Combustor Panel Boss Trough Cooling Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling of bosses in combustor liners of gas turbine engines is challenging due to their exposure to high temperatures, making it difficult to effectively protect the liners and maintain efficient operation.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a trough surrounding the boss, which extends inwardly from the outer end of the boss, providing a spacing surface that separates the panel from the outer shell, and includes cooling holes and cavities to direct cooling air effectively, enhancing cooling efficiency and reducing material thickness for improved heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the boss extends beyond the liner face to accommodate features like dilution passages, then the structural functionality is improved, but the cooling efficiency deteriorates due to difficulty in cooling the extended boss area
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a trough feature that creates a new dimensional space between the boss and the liner face. This trough receives cooling air from the cooling passage and directs it along the boss surface, adding a third dimension to the cooling path that allows effective cooling of the previously difficult-to-reach boss area.
Solution Approach 2:
The trough acts as an intermediary element between the cooling air source and the boss surface. It receives cooling air from the cooling passage and mediates its distribution along the boss, enabling indirect cooling of the boss area that cannot be directly reached by conventional cooling methods.
2Temperature
If cooling passages are added to cool the boss, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional structural components
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the cooling function with the existing boss structure by integrating the trough directly into the liner at the boss location. Rather than adding separate cooling components, the cooling passage and trough are combined with the boss structure, achieving effective cooling while minimizing additional structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The trough serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a cooling air distribution channel, provides structural support, and maintains the spacing between the boss and liner face. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
3Temperature
If the liner thickness is reduced to improve heat dissipation, then the thermal performance is improved, but the structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by concentrating cooling resources specifically at the boss area where thermal distress is most severe. The trough directs cooling air precisely where needed, allowing the liner thickness to be reduced overall while maintaining structural strength in critical areas through targeted thermal management rather than uniform thickening.
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 allows for better distribution and utilization of cooling air, effectively cooling the inner face of the panel and reducing thermal distress, thereby improving the durability and efficiency of the combustor components.
Implementation Method 1
at least one cooling hole extends through the trough to provide cooling air to the inner face of the panel
Implementation Method 2
Impingement holes are included in the outer shell for directing cooling air to the cooling cavities
Data Source
AI summary
A combustor for use in a gas turbine engine has a combustor outer shell. A panel has an inner face which will face hot products of combustion, and a boss surrounding a feature, with the boss extending to an outer end. A spacing surface is spaced from the boss, and is at an outer position that is inward of the outer end of the boss. The spacing surface spaces the panel from the outer shell. A trough is intermediate the boss and the spacing surface. The trough extends to an outer end which is inward of the outer position of the spacing surface. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.