Additively Manufactured Combustor Dome With Floating Ferrule

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional combustor assemblies for gas turbine engines face challenges due to thermal expansion issues, leading to stress between components like fuel injectors and igniters, which increases costs and operability problems, particularly during transient operations.

Innovation Solution

An additively manufactured combustor assembly with a floating ferrule assembly, where a ferrule is positioned within a combustor dome with a circumferential groove, allowing relative motion to reduce stress, and a frangible connecting member is used for build support, enabling simultaneous formation of the combustor dome and ferrule with integrated features for relative motion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional combustor assemblies use separate floating collars and ferrules to accommodate thermal expansion, then stress between components is reduced, but manufacturing complexity and assembly costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestress reductionVSAvoidnumber of components

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the combustor dome, floating collar, and ferrule into a single monolithic component manufactured via additive manufacturing. This integration eliminates the need for separate floating collars and ferrules while maintaining the stress-reducing floating functionality through built-in compliance features and relative motion capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the manufacturing method from conventional subtractive or assembly-based approaches to additive manufacturing. This parameter change enables the creation of complex integrated geometries with internal compliance features that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing, allowing stress reduction and component integration simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If multiple separate components are used for floating ferrule assembly, then relative motion capability is maintained, but assembly time and operational reliability decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverelative motion capabilityVSAvoidassembly time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the floating ferrule assembly with the combustor dome into a single monolithic component. This merging eliminates the need for separate assembly operations while preserving the relative motion capability between the igniter and combustor dome through built-in compliance features and floating mechanisms within the integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional manufacturing methods are used for combustor assembly, then existing manufacturing processes are maintained, but production costs and assembly complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process familiarityVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions from conventional manufacturing methods to additive manufacturing for producing the combustor dome assembly. This parameter change in the manufacturing process enables the creation of complex integrated geometries in a single operation, reducing the number of parts, assembly steps, and associated costs despite requiring new manufacturing technology.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 solution reduces stress between components, enhances operational reliability, and simplifies assembly by integrating multiple parts into a single monolithic component, thereby reducing costs and improving performance.

Implementation Method 1

depositing a layer of additive material on a bed of an additive manufacturing machine and selectively directing energy from an energy source onto the layer of additive material to fuse a portion of the additive material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSelective Laser Sintering: Selective Laser Sintering

Implementation Method 2

breaking the frangible connecting member and removing the build support arm to permit relative motion between the combustor dome and the ferrule

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFracture Mechanics: Fracture Mechanics

Data Source

PatentUS10982851B2Additively manufactured wall and floating ferrule having a frangible member between the floating ferrule and a build support arm

Publication Date: 2021.04.20 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO

AI summary

A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine and a method of additively manufacturing the same are provided. A combustor dome includes a combustor wall defining a hole and a circumferential groove defined within the combustor wall around the hole. A floating ferrule assembly is additively manufactured with the combustor dome and includes a ferrule positioned at least partially within the hole and defining a radial lip that is received within the circumferential groove to inseparably position the ferrule within the combustor wall. A build support arm is attached to the ferrule by a frangible connecting member, the frangible connecting member being breakable for separating and removing the build support arm from the ferrule.