleeve 52 by the base wall 114. Conversely, moving the block 106 toward the base wall 114 releases the radially inward force exerted on the combustion liner 38 by the block 106 and the radially outward force exerted on the outer sleeve 52 by the base wall 114.
Referring now to
Each coupling tool 202 also includes a pin 212 that couples the body 204 to the combustion liner 38. In particular, the pin 212 includes a shaft portion 214 that extends through one of the apertures 72 defined by the combustion liner 38 to engage the body 204. The pin 212 may include an enlarged portion 216 that is wider than the apertures 72. Some embodiments of the pin 212 may include a handle 218 to facilitate manipulation of the pin 212.
Each coupling tool 202 further includes a clamp member 220. As shown in
A threaded member 222 couples the body 204 and the clamp member 220. More specifically, the threaded member 222 extends one of the apertures 66 defined by the outer sleeve 52. The threaded member 222 may be operable, via one or more handles 224 shown in
Although described above as coupling the combustion liner 38 and the outer sleeve 52, the coupling tools 102, 202 may be used to couple any liner and sleeve in the gas turbine engine 10. In fact, the coupling tools 102, 202 may be used to couple any pair of adjacent components in any type of turbomachine.
As discussed in greater detail, the coupling assemblies 100, 200 and, more specifically, the coupling tools 102, 202 selectively couple the combustion liner 38 and the outer sleeve 52 together. In this respect, the coupling tools 102, 202 prevent relative movement the combustion liner 38 and the outer sleeve 52, e.g., during removal from the gas turbine engine 10. As such, the coupling tools 102, 202 protect the coatings applied the combustion liner 38 and the outer sleeve 52. Accordingly, the coupling assemblies 100, 200 reduce the likelihood of expensive and time-consuming repairs to the combustion liner 38 and the outer sleeve 52 necessitated by removal from the gas turbine engine 10.
This written description uses examples to disclose the technology, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the technology, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the technology 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 language of the claims.
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