Gas Turbine Combustor Driver Jets for Stable Toroidal Vortices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engines face challenges in reducing length and weight while maintaining or improving combustion efficiency, particularly in vortex combustors where stability of untrapped vortices and low pattern factor are difficult to achieve.
Innovation Solution
The use of driver airflow jets with shaped driver holes or slots in the combustor, combined with thicker liners and vanes, to stabilize toroidal vortices and reduce circumferential temperature variation, optimizing combustion efficiency and reducing the combustor's length and volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If the combustor length and volume are reduced, then weight is reduced and fuel efficiency is improved, but combustion stability and vortex stability become difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor is divided into multiple zones including a primary combustion zone with driver holes and a secondary combustion zone, allowing each zone to perform specific functions. The driver holes create focused vortex structures in the primary zone while the secondary zone provides additional combustion space, enabling compact overall design while maintaining stable combustion through zoned functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Driver airflow jets are introduced as intermediary elements that mediate between the compressed air supply and the combustion process. These driver jets create toroidal vortices that stabilize the combustion zone and control flame attachment, enabling stable combustion in a compact combustor configuration.
2Productivity
If driver airflow jets are used to stabilize vortices, then combustion efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The driver holes serve multiple functions simultaneously: they introduce driver airflow to create stabilizing vortices, they control the attachment point of the combustion zone, and they shape the overall flow pattern in the primary combustion zone. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting complexity increase while improving combustion efficiency.
3Strength
If thicker liners are used to accommodate driver holes, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The driver holes are designed and positioned during the preliminary design phase with optimized dimensions and angular orientations. The thicker liner sections are strategically placed only where driver holes are required, rather than uniformly throughout the combustor. This preliminary planning allows for simplified manufacturing processes in the majority of the combustor structure while providing localized thickness increases only where structurally necessary.
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 approach enhances combustion efficiency, reduces the combustor's length and weight, leading to fuel savings, lower thermal NOx emissions, and decreased cooling requirements, while improving the stability of vortices and minimizing hot streaks.
Implementation Method 1
The driver holes or slots are configured to generate driver airflow jets that drive a vortex or vortices inside the combustion chamber
Implementation Method 2
a combustor where the compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate combustion gases
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A combustor (206) including a dome structure (256), an inner liner (254) and an outer liner (252) connected to the dome structure (256) to define a combustion chamber (267), and a first segment (502) coupled to the outer liner (252) and a second segment (504) coupled to the inner liner (254), the first segment (502) including a first geometric ramp (600, 601, 700, 800, 900, 1202, 1302, 1602, 1702) and the second segment (504) including a second geometric ramp (600, 601, 700, 800, 900, 1202, 1302, 1602, 1702). The first geometric ramp (600, 601, 700, 800, 900, 1202, 1302, 1602, 1702) and the second geometric ramp (600, 601, 700, 800, 900, 1202, 1302, 1602, 1702) have one or more driver holes (300, 302, 304, 502A, 504A, 804, 904, 1602A, 1702A, 2200, 2202, 2300, 2302, 2500, 2600, 2700), driver slots (2402), and/or a plurality of driver vanes (1002, 1004). An upstream crossflow (602, 710, 810) enters the one or more driver holes (300, 302, 304, 502A, 504A, 804, 904, 1602A, 1702A, 2200, 2202, 2300, 2302, 2500, 2600, 2700), driver slots (2402), and/or the plurality of driver vanes (1002, 1004) to generate an airflow jet (606, 706B, 806, 2502, 2602, 2702) having an increased angle at an exit of the one or more to driver holes (300, 302, 304, 502A, 504A, 804, 904, 1602A, 1702A, 2200, 2202, 2300, 2302, 2500, 2600, 2700), driver slots (2402), and/or the plurality of driver vanes (1002, 1004) relative to a surface of the inner liner (254) or a surface of the outer liner (252).