Turbomachine Combustion Bowl Deflector Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high temperatures in turbomachine combustion chambers can cause deformation of the collar of the bowl, leading to disturbance in the radial clearance between the bowl and the deflector, resulting in the injector being moved off-center and undesirable rotation of the fuel spray.
Innovation Solution
The bowl and deflector are integrated as a single piece with a sliding plane for movement between the deflector and the chamber end wall, made of ceramic matrix composite material, and equipped with a threaded nut system to maintain radial clearance and prevent rotation, ensuring stability and minimizing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the bowl is floatingly mounted to move relative to the chamber end wall to absorb thermal expansion, then the thermal expansion is compensated, but the radial clearance is disturbed and the injector is moved off-center due to high temperatures deforming the collar
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector is integrated with the bowl to form a single piece (bowl-and-deflector assembly). This merging ensures that both components deform together under thermal stress, maintaining the relative radial clearance between the assembly and the chamber end wall, thereby preventing injector misalignment while still allowing thermal expansion compensation through the sliding plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The bowl-and-deflector assembly is made of ceramic matrix composite material, which provides high temperature resistance and dimensional stability. This material choice reduces deformation under thermal stress, preserving the radial clearance and preventing the injector from moving off-center while maintaining the ability to absorb thermal expansion through the sliding mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the bowl is made to float and move radially to track injector movements, then thermal expansion is absorbed, but the collar deforms under high temperature causing undesirable rotation of the fuel spray
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the deflector with the bowl into a single rigid assembly, the relative positions of both components remain fixed during thermal expansion. This prevents the collar deformation that would otherwise cause the injector to rotate off-center and the fuel spray to rotate undesirably, while the entire assembly can still move radially on the sliding plane to absorb thermal expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The ceramic matrix composite material used for the bowl-and-deflector assembly provides superior dimensional stability at high temperatures compared to conventional materials. This reduces the deformation of the collar under thermal stress, maintaining the correct orientation of the fuel spray while still allowing the assembly to float and track injector movements.
3Ease of manufacture
If the bowl and deflector are made as separate pieces, then manufacturing and assembly are easier, but the radial clearance is disturbed and the injector alignment is compromised under high temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector is integrated with the bowl to form a single piece, which eliminates the clearance issues between separate components under thermal stress. This ensures the injector remains centered and aligned correctly. The single-piece construction is manufactured as one component and then assembled with the chamber end wall as a complete unit, maintaining precision while remaining manufacturable.
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 maintains stable radial clearance and prevents deformation-induced misalignment, ensuring consistent fuel spray behavior, reduces part count, and minimizes weight, thereby enhancing the operational stability and efficiency of the turbomachine combustion chamber.
Implementation Method 1
this sliding plane is relatively cool compared with the remainder of the combustion chamber, thereby preserving the radial clearance of the bowl-and-deflector assembly relative to the chamber end wall in the event of high temperatures existing in the chamber
Implementation Method 2
the bowl-and-deflector assembly is made of a ceramic matrix composite material, so as to limit the weight that is cantilevered out from the injector
Data Source
AI summary
A turbomachine combustion chamber in which a chamber end wall presents an opening for receiving a pre-vaporization bowl, and including a device for injecting air and fuel mounted on the axis thereof, the bowl being floatingly mounted relative to the chamber end wall to move in a predetermined radial direction and flaring downstream so as to form a collar, a deflector forming a thermal shield being made integrally with the bowl beside the chamber end wall so that the floating movement of the bowl-and-deflector assembly takes place in a sliding plane situated between the deflector and the chamber end wall.