Additive Manufacturing Combustion Chamber Segments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbine engine combustion chambers are expensive to manufacture and have limited cooling effectiveness due to complex manufacturing processes and design limitations.
Innovation Solution
A novel combustion chamber design featuring integral frame and inner walls with angled apertures for coolant flow, a cellular structure for enhanced cooling, and hooks for secure assembly, reducing manufacturing costs and improving cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cast metal tiles with pedestals or apertures are used for cooling, then cooling effectiveness is provided, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to multiple manufacturing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the inner wall and frame structure into a single integral component formed by additive manufacturing. This eliminates the need for separate cast metal tiles that require multiple manufacturing operations (drilling, casting, assembly), while maintaining cooling functionality through integrated apertures and internal channels
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing method from traditional subtractive and casting processes to additive manufacturing. This parameter change enables complex cooling geometries (angled apertures, cellular structures) to be manufactured directly without the complexity of traditional multi-step processes, reducing manufacturing complexity while improving cooling effectiveness
2Temperature
If traditional manufacturing routes are used, then manufacturing is possible, but cooling effectiveness is limited by design constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the manufacturing approach to additive manufacturing, which enables complex cooling geometries (angled apertures, cellular structures, internal channels) that cannot be easily achieved with traditional manufacturing routes. This parameter change simultaneously improves cooling effectiveness and maintains manufacturing ease
3Ease of operation
If multiple separate components (outer wall, inner wall, tiles) are used, then assembly is possible, but manufacturing cost increases due to large number of operations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple separate components (inner wall, frame structure, cooling channels) into a single integral component manufactured by additive manufacturing. This reduces the number of parts and assembly operations while maintaining structural integrity and cooling functionality, thereby reducing manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the combustion chamber into multiple modular units that can be manufactured separately using additive manufacturing and then assembled. This segmentation maintains ease of assembly while reducing overall manufacturing cost by enabling simplified production of each module
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 design reduces manufacturing costs and enhances cooling effectiveness, providing a more efficient and cost-effective solution for gas turbine engine combustion chambers.
Implementation Method 1
coolant is supplied through apertures in the outer wall to the space between the outer wall and inner wall
Implementation Method 2
The cast metal tiles are provided with a plurality of apertures which extend from their outer, cooler, surface to their inner, hotter, surface to provide effusion cooling of the tiles
Implementation Method 3
A cellular structure may be arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall
Implementation Method 4
the polyhedron shaped chambers in each layer are fluidly interconnected to at least some of the polyhedron shaped chambers in each adjacent layer by apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers for the flow of coolant there-between
Data Source
AI summary
A combustion chamber comprises an upstream ring structure, a downstream ring structure and a plurality of circumferentially arranged combustion chamber segments. Each combustion chamber segment extends the full length of the combustion chamber. Each combustion chamber segment comprises a frame structure and at least an inner wall and the frame structure and the inner wall are integral. An upstream end of each combustion chamber segment is secured to the upstream ring structure and a downstream end of each combustion chamber segment is mounted on the downstream ring structure. The combustion chamber segments are manufactured by additive layer manufacture. The combustion chamber segments have a stiff frame structure which carries the structural loads, the thermal loads, surge loads and flameout loads and the frame structure distributes loads into adjacent components.