Additively manufactured combustion liner and axial flow fuel stage injector

Abstract

To provide an additively manufactured combustion liner, and to provide an axial flow fuel stage injector.SOLUTION: A combustor (100) for a gas turbine system (102) includes an additively manufactured (AM) combustor body (104) comprising an integral member (106). The integral member (106) includes: a combustion liner (108) having a cylindrical portion (109) and a tapered transition portion (112) arranged on a rear end of the cylindrical portion (109); and at least one axial fuel stage (AFS) injector (116) directed into the combustion liner (108). The integral member (106) may also include: at least one flow sleeve (110) surrounding at least part of the combustion liner (108); and a rear frame (118) disposed on a rear end of the transition portion (112). The AM combustor body (104) includes a plurality of parallel sintered metal layers (120). A method for producing the combustor body (104) is also disclosed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to turbomachinery combustors, and more specifically, to additively manufactured combustion liners and axial fuel stage injectors.

Background Art

[0002] Gas turbine systems have a combustion section that includes a plurality of combustors where fuel is burned to produce a flow of combustion gases that are converted to kinetic energy in a downstream turbine (such as an expansion turbine). Current combustors include a large number of parts that are manufactured separately and need to be assembled together. For illustrative purposes, the assembly of only the largest parts of the combustor is shown below. The combustor can include a cylindrical portion of a combustion liner concentrically disposed within a flow sleeve. The cylindrical portion of the combustion liner and the flow sleeve are generally made of sheet material rolled or pressed into cylindrical or frusto-cylindrical shapes. The flow sleeve is attached to the combustion liner with a mechanical coupler, for example, both parts are mechanically coupled to the head end fuel injection device assembly of the combustor. The tapered transition portion of the combustion liner changes the shape of the flow path from the circular cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical portion of the combustion liner to a more arcuate, rectangular cross-sectional shape of an aft frame. The tapered transition portion is typically made by pressing and welding a metal sheet. The forward end of the tapered transition portion is welded to the rearward end of the cylindrical portion of the combustion liner. The aft frame couples the tapered transition portion to the turbine inlet. The aft frame is typically made by casting or other processes. The aft frame is welded to the rearward end of the tapered transition portion.

[0003] Small parts, such as an axial fuel stage (AFS) fuel injector that injects fuel into a combustion liner downstream of an axial fuel nozzle of a head end assembly, are manufactured in a more complex separate process. An opening for the AFS injector is machined into the combustion liner. Then, mounts are welded adjacent to each opening, and the AFS injector is bolted to the mounts. Once assembled, the entire combustor may be exposed to other processing to ensure that the tolerance requirements of the final shape are met.

[0004] Manufacturing the parts and assembling them to form the combustor can sometimes take weeks. Additive manufacturing, such as direct metal laser melting (DMLM) and selective laser melting (SLM), has emerged as a reliable manufacturing method for making smaller parts. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] All aspects, examples, and features described below can be combined in any technically possible way.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a combustor for a gas turbine system. The combustor includes an additively manufactured (AM) combustor body including a one-piece member including: a combustion liner including a cylindrical portion and a tapered transition portion, and at least one axial fuel stage (AFS) injector directed into the combustion liner, and the AM combustor body includes a plurality of parallel, sintered metal layers.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, and the AM combustor body further includes at least one flow sleeve surrounding at least part of the combustion liner.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the AM combustor body further includes at least one fuel passage extending longitudinally in the at least one flow sleeve from a forward end thereof to the at least one AFS injector.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the AM combustor body further includes at least one fuel passage extending longitudinally in the combustion liner from a forward end thereof to the at least one AFS injector.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the AM combustor body further includes a plurality of cooling passages extending at least partially longitudinally in the combustion liner.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects and further includes a separate head end fuel nozzle assembly coupled to a forward end of the AM combustor body.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the AM combustor body further includes an aft frame at an aft end of the tapered transition portion of the combustion liner.

[0013] Another aspect of the gas turbine (GT) system of the present disclosure includes a compressor section, a combustion section operatively coupled to the compressor section, and a turbine section operatively coupled to the combustion section. The combustion section includes at least one combustor including an additively manufactured (AM) combustor body including a one-piece member. The one-piece member includes a combustion liner including a cylindrical portion and a tapered transition portion, and at least one axial fuel stage (AFS) injector directed into the combustion liner. The AM combustor body includes a plurality of parallel, sintered metal layers.

[0014] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the AM combustor body further includes at least one flow sleeve surrounding at least part of the combustion liner.

[0015] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the AM combustor body further includes at least one fuel passage extending longitudinally in the at least one flow sleeve from a forward end thereof to the at least one AFS injector.

[0016] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the AM combustor body further includes at least one fuel passage extending longitudinally in the combustion liner from a forward end thereof to the at least one AFS injector.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the AM combustor body further includes a plurality of cooling passages extending at least partially longitudinally in the combustion liner.

[0018] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects and further includes a separate head end fuel nozzle assembly coupled to a forward end of the AM combustor body.

[0019] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, wherein the combustion section includes a plurality of combustors, each combustor including the AM combustor body.

[0020] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a method that includes additively manufacturing a combustor body including a one-piece member. The one-piece member includes a combustion liner including a cylindrical portion and a tapered transition portion, at least one axial fuel stage (AFS) injector directed into the combustion liner, and an aft frame at an aft end of the tapered transition portion of the combustion liner, and the combustor body includes a plurality of parallel metal layers. The method includes coupling a head end fuel nozzle assembly to an aft end of the combustor body and coupling a turbine inlet to the aft frame.

[0021] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, and the additive manufacturing step includes additively manufacturing the combustor body having at least one fuel passage extending longitudinally in the at least one flow sleeve from a forward end thereof to the at least one AFS injector.

[0022] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, and the additive manufacturing step includes additively manufacturing the combustor body having at least one fuel passage extending longitudinally in the combustion liner from a forward end thereof to the at least one AFS injector.

[0023] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the preceding aspects, and the additive manufacturing step includes additively manufacturing a plurality of cooling passages extending at least partially longitudinally in the combustion liner.

[0024] Two or more aspects described in this disclosure, including those described in the summary section, can be combined to form embodiments not specifically described herein. That is, all embodiments described herein can be combined with each other.

[0025] Details of one or more embodiments are described in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the description and drawings, as well as from the claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] These and other features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of various aspects of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

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Figure 10

[0027] Note that the drawings of the present disclosure are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the present disclosure and should not, therefore, be regarded as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, like numbers represent like elements between the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] As a preliminary matter, in order to clearly describe the subject matter of the present disclosure, it is necessary to select certain terms when referring to and describing relevant mechanical components among exemplary uses of a turbomachine. In this regard, where possible, common industry terms are used and adopted in a manner consistent with their common meaning. Unless otherwise specified, such terms should be given a broad interpretation consistent with the context of this application and the appended claims. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that a particular component will often be referred to using multiple different terms or overlapping terms. What is described herein as a single component may include what is composed of multiple components in another context and may be referred to as such. Alternatively, what is described herein as including multiple components may be referred to elsewhere as a single component.

[0029] In addition, several explanatory terms may be used regularly in this specification, and it may be convenient to define these terms at the beginning of this section. These terms and their definitions are as follows, unless otherwise specified. As used herein, "downstream" and "upstream" are terms indicating directions with respect to a working fluid passing through a combustor of a turbomachine, or, for example, a flow of air through a combustor, or a flow of a coolant through one of the component systems of a turbomachine. The term "downstream" corresponds to the direction of the fluid flow, and the term "upstream" refers to the direction opposite to the flow. Also, the terms "front" and "rear" are used without further specification to indicate directions, where "front" refers to the front of the turbomachine or the compressor end, and "rear" refers to the rear of the turbomachine or the turbine end.

[0030] The "axial direction" refers to movement or position parallel to an axis, for example, the axis of a combustor or a turbomachine. The term "radial direction" refers to movement or position perpendicular to an axis, for example, the axis of a combustor or a turbomachine. In such cases, when a first component is located closer to the axis than a second component, this specification states that the first component is "radially inward" or "inboard" of the second component. On the other hand, when a first component is located farther from the axis than a second component, this specification can describe that the first component is "radially outward" or "outboard" of the second component. Finally, the term "circumferential direction" refers to movement or position around an axis, for example, the circumferential inner surface of a combustion liner or the circumferential inner surface of a casing extending for a combustor. As shown above, and depending on the context, it will be understood that such terms can be applied in relation to the axis of a combustor or the axis of a turbomachine.

[0031] Furthermore, in this specification, as will be described below, some explanatory terms may be regularly used. The terms "first", "second", and "third" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to imply the position or importance of individual components.

[0032] The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" identify the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It will be further understood that "any" or "optionally" means that the event or feature described thereafter may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where the event occurs or the feature is present and instances where the event does not occur or the feature is not present.

[0033] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on", "engaged to", "connected to", "coupled to", or "attached to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, engaged to, connected to, coupled to, or attached to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is "directly" on, "directly engaged to", "directly connected to", or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, no intervening elements or layers are present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between", "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent", etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. In this specification, the verb forms of "coupled" and "mounted" may be used interchangeably.

[0034] As described above, current combustors include a number of parts that are manufactured separately and need to be assembled together. FIG. 1 shows a partial cross-sectional side view of a conventional combustor 10, and FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the combustor of FIG. 1. Combustor 10 includes a cylindrical portion 18 of combustion liner 20 concentrically disposed within flow sleeve 22. The cylindrical portions 18 of combustion liner 20 and flow sleeve 22 are typically made of sheet material rolled or stamped into cylindrical or frustoconical shapes and are welded together. Flow sleeve 22 is attached to the cylindrical portion 18 of combustion liner 20 and / or the tapered transition portion 24 of combustion liner 20 by mechanical couplers or welds 26. The cylindrical portion 18 of combustion liner 20 and flow sleeve 22 are spaced apart and coupled to a head end assembly 30 of combustor 10 that includes one or more fuel nozzles.

[0035] The tapered transition portion 24 of combustion liner 20 is typically formed by pressing and welding a metal plate; see, for example, weld seam 32 (FIG. 2). The upstream end of the tapered transition portion 24 is welded to the rear end of the cylindrical portion 18 of combustion liner 20 by weld 34. The rear frame 40 that couples the tapered transition portion 24 to the turbine inlet 42 is typically made by casting or other processes. Rear frame 40 is welded to the rear end of tapered transition portion 24 by weld 44.

[0036] Small parts, such as the axial fuel stage (AFS) fuel injector 50, are manufactured in other processes. The openings 52 are machined individually into combustion liner 20 for the AFS injector 50, and mounts 54 are welded adjacent to each opening 52 of combustion liner 20 so that the AFS injector 50 can be bolted to mount 54. The fuel line 60 for the AFS injector 50 is attached to the outside of flow sleeve 22.

[0037] As shown, the various components described can include, but are not limited to, a number of sub-components such as mounting fasteners or welds, heat or protective shields, seals, spacers, and couplers. Once assembled, the entire combustor 10 may undergo additional machining to ensure that the final shape tolerance requirements are met. Manufacturing the components and assembling them to form the combustor 10 can take several weeks or more.

[0038] To address these and other challenges, the present disclosure provides a combustor for a gas turbine system. The combustor includes an additive manufacturing (AM) combustor body that includes an integral member. The integral member includes a combustion liner, a tapered transition provided at a rear end portion of the combustion liner, at least one axial fuel stage (AFS) injector directed into the combustion liner, and a rear frame. In certain versions, the integral member may also include at least one flow sleeve that surrounds at least a portion of the combustion liner. The AM combustor body includes a plurality of parallel sintered metal layers. The AM combustor body reduces the cost of the combustor body by eliminating many of the numerous components and required assembly steps. For example, the AM combustor body enables printing the AFS injector fuel lines into the combustor body rather than as separate fuel lines coupled outside of the flow sleeve. Additive manufacturing reduces the number of components in the combustor by up to 70%. The AM combustor body also improves durability compared to conventional types by eliminating welds and providing the ability to design stress-rising geometries (e.g., high stress welds between the rear end of the tapered transition and the rear frame). Additionally, additive manufacturing enables quick and easy manufacturing updates. Further, the AM combustor body reduces leakage of cooling air, thereby maintaining the desired pressure ratio within the fuel nozzles of the head end assembly 30.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-sectional side view of a combustor 100 (disposed within a gas turbine (GT) system 102) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the combustor 100 of FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the combustor 100 for the GT system 102 includes a combustion liner 108 including a cylindrical portion 109 and a tapered transition portion 112, at least one axial fuel stage (AFS) injector 116 directed into the combustion liner 108, and a rear frame 118 provided at a rear end portion of the tapered transition portion 112 of the combustion liner 108, and includes an additively manufactured combustor body 104 including an integral member 106. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also include at least one flow sleeve 110 surrounding at least a portion of the combustion liner 108. As a result of the additive manufacturing, there are no mechanical connections between the various components (i.e., all are integral structures). FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an arbitrary portion of the additively manufactured combustor body 104 (hereinafter, "AM combustor body 104" or "combustor body 104"). As shown in FIG. 5, the AM combustor body 104 includes a plurality of parallel, sintered metal layers 120, i.e., due to its additive manufacturing.

[0040] In certain embodiments, the AM combustor body 104 further includes at least one fuel passage 122 extending longitudinally in the at least one flow sleeve 110 from a forward end thereof to AFS injector(s) 116. Since the fuel passage 122 is integrally formed within the flow sleeve 110 and thus within the combustor body 104, there is no need to attach a separate fuel line to the combustor body 104. The AM combustor body 104 can further include a plurality of cooling passages 124 that at least partially extend longitudinally in the combustion liner 108, such as in its cylindrical portion 109. FIGS. 6A - F are enlarged cross-sectional views of the combustion liner 108 and flow sleeve 110 having the cooling passages 124 and / or fuel passages 122. FIGS. 6A, 6C, 6E show longitudinal cross-sectional views, and FIGS. 6B, 6D, 6F show axial cross-sectional views (see lines 6B - 6B in FIG. 6A, 6D - 6D in FIG. 6C, and 6F - 6F in FIG. 6E).

[0041] The cooling passage 124 can be integrally formed to extend at least partially longitudinally along the combustion liner 108. The cooling passage 124 can be arranged within the combustion liner 108 in any desired manner (e.g., number, circumferential spacing, path, length, cross-sectional shape and / or dimensions, etc.) to provide a desired cooling effect. Each cooling passage 124 can have an inlet and an outlet (not shown) at any location necessary for a coolant, such as compressed air 146 from the compressor 144, to flow therethrough. Since the cooling passage 124 is integrally formed with the AM combustor body 104, the cooling passage 124 can be localized (concentrated) in areas known to be exposed to high temperatures (e.g., by having more cooling passages 124 in a given area). In FIGS. 6A - F, as will be further described, a fluid flow path 175 is defined between the combustion liner 108 and the flow sleeve 110.

[0042] The fuel passage 122 can be arranged within the flow sleeve 110 in any desired manner (e.g., number, circumferential spacing, path, length, cross-sectional shape and / or dimensions, etc.) to supply fuel 148 to the AFS injector 116. The fuel passage 122 can be operatively coupled to a fuel supply 150 (FIG. 3) in any manner to supply fuel 148 to the AFS injector 116. Although shown as straight conduits in FIG. 4, the fuel passage 122 can define a serpentine, sinusoidal, helical, or other meandering (curved, winding) shape such that the fuel conveyed through the fuel passage 122 is heated before being injected through the AFS injector 116. The formation of fuel passages 122 of various shapes and / or dimensions is made possible by the use of additive manufacturing for manufacturing the combustion liners 108, 208.

[0043] Figures 6A - B show the cooling passage 124 within the combustion liner 108 and the fuel passage 122 within the flow sleeve 110 that has a fluid flow passage 175 therebetween, Figures 6C - D show the cooling passage 124 within the combustion liner 108 that has no fuel passage within the flow sleeve 110, and Figures 6E - F show the fuel passage 122 within the flow sleeve 110 that has a fluid flow passage 175 between the flow sleeve 110 and the combustion liner 108 and has no cooling passage 124 within the combustion liner 108. As shown in Figures 6B, 6D, and 6F, the cooling passage 124 within the combustion liner 108 is disposed between the outer surfaces 171, 173 of the combustion liner, and the fuel passage 122 within the flow sleeve 110 is disposed between the outer surfaces 177, 179 of the flow sleeve. Different regions of a single combustor 200 can include any of the arrangements shown in Figures 6A - F.

[0044] Figure 7 shows a partial cross - sectional side view of a combustor 200 (disposed within a gas turbine (GT) system 102) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment of Figure 3 except that the combustion liner 208 is a single wall structure and any flow sleeve is omitted. As shown in Figure 7, the combustor 200 for the GT system 102 includes a combustion liner 208 that includes a cylindrical portion 209, a tapered transition portion 213 at the aft end 215 of the combustion liner 208, at least one axial fuel stage (AFS) injector 217 directed toward the combustion liner 208, and a rear frame 219 at the rear end of the tapered transition portion 213, and includes an additively manufactured combustor body 204 that includes an integral member 206. As a result of the additive manufacturing, there are no mechanical connections between the various components (i.e., all are of an integral structure). That is, as shown in Figure 5, the AM combustor body 204 includes a plurality of parallel sintered metal layers 120, i.e., due to its additive manufacturing.

[0045] In certain embodiments, the AM combustor body 204 further includes at least one fuel passage 222 that extends longitudinally within the AM combustor body 204 from its forward end to the AFS injector(s) 217, for example, within the cylindrical portion 209. The fuel passage 222 is integrally formed in the single-wall combustor body 204, i.e., the cylindrical portion 209 of the combustion liner 108. The AM combustor body 204 can further include a plurality of cooling passages 224 that at least partially extend longitudinally within the combustion liner 208. FIGS. 8A - B are enlarged cross-sectional views of the combustion liner 208 having the cooling passages 224 and / or the fuel passages 222. FIGS. 8A - B are axial cross-sectional views (similar to FIGS. 6B, 6D, and 6F).

[0046] The cooling passages 224 can be integrally formed to at least partially extend longitudinally along the combustion liner 208. The cooling passages 224 can be arranged within the combustion liner 208 in any desired manner (e.g., number, circumferential spacing, path, length, cross-sectional shape, and / or dimensions, etc.) to provide a desired cooling effect. Each cooling passage 224 can have an inlet and an outlet (not shown) at any location necessary for a coolant, such as compressed air 146 from the compressor 144, to flow therethrough. Since the cooling passages 224 are integrally formed with the AM combustor body 104, the cooling passages 124 can be localized in regions known to be exposed to high temperatures (e.g., by having more cooling passages 124 in a given area).

[0047] FIG. 8A shows the cooling passage(s) 224 within the combustion liner 208 (the cylindrical portion 209 and / or the tapered transition portion 213), and FIG. 8B shows the cooling passage(s) 224 and the fuel passage(s) 222 within the cylindrical portion 209 of the combustion liner 108. As shown in FIG. 8B, the cooling passage(s) 224 and the fuel passage(s) 222 are disposed between the outer surfaces 171, 173 of the combustion liner. In FIGS. 8A - B, there are no fluid passage(s) 175 as in FIGS. 6A - D, and the flow sleeve(s) are omitted. The fuel passage(s) 222 can be arranged within the combustion liner 208 in any desired manner (e.g., number, circumferential spacing, path, length, cross-sectional shape, and / or dimensions, etc.) to supply fuel 148 to the AFS injector 217. The fuel passage 222 can be operably coupled to the fuel supply source 150 (FIG. 7) in any manner to supply fuel 148 to the AFS injector 217.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, the combustors 100, 200 can include a separate head end fuel nozzle assembly 130 coupled to the front end 132 of the AM combustor body 104. The head end fuel nozzle assembly 130 can include a fuel nozzle assembly, currently known or later developed, for supplying fuel from the axially extending fuel nozzle 170 to the primary combustion zone 174. The fuel supplied to the head end fuel nozzle assembly 130 may be the same fuel 148 and / or fuel supply source 150 used by the AFS injectors 116, 217, or different fuels and / or different fuel supply sources may be used.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 3, 7, and 9, the arrangement and operation of combustors 100, 200 within a gas turbine (GT) system 102 will be described. FIG. 9 shows a functional block diagram of an exemplary GT system 102 that can incorporate various embodiments of the combustors 100, 200 of the present disclosure. As shown, the GT system 102 generally includes an inlet section 140 that can include a series of filters, cooling coils, moisture separators, and / or other devices for cleaning and otherwise conditioning the working fluid (e.g., air) 142 entering the GT system 102. The working fluid 142 flows to a compressor section, where the compressor section 144 gradually imparts kinetic energy to the working fluid 142 to produce a compressed working fluid 146 in a high-energy state. The compressed working fluid 146 is mixed with fuel 148 from a fuel supply 150 to form a combustible mixture within one or more combustors 100, 200 (for simplicity, a single fuel supply 150 is shown). The combustion liners 108, 208 of the combustors 100, 200 can contain combustion gases 152 and convey them to a turbine section. The combustion liners 108, 208 define combustion chambers in which combustion occurs.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the combustion liners 108, 208 may extend between the head end fuel nozzle assembly 130 and the rear frames 118, 219. The combustion liners 108, 208 may have a cylindrical portion 109, 209 and a tapered transition portion 112, 213 integrated therewith, i.e., the cylindrical portions 109, 209 and the tapered transition portions 112, 213 form an integrated body (or “unibody”) structure. The combustible mixture is burned to produce high-temperature and high-pressure combustion gas 152. The combustion gas 152 flows through a turbine 154 (e.g., an expansion turbine) of the turbine section to produce work. For example, the turbine 154 can be connected to a shaft 156 such that rotation of the turbine 154 drives the compressor section 144 to produce a compressed working fluid 146. Alternatively, or in addition, the shaft 156 may connect the turbine 154 to a generator 158 to generate electricity. The exhaust gas 160 from the turbine 154 flows through an exhaust section 162 that connects the turbine 154 to an exhaust stack 164 downstream of the turbine 154. The exhaust section 162 can include, for example, a heat recovery steam generator (not shown) for cleaning the exhaust gas 160 and further extracting heat therefrom before discharging it to the environment.

[0051] In one embodiment, the GT system 102 can include a gas turbine system currently commercially available from GE Vernova of Cambridge, Massachusetts and is suitable for 6-Series gas turbine engines. The present disclosure is not limited to any one particular GT system and can be implemented in connection with, for example, other HA, F, B, LM, GT, TM, and E-class engine models of GE Vernova, as well as other engines including engine models of other companies. Further, the present disclosure is not limited to a particular turbomachine and can be applied to, for example, steam turbines, jet engines, compressors, turbofans, etc.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the combustors 100, 200 are at least partially surrounded by an outer casing 166 such as a compressor discharge casing and / or a turbine casing. The outer casing 166 is in fluid communication with the compressor 144. The head end fuel nozzle assembly 130 (hereinafter, "head end assembly 130") is coupled to the casing (Head end fuel nozzle assembly) 166 at one end of the combustor 100. The head end assembly 130 generally includes an end cover 168, at least one axially extending fuel nozzle 170 extending downstream from the end cover 168, and a cap assembly 172 extending radially and axially within the combustion liners 108, 208 downstream from the end cover 168 and defining the upstream boundary of the combustion chamber.

[0053] The combustion liners 108, 208, also known as high temperature gas path ducts or unibody liners, extend downstream from the cap assembly 172. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the annular flow sleeve(s) 110 can at least partially surround at least a portion of the combustion liner 108, such as the cylindrical portion 109 and / or the tapered transition portion 112. In other embodiments shown in FIG. 7, the flow sleeve is omitted and a single-wall combustion liner 208 is used. In any case, the AFS injectors 116, 217 extend through the liners 108, 208 downstream of the axially extending fuel nozzle 170. In certain embodiments, the axially extending fuel nozzle 170 extends at least partially through the cap assembly 172 and supplies a combustible mixture of fuel and compressed working fluid 146 to a primary combustion zone 174 downstream of the fuel nozzle 170 to form combustion gas 152.

[0054] In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the flow sleeve(s) 110 can define one or more fluid flow paths 175 for routing the compressed working fluid 146 across the outer surface of the combustion liner 108 (cylindrical portion 109 and / or tapered transition portion 112). In certain embodiments, the fluid flow path 175 defined between the liner 108 and the flow sleeve 110 may be annular. Additionally, the flow sleeve 110 can direct at least a portion of the compressed working fluid 146 to one or more radially extending AFS injectors 116 for combination with fuel for combustion in a secondary combustion zone 176 downstream of the primary combustion zone 174. Alternatively, or in addition, air to the AFS injector 116 may be supplied directly from a high-pressure plenum defined by the outer casing 166. As shown in FIG. 3, the fuel passage 122 within the fuel sleeve 110 can supply fuel from the fuel source 150 to the AFS injector 116.

[0055] In other embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8A, the combustion liner 208 (cylindrical portion 209 and / or tapered transition section 213) may define one or more cooling passages 224 for passing the compressed working fluid 146 within the combustion liner 208 (cylindrical portion 209 and / or tapered transition section 213). Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8B, the fuel passage 222 within the combustion liner 208 (at its forward end) can supply fuel from the fuel source 150 to the AFS injector 116.

[0056] Regardless of the combustor embodiment, the combustors 100, 200 generally terminate at a point adjacent to the first stage 178 of the stationary nozzles 180 of the turbine 154. The first stage 178 of the stationary nozzles 180 at least partially defines the turbine inlet 182 of the turbine 154. As described above, the combustion liners 108, 208 at least partially define a hot gas path 184 for directing the combustion gases 152 from the primary combustion zone 174 and the secondary combustion zone 176 to the turbine inlet 182 of the turbine 154 during operation of the GT system 102.

[0057] During operation, the compressed working fluid 146 flows from the compressor 144 and passes through the fluid flow path 175 and / or the cooling flow path 224. A portion of the compressed working fluid 146 is sent to the head end assemblies 130 of the combustors 100, 200, where it reverses direction and is guided through the axially extending fuel nozzles 170. The compressed working fluid 146 is mixed with fuel to form a first combustible mixture that is injected into the primary combustion zone 174. The first combustible mixture burns to produce combustion gas 152. A second portion of the compressed working fluid 146 is mixed with fuel 148 from the fuel passage 122 within the flow sleeve 110 (FIG. 3) or the fuel passage 222 within the combustion liner 208 (FIG. 7) through the radially extending AFS injectors 116, 217 to form a second combustible mixture. The second combustible mixture is injected into the hot gas path 184 through the liners 108, 208. The second combustible mixture is at least partially mixed with the combustion gas 152 and burned in the secondary combustion zone 176. The liners 108, 208 define a hot gas path 184 for guiding the combustion gas 152 from the primary combustion zone 174 and the secondary combustion zone 176 to the turbine inlet 182 of the turbine 154 during operation of the GT system 102.

[0058] The method according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include additive manufacturing of a combustor body 104, 204 including an integral member 106, 206 including cylindrical portions 109, 209 of combustion liners 108, 208 and tapered transition portions 112, 213 at the rear ends of the cylindrical portions 109, 209 of combustion liners 108, 208, at least one AFS injector 116, 217 directed towards combustion liners 108, 208, and rear frames 118, 219 at the rear ends of tapered transition portions 112, 213. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6A - F, the additive manufacturing may also include forming at least one flow sleeve 110 surrounding at least a portion of combustion liner 108. As shown in FIG. 5, the AM combustor bodies 104, 204 include a plurality of parallel sintered metal layers 120. The method may also optionally additive manufacture a combustor body 104 having at least one fuel passage 122 extending longitudinally of the flow sleeve(s) 110 from the front end of the flow sleeve(s) 110 to the AFS injector(s) 116, as shown in FIGS. 3, 6A - B and 6E - F. The method may also optionally additive manufacture a combustor body 104 having a plurality of cooling passages 124 extending at least partially longitudinally within combustion liner 108, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6A - D. The method may also optionally additionally manufacture a combustor body 204 having at least one fuel passage 222 extending longitudinally along combustion liner 208, e.g., its cylindrical portion 209, and extending from its front end to the AFS injector(s) 217, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8B. The method may also optionally additionally manufacture a combustor body 204 having a plurality of cooling passages 224 extending at least partially longitudinally within combustion liner 208 (cylindrical portion 209 and / or tapered transition portion 213), as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8A - B.

[0059] The combustors 100, 200 and the AM combustor bodies 104, 204 can be additively manufactured using any currently known or later developed technology capable of forming a large integral body. FIG. 10 is a schematic / block diagram of an exemplary computerized metal powder additive manufacturing system 210 (hereinafter, “AM system 210”) for generating the AM combustor bodies 104, 204, showing only a single layer thereof. The teachings of the present disclosure are described in connection with constructing the AM combustor bodies 104, 204 using a plurality of melt beam sources 212, 214, 216, 218, but it is emphasized and will be readily recognized that the teachings of the present disclosure are equally applicable to constructing the AM combustor bodies 104, 204 using any number of melt beam sources. In this example, the AM system 210 is arranged for direct metal laser melting (DMLM). It is understood that the general teachings of the present disclosure are not limited to selective laser melting (SLM), but are likely equally applicable to other forms of metal powder additive manufacturing, such as other forms of additive manufacturing (i.e., other than metal powder applications). The layers of the AM combustor bodies 104, 204 within the build platform 220 are illustrated as circular elements in FIG. 10, but it is understood that the additive manufacturing process can be readily adapted to manufacture any shaped portion of the AM combustor bodies 104, 204 on the build platform 220.

[0060] The AM system 210 generally includes an additive manufacturing control system 230 (the "control system") and an AM printer 232. As will be described hereinafter, the control system 230 executes a set of computer-executable instructions or code 234 to generate combustor bodies 104, 204 using a plurality of melt beam sources 212, 214, 216, 218. In the illustrated example, the four melt beam sources can include four lasers. However, the teachings of the present disclosure are applicable to any melt beam source, such as an electron beam, a laser, etc. The control system 230 is shown to be implemented on a computer 236 as computer program code. To this extent, the computer 236 is shown to include a memory 238 and / or a storage system 240, a processor unit (PU) 244, an input / output (I / O) interface 246, and a bus 248. Further, the computer 236 is shown to communicate with external I / O devices / resources 250. Generally, the processor unit (PU) 244 executes the computer program code 234 stored in the memory 238 and / or the storage system 240. While executing the computer program code 234, the processor unit (PU) 244 can read and / or write data between the memory 238, the storage system 240, the I / O device 250, and / or the AM printer 232. The bus 248 provides a communication link between each component within the computer 236, and the I / O device 250 can be composed of any device that enables a user to interact with the computer 236 (e.g., a keyboard, a pointing device, a display, etc.).

[0061] Computer 236 is merely representative of various possible combinations of hardware and software. For example, the processor unit (PU) 244 may be composed of a single processing unit or may be distributed across one or more processing units at one or more locations, such as on a client and a server. Similarly, the memory 238 and / or the storage system 240 may exist at one or more physical locations. The memory 238 and / or the storage system 240 can be composed of any combination of various types of non-transitory computer-readable storage media, including magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and the like. The computer 236 can be composed of any type of computing device, such as an industrial controller, a network server, a desktop computer, a laptop, a handheld device, and the like.

[0062] As described above, the AM system 210, particularly the control system 230, executes the code 234 to generate the combustor bodies 104, 204. The code 234 can include, among other things, a set of computer-executable instructions 234S (also referred to herein as "code 234S") for operating the AM printer 232 and a set of computer-executable instructions 234O (also referred to herein as "code 234O") that define the AM combustor bodies 104, 204 physically generated by the AM printer 232. As described herein, the additive manufacturing process begins with a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., the memory 238, the storage system 240, etc.) that stores the code 234. The set of computer-executable instructions 234S for operating the AM printer 232 can include any software code currently known or later developed that can operate the AM printer 232.

[0063] The set of computer-executable instructions 234O that define the combustor bodies 104, 204 can include an accurately defined 3D model of the combustor bodies 104, 204 and can be generated from any of a variety of well-known computer-aided design (CAD) software systems such as AutoCAD®, TurboCAD®, DesignCAD 3D Max. In this regard, the code 234O can include any file format known currently or developed later. Further, the code 234O representative of the combustor bodies 104, 204 can be converted between different formats. For example, the code 234O can include a Standard Tessellation Language (STL) file created for a stereolithography CAD program of 3D Systems or an Additive Manufacturing File (AMF) which is an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standard, a format based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) designed such that any CAD software can describe the shape and configuration of any three-dimensional object manufactured by any AM printer. The code 234O representative of the combustor bodies 104, 204 can also, if necessary, be converted into and transmitted as a set of data signals, received as a set of data signals and converted into code, or stored. The code 234O may be configured to enable the formation of boundary portions and internal sections in overlapping field regions, as described, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In any case, the code 234O can be an input to the AM system 210 and can come from a component designer, an intellectual property (IP) provider, a design firm, an operator or owner of the AM system 210, or other information sources. In any case, the control system 230 executes the codes 234S and 234O and divides the combustor bodies 104, 204 into a series of thin slices to be assembled using the AM printer 232 with successive layers of material.

[0064] The AM printer 232 can include a processing chamber 260 sealed to provide a controlled atmosphere for the printing of the combustor bodies 104, 204. A build platform 220 on which the combustor bodies 104, 204 are constructed is disposed within the processing chamber 260. A number of melt beam sources 212, 214, 216, 218 are configured to melt a layer of metal powder on the build platform 220 to produce the combustor bodies 104, 204. Although one melt beam source 212, 214, 216, 218 is illustrated, it is emphasized that the teachings of the present disclosure are applicable to systems employing any number of melt beam sources, such as 1, 2, 3, or 5 or more melt beam sources. As understood in the art, each melt beam source 212, 214, 216, 218 can have a field that includes non-overlapping field regions, respectively, in which it can exclusively melt metal powder, and can include at least one overlapping field region in which two or more sources can melt metal powder. In this regard, each melt beam source 212, 214, 216, 218 may generate a melt beam that melts particles for each slice, as defined by reference numeral 234O. For example, in FIG. 10, melt beam source 212 is shown forming a layer of the combustor bodies 104, 204 using melt beam 262 in one region, while melt beam source 214 is shown forming a layer of the combustor bodies 104, 204 using melt beam 262' in another region. Each melt beam source 212, 214, 216, 218 is calibrated in any currently known or later-developed method. That is, each melt beam source 212, 214, 216, 218 has its predicted position of its laser beam or electron beam relative to the build platform 220 correlated with its actual position to provide an individual position correction (not shown) to ensure its individual accuracy. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of melt beam sources 212, 214, 216, 218 can produce melt beams, such as 262, 262', having the same cross-sectional dimensions (e.g., shape and size during operation), output, and scan speed.

[0065] Continuing with FIG. 10, an applicator (or re-coater blade) 270 can create a thin layer of feedstock 272 that spreads as a blank canvas on which each successive slice of the final combustor bodies 104, 204 will be created. Various parts of the AM printer 232 may move to accommodate the addition of each new layer; for example, the build platform 220 may lower after each layer and / or the chamber 260 and / or the applicator 270 may rise. The process may use different feedstocks in the form of fine-grained metal powders, the stock of which may be held in a chamber 268 accessible by the applicator 270. In the case of an immediate, the combustor bodies 104, 204 may be made of a metal that may include a pure metal or an alloy. In one embodiment, the metal may include substantially any non-reactive metal powder, i.e., a non-explosive or non-conductive powder, such as a cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloy, stainless steel, an austenitic nickel-chromium-based alloy such as a nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy (NiCrMoNb) (e.g., Inconel 625 or Inconel 718), a nickel-chromium-iron-molybdenum alloy (NiCrFeMo) (e.g., Hastelloy X: registered trademark available from Haynes International, Inc.), or a nickel-chromium-cobalt-molybdenum alloy (NiCrCoMo) (e.g., Haynes 282 available from Haynes International, Inc.). Other possibilities include, for example, Rene 108, CM 247, Mar M 247, and any precipitation harden-able (PH) nickel alloys.

[0066] The processing chamber 260 is filled with an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen and is controlled to minimize or remove oxygen. The control system 230 is configured to control the flow of the mixed gas 274 within the processing chamber 260 from the inert gas source 276. In this case, the control system 230 can control the pump 280 and / or the flow valve system 282 for the inert gas to control the content of the gas mixture 274. The flow valve system 282 can include one or more computer - controllable valves, flow sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, etc. that can accurately control the flow of a specific gas. The pump 280 may be provided together with the valve system 282 or may be provided without the valve system 282. When the pump 280 is omitted, the inert gas can simply enter a conduit or manifold before being introduced into the processing chamber 260. The supply source 276 of the inert gas can take the form of any conventional source for the materials contained therein, such as a tank, reservoir, or other supply source. Any sensors (not shown) necessary to measure the gas mixture 274 may be provided. The gas mixture 274 may be filtered using a filter 286 in a conventional manner.

[0067] During operation, a build platform 220 with metal powder thereon is provided within the processing chamber 260, and the control system 230 controls the flow of the mixed gas 274 within the processing chamber 260 from the inert gas source 276. The control system 230 also controls the AM printer 232, particularly the applicator 270 and the melting beam sources 212, 214, 216, 218 to sequentially melt the layers of metal powder on the build platform 220 to produce the combustor bodies 104, 204 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Although a specific AM system 210 has been described herein, it is emphasized that the teachings of the present disclosure are not limited to a specific additive manufacturing system or method.

[0068] Regarding the method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, when the AM combustor bodies 104, 204 are formed, they can be assembled with other components of the combustor 100 and / or connected to the turbine inlet 182. For example, the method can further include coupling the head end assembly 130 to the front end portions of the combustor bodies 104, 204. The head end assembly 130 can be coupled by any method known currently or developed later, such as welding or fasteners. Further, the method can include coupling the turbine inlet 182 to the rear frame 118, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. The rear frame 118 can be coupled to the turbine inlet 182 by any method known currently or developed later, such as welding or fasteners. Either end of the combustor bodies 104, 204 can be coupled to other components using seals in addition to or instead of fasteners or welded joints.

[0069] The figures show embodiments in which the fuel passage 122 is defined within the cylindrical portion 209 or the flow sleeve 110, but it should be understood that the fuel passage 122 may be printed radially outside the flow sleeve 110 (e.g., as a tube spaced from the outer surface of the flow sleeve 110). Integrating the fuel passage 122 with the AFS injector 116 and the flow sleeve 110 provides many of the advantages discussed herein, such as leakage reduction, reduction in the number of parts, and simplification of assembly.

[0070] This disclosure provides various technical and commercial advantages, examples of which are described herein. As previously mentioned, the AM combustor body reduces the cost of the combustor by eliminating the need to manufacture a very large number of parts and then assemble the parts. For example, the AM combustor body enables printing the fuel line of the AFS injector rather than coupling a separate fuel line outside the flow sleeve. Almost all of the parts that were previously separate can be printed on the combustor body. As a result, additive manufacturing reduces the parts in the final combustor by as much as 70%. The AM combustor body also provides improved durability compared to conventional types by eliminating welds and providing the ability to design shapes that cause stress risers (e.g., the weld between the rear end of the tapered transition and the rear frame). Additionally, additive manufacturing enables rapid and easy manufacturing updates.

[0071] The approximate expressions used throughout this specification and the claims can be applied to modify any quantitative expression that can vary tolerably without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it relates. Thus, values modified by terms such as "about," "approximately," "substantially," etc. are not limited to the specified exact values. In at least some instances, the approximate expression may correspond to the accuracy of the instrument for measuring the value. Throughout this specification and the claims, ranges of limitations may be combined and / or interchanged. Such ranges are specified and include all sub-ranges contained therein, unless the context or language indicates otherwise. "Approximately" or "about" applied to a particular value of a range may indicate ±10% of the recited value, unless it depends on the accuracy of the instrument for measuring the value, in which case it is applied to both end values.

[0072] All means or steps plus function elements in the following claims, corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents thereof, are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing a function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present disclosure and its practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present disclosure with various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0073] 100: Combustor 18: Cylindrical portion 20: Combustion liner 22: Flow sleeve 24: Tapered transition portion 26: Mechanical coupler / welded portion 30: Head end assembly 32: Weld joint 34, 44: Welded portion 40: Rear frame 42: Turbine inlet 50: Axial fuel stage (AFS) fuel injector 52: Opening 54: Mount 60: Fuel line 100, 200: Combustor 102: Gas turbine system / GT system 104: Combustor body / AM combustor body 106: Integral member 108: Combustion liner 109: Cylindrical portion 110: Flow sleeve 112: Tapered transition portion 116: Axial fuel stage injector / AFS injector 118: Rear end frame 120: Parallel sintered metal layers 122: Fuel passage 124: Cooling passage 130: Separate head end fuel nozzle assembly 132: Front end 144: Compressor 146: Compressed air 148: Fuel 150: Fuel supply source 152: Combustion gas 154: Turbine 156: Shaft 158: Generator 160: Exhaust gas 162: Exhaust section 164: Exhaust stack 166: Compressor discharge casing / turbine casing / external casing 168: End cover 170: Axially extending fuel nozzle 171, 173: Combustion liner outer surface 172: Cap assembly 174: Primary combustion zone 175: Fluid flow path 176: Secondary combustion zone 177, 179: Flow sleeve outer surface 178: First stage 180: Stationary nozzle 182: Turbine inlet 184: High temperature gas path 204: AM combustor body / single wall combustor body 206: Integral member 208: Combustion liner 209: Cylindrical portion 210: Computerized metal powder additive manufacturing system / AM system 212, 214, 216, 218: Melt beam source 213: Tapered transition portion 215: Rear end 217: Axial fuel stage injector / AFS injector 219: Rear frame 220: Build platform 222: Fuel passage 224: Cooling passage 230: Additive manufacturing control system 232: AM printer 234, 234O, 234S: Computer-executable instructions or code / computer program code 236: Computer 238: Memory 240: Storage system 244: Processor unit (PU) 246: Input / output (I / O) interface 248: Bus250: I / O device 260: Processing chamber 262, 262’: Melt beam 268: Accessible chamber 270: Applicator / recoating blade 272: Raw material 274: Gas mixture 276: Inert gas 280: Pump 282: Flow valve system 286: Filter

Claims

1. A combustor (100) for a gas turbine system (102), the combustor (100) includes an additive manufacturing (AM) combustor body (104) including a one-piece member (106), the one-piece member (106) includes, a combustion liner (108) including a cylindrical portion (109) and a tapered transition portion (112), and at least one axial fuel stage (AFS) injector (116) directed into the combustion liner (108), the AM combustor body (104) includes a plurality of parallel sintered metal layers (120), the combustor (100).

2. The combustor according to claim 1, wherein the AM combustor body further includes at least one flow sleeve (110) surrounding at least a part of the combustion liner (108).

3. The combustor (100) according to claim 2, wherein the AM combustor body (104) further includes at least one fuel passage (122) extending longitudinally within at least one flow sleeve (110) from its front end to at least one AFS injector (116).

4. The combustor (100) according to claim 1, wherein the AM combustor body (104) further includes at least one fuel passage (122) extending longitudinally within the combustion liner (108) from its front end (132) to at least one AFS injector (116).

5. The combustor (100) according to claim 1, wherein the AM combustor body (104) further includes a plurality of cooling passages (124) extending at least partially longitudinally within the combustion liner (108).

6. The combustor (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a separate head end fuel nozzle assembly (130) coupled to the front end (132) of the AM combustor body (104).

7. The combustor (100) according to claim 1, wherein the AM combustor body (104) further includes a rear frame (118) disposed at the rear end of the tapered transition portion (112) of the combustion liner (108).

8. A gas turbine (GT) system (102), a compressor section, a combustion section operably coupled to the compressor section, a turbine section operably coupled to the combustion section, comprising, the combustion section includes at least one combustor (100) including an additive manufacturing (AM) combustor body (104) including a one-piece member (106). The monolithic member (106) includes a combustion liner (108) including a cylindrical portion (109) and a tapered transition portion (112), and at least one axial fuel staging (AFS) injector (116) directed into the combustion liner (108). The AM combustor body (104) is a GT system (102) including a plurality of parallel sintered metal layers (120). **Claim 9** The GT system (102) according to claim 8, wherein the AM combustor body (104) further includes at least one flow sleeve (110) surrounding at least a portion of the combustion liner (108). **Claim 10** The GT system (102) according to claim 9, wherein the AM combustor body (104) further includes at least one fuel passage (122) extending longitudinally within at least one flow sleeve (110) from its front end to at least one AFS injector (116). **Claim 11** The GT system (102) according to claim 8, wherein the AM combustor body (104) further includes at least one fuel passage (122) extending longitudinally within the combustion liner (108) from its front end (132) to at least one AFS injector (116). **Claim 12** The GT system (102) according to claim 8, wherein the AM combustor body (104) further includes a plurality of cooling passages (124) extending at least partially longitudinally within the combustion liner (108). **Claim 13** The GT system (102) according to claim 8, further comprising a separate head end fuel nozzle assembly (130) coupled to the front end (132) of the AM combustor body (104). **Claim 14** The GT system (102) according to claim 8, wherein the combustion section includes a plurality of combustors (100), and each combustor (100) includes an AM combustor body (104). **Claim 15** An additive manufacturing combustor body (104) including a monolithic member (106) including a combustion liner (108) including a cylindrical portion (109) and a tapered transition portion (112), at least one axial fuel staging (AFS) injector (116) directed into the combustion liner (108), and a rear frame (118) provided at the rear end of the tapered transition portion (112) of the combustion liner (108), the combustor body (104) including a plurality of parallel metal layers (120), the additive manufacturing combustor body (104). The step of coupling a head end fuel nozzle assembly (130) to a front end (132) of a combustor body (104); The step of connecting a turbine inlet (182) to a rear frame (218); A method comprising:

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