Combustor Cooling Ring Aperture Layout for Tile and Nozzle Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling rings in gas turbine engines fail to efficiently cool combustor tiles, leading to defects such as cracking and oxidation, which reduces the operational life of the combustor tiles and other components.
Innovation Solution
A cooling ring design with obliquely inclined portions and strategically positioned apertures that direct cooling fluid to impinge directly on the inner wall and discharge nozzles, preventing overheating and ingress of hot combustion gases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cooling rings are used, then the structure is simple, but the cooling efficiency is insufficient leading to defects in combustor tiles
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling ring is divided into multiple functional zones: a first cooling zone with first apertures for cooling the inner wall, a second cooling zone with second apertures for cooling discharge nozzles, and a third cooling zone with third apertures for additional cooling. This segmentation allows each zone to target specific thermal management needs, improving overall cooling efficiency while maintaining a relatively simple integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cooling ring are provided with different aperture configurations and cooling fluid supply rates. The first apertures have different orientations and distributions compared to the second and third apertures, allowing localized optimization of cooling effectiveness for different components (inner wall vs. discharge nozzles) based on their specific thermal requirements.
2Temperature
If cooling fluid is supplied at high rate, then temperature reduction is effective, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system provides different cooling fluid supply rates to different zones based on local thermal requirements. The first cooling zone receives cooling fluid at a rate optimized for inner wall cooling, while the second and third zones receive cooling fluid at rates optimized for discharge nozzle cooling. This prevents uniform over-cooling and reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining effective temperature reduction where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system applies cooling fluid selectively to specific regions rather than uniformly across the entire combustor system. By concentrating cooling fluid supply in the first cooling zone for the inner wall and using the second and third zones for discharge nozzles, the system achieves effective temperature reduction without the excessive energy consumption that would result from uniform high-rate cooling throughout.
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 cooling ring effectively reduces temperature and prevents defects in the inner wall and discharge nozzles, enhancing the operational life and safety of the combustor system and other gas turbine engine components.
Implementation Method 1
Each first aperture is configured to supply a cooling fluid to a cavity defined between the inner wall and the cooling ring downstream of the rear rail of the inner wall
Implementation Method 2
the plurality of first apertures may direct the cooling fluid such that the cooling fluid directly impinges the inner wall
Implementation Method 3
Each second aperture is spaced apart from each first aperture and is configured to supply the cooling fluid to the one or more discharge nozzles
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling ring for a combustor system having an inner wall, an outer wall spaced apart from the inner wall, and a discharge nozzle disposed downstream of the inner wall includes an upstream portion disposed adjacent to the outer wall, a downstream portion spaced apart from the upstream portion, and a middle portion connecting the upstream portion to the downstream portion. The middle portion includes a plurality of first apertures and a plurality of second apertures. Each first aperture extends from a first inner surface portion to an outer surface portion of the middle portion along a first aperture axis and is configured to supply a cooling fluid to a cavity. Each second aperture extends from the second inner surface portion to the outer surface portion along a second aperture axis and is configured to supply the cooling fluid to the discharge nozzles.