Post-Shutdown Combustor Cooling via Suction Core Ventilation

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Solution Overview

Problem

During gas turbine engine shutdown, residual heat causes temperature increases leading to carbon deposits in fuel nozzles and other components, resulting in costly issues like engine start problems and inefficient combustion.

Innovation Solution

A suction enabled post shutdown combustor cooling and ventilation system that draws cooling air from the core flow path and combustor cavity, promoting airflow to dump hot air to the fan bypass stream, thereby reducing coking risks in fuel nozzles and fuel manifolds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the engine is shutdown, then fuel consumption is reduced, but residual heat causes temperature increase leading to carbon deposits in fuel nozzles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel consumptionVSAvoidcarbon deposits in fuel nozzles

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system activates cooling and ventilation processes during the shutdown period before carbon deposits can form. By preemptively removing residual heat through the pump-driven airflow system, the combustor components are kept below coking temperatures during the idle shutdown phase, preventing carbon deposit formation before it occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling system maintains continuous operation during shutdown by utilizing the pump to drive airflow through the combustor components. This continuous cooling action persists throughout the shutdown period, ensuring that temperature remains controlled and preventing intermittent or periodic carbon deposit formation that would occur with间断 cooling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If cooling systems operate during shutdown, then carbon deposits are prevented, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecarbon deposits preventionVSAvoidcooling system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the engine's own existing infrastructure - the pump, suction lines, and combustor geometry - to provide self-cooling during shutdown. By repurposing components already present in the engine design, the system avoids adding extensive external cooling equipment, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity while still achieving effective carbon deposit prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The pump and associated airflow system serve multiple functions: they provide cooling during shutdown to prevent carbon deposits, and they can also support normal operat ion cooling requirements. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated shutdown cooling systems, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Temperature

If airflow is drawn from core flow path, then combustor cooling is improved, but core ventilation efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecombustor coolingVSAvoidcore ventilation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system draws only a portion of the required cooling airflow from the core flow path, rather than exclusively from this source. By taking a partial amount of air from the core and supplementing with other sources, the system achieves sufficient combustor cooling while maintaining adequate core ventilation efficiency, avoiding the excessive extraction that would harm productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 system effectively prevents coking in fuel nozzles and other components by cooling and ventilating the combustor area post-shutdown, reducing the risk of component failure and maintaining engine performance.

Implementation Method 1

a pump fluidly coupled with a suction line, wherein the suction line is fluidly coupled with suction ports proximate a fuel system component near a combustor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 2

temperatures of gas turbine engine components are maintained within allowable limits by a plurality of cooling processes that transfer heat from the components to one or more heat sinks

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 3

A suction enabled post shutdown combustor cooling and ventilation system... promoting airflow to dump hot air to the fan bypass stream

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectForced Convection: Forced Convection

Data Source

PatentUS12584444B2Suction enabled post shutdown combustor cooling and core ventilation

Publication Date: 2026.03.24 RTX CORP

AI summary

A suction enabled post shutdown combustor cooling and ventilation system including a pump fluidly coupled with a suction line, wherein the suction line is fluidly coupled with suction ports proximate a fuel system component near the combustor; a pump suction valve positioned in the suction line upstream of the pump; a pump discharge line fluidly coupled with the pump, an outlet fluidly coupled with the pump discharge line; and an engine core flow path fluidly coupled with the suction ports.