Gas Turbine Combustor Base Plate Purging Air Flow Passage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Combustors in gas turbines face challenges in extending service life due to high-temperature environments and vortex formation, leading to thermal damage and reduced operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A combustor design featuring a nozzle with a rod-like portion, a tubular burner case, and a base plate with a purging air flow passage that injects air into the burner case, reducing vortex formation and combustible gas concentration near the downstream end, thereby suppressing combustion and thermal damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If fuel is burnt in the combustor, then energy is produced, but thermal damage occurs to components reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor is divided into distinct functional zones: a combustion zone for energy production and a purging air space for thermal protection. The base plate segments these zones, creating a physical barrier that separates high-temperature combustion gases from sensitive downstream components, thereby maintaining service life while preserving power generation capability
Solution Approach 2:
Purging air acts as an intermediary substance between the combustion zone and downstream components. This cool air flows through the purging air space and exits via outflow openings, forming a protective gas layer that mediates thermal interaction and prevents direct thermal damage to components while allowing combustion to proceed
2Productivity
If vortexes form in combustible gas at the downstream end, then combustion efficiency decreases, but thermal damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Purging air is introduced in advance into the purging air space before combustible gas reaches the downstream end of the burner case. This preliminary action creates a protective atmosphere that prevents vortex formation and subsequent thermal damage to downstream components, while maintaining combustion efficiency through proper airflow management
Solution Approach 2:
The purging air space creates an inert-like protective environment downstream of the combustion zone. By filling this space with cool purging air that exits through outflow openings, the system establishes a protective gas atmosphere that suppresses harmful thermal effects and prevents unintended combustion of drifting combustible gases
3Reliability
If the purging air space is enlarged, then thermal protection improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it structurally supports the combustor assembly, defines the purging air space geometry, and provides mounting surfaces for outflow openings. This multi-functionality achieves effective thermal protection through a unified component rather than requiring separate protective structures, thereby limiting complexity increase
Solution Approach 2:
The purging air space utilizes the radial dimension by spreading the base plate in the radial direction from the burner case axis. This dimensional approach creates an effective thermal protection zone without significantly increasing axial or circumferential complexity, allowing the system to achieve reliability improvement through spatial optimization
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 increases the service life of combustor components by minimizing vortex formation and thermal damage, ensuring efficient operation and prolonged durability.
Implementation Method 1
the combustible content of the combustible gas is diluted with the purging air
Implementation Method 2
a nozzle having a rod-like portion centered on a burner axis and configured to inject fuel
Implementation Method 3
a burner case configured to form a tubular shape, to surround an outer circumference of the nozzle, and to inject air and the fuel from the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
A combustor is equipped with a burner case, and a base plate spreading from a downstream end of the burner case in a radial direction. The base plate defines a purging air space at an upstream side of the base plate. The combustor includes a purging air flow passage configured to inject purging air in the purging air space to a downstream side relative to the base plate. An outflow opening of the purging air flow passage is defined within at least one of a radial range from an inner circumferential surface of the burner case and an axial range from the downstream end of the burner case.