Ceramic Combustor Liner Panel for Gas Turbine Engine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbine engine combustor liner panels face challenges with high temperature tolerance, integration with metallic components, and excessive cooling airflow requirements, leading to inefficiencies and potential failure due to thermal stress.
Innovation Solution
A combustor support-liner assembly featuring an uncooled ceramic portion, a cooled ceramic portion, and a support structure that minimizes cooling airflow needs and simplifies integration, using ceramic foam materials like zirconia or silicon carbide with a metallic support structure for alignment and transpiration cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If exotic metal alloys are used for combustor liner panels to tolerate increased combustion exhaust gas temperatures, then temperature tolerance is improved, but weight increases and dedicated cooling airflow requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs ceramic composite materials (such as ceramic matrix composites or CMCs) for the combustor liner panel. These composite materials combine the high temperature tolerance of ceramic materials with improved mechanical properties and reduced weight compared to traditional exotic metal alloys. The ceramic composite structure allows the liner to withstand extreme combustion temperatures while being significantly lighter than metal alternatives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous ceramic materials or ceramic foams for the liner panel construction. These porous structures provide high temperature resistance while reducing material density and weight. The porous architecture also facilitates thermal management through controlled heat transfer and can reduce the amount of dedicated cooling airflow needed compared to solid metal structures.
2Ease of manufacture
If metallic combustor liner panels are used, then integration with metallic combustor assembly is improved, but dedicated cooling airflow requirements increase causing reductions in fuel economy and engine efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses ceramic composite materials that can be integrated into the metallic combustor assembly through specialized joining techniques. These composite materials provide superior thermal resistance compared to metals, reducing the temperature gradient and heat transfer to cooling air pathways, thereby decreasing the amount of dedicated cooling airflow required and improving fuel economy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to ceramic composite, which fundamentally alters the thermal conductivity and heat capacity characteristics. This parameter change reduces the amount of heat that needs to be dissipated through dedicated cooling airflow, thereby reducing energy loss and improving fuel economy while maintaining integration capability through appropriate joining methods.
3Loss of energy
If ceramic combustor liner panels are used to reduce dedicated cooling airflow, then fuel economy is improved, but integration with metallic combustor assembly becomes difficult and thermal expansion differences cause high stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses thermal expansion differences by selecting ceramic composite materials with thermal expansion coefficients matched to the surrounding metallic components, or by incorporating expansion joints and flexible mounting arrangements. These design features accommodate the differential thermal expansion between ceramic and metal materials during temperature cycles, preventing high thermal stresses and potential failure while maintaining simple integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate bonding layers or transition structures between the ceramic liner panel and metallic combustor assembly. These intermediary elements serve as thermal and mechanical buffers, accommodating differences in thermal expansion and mechanical properties while providing a reliable bonding interface. This simplifies the integration process by decoupling the strict material property mismatches between ceramic and metal components.
4Loss of energy
If ceramic combustor liner panels are used to reduce dedicated cooling airflow, then engine efficiency is improved, but thermal stress and potential failure risks increase due to material properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) that combine the high temperature tolerance and low thermal conductivity of ceramic materials with the toughness and damage resistance of composite structures. This composite architecture significantly improves thermal shock resistance and reduces thermal stress accumulation compared to monolithic ceramic materials, thereby enhancing reliability while maintaining the efficiency benefits of reduced cooling airflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality variations in the ceramic material structure, such as gradient porosity or layered composite architectures, to optimize stress distribution. By varying the material properties locally (e.g., higher porosity in regions of high thermal stress, tougher phases at critical locations), the liner panel can better withstand thermal stresses and potential failure risks while maintaining overall high efficiency performance.
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
This configuration enhances temperature tolerance, reduces cooling airflow demands, and simplifies integration, thereby improving engine efficiency and fuel economy while minimizing thermal stress and potential failure risks.
Implementation Method 1
using ceramic foam materials like zirconia or silicon carbide with a metallic support structure for alignment and transpiration cooling
Implementation Method 2
Ceramic materials are also known that provide significant heat tolerance properties due to their high thermal stability
Implementation Method 3
a support that receives the cooled ceramic portion
Data Source
AI summary
A combustor assembly includes a support structure and at least one combustor liner panel selectively attached to the support structure. The combustor liner panel includes an uncooled ceramic portion, a cooled ceramic portion and a support that receives the cooled ceramic portion.