Additively Manufactured Combustor Body With Resonating Tube Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Gas turbine systems experience destructive acoustic pressure oscillations due to low emission fuels, leading to operability and durability challenges, particularly with high energy release density and rapid reactant mixing, which enhance high frequency acoustics and resonate at undesired frequencies.

Innovation Solution

An additively manufactured combustor body with a resonating tube, comprising a one-piece member with a combustion liner and a resonating chamber, configured to dampen acoustic pressure oscillations, utilizing a plurality of parallel sintered metal layers and various fluid communication configurations to mitigate acoustic frequencies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If low emission fuels are used with high energy release density and rapid mixing, then emission performance is improved, but acoustic pressure oscillations and combustion instability increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemission performanceVSAvoidacoustic pressure oscillations

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful acoustic pressure oscillations into a beneficial damping effect by introducing resonating tubes that utilize the oscillations themselves to create counter-phase pressure waves, effectively canceling the instability while maintaining the high energy release density operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Device complexity

If traditional combustor designs are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but acoustic instability mitigation capability is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidacoustic instability mitigation

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The resonating tubes are integrated directly into the combustor body structure, merging the acoustic damping function with the existing combustor components rather than adding separate external systems, thus maintaining structural simplicity while enhancing instability mitigation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The resonating tubes serve multiple functions simultaneously: they act as structural components of the combustor body, acoustic damping elements, and flow management features, providing universal functionality that addresses multiple requirements without increasing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional manufacturing methods are used for combustor parts, then manufacturing process simplicity is maintained, but ability to mitigate undesirable acoustic frequencies is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidacoustic frequency mitigation capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Additive manufacturing enables precise control of geometric parameters of the resonating tubes, such as chamber volume, neck dimensions, and positioning, allowing optimization of resonant frequencies to match specific acoustic instability modes while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modern AM processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively dampens acoustic pressure oscillations, reducing mechanical complexity and assembly costs while allowing for easy alteration and integration of resonating tubes to mitigate different frequency dynamics, enhancing the operability and durability of gas turbine systems.

Implementation Method 1

a resonating tube configured to dampen acoustic pressure oscillations of combustion gases in the combustor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectResonance: Resonance

Data Source

PatentUS20250216079A1Additively manufactured combustor body with resonating tube

Publication Date: 2025.07.03 GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECH LLC

AI summary

A combustor includes an additively manufactured (AM) combustor body including a one-piece member including: a combustion liner defining a combustion chamber and including cylindrical and tapered transition portions. A resonating tube is part of the AM combustor body and is configured to dampen acoustic pressure oscillations of combustion gases in the combustor. The AM combustor body includes a plurality of parallel, sintered metal layers. The resonating tube includes a body defining a resonating chamber and a resonating tube neck having a first end in fluid communication with the resonating chamber. A second end of the resonating tube is in fluid communication with an annulus or the combustion chamber.