Gas Turbine Combustor Cooling via Flow Sleeve Diameter Changes

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing gas turbine combustors face challenges in enhancing cooling performance while minimizing pressure loss, maintaining structural strength, simplifying the manufacturing process, and extending service life.

Innovation Solution

A gas turbine combustor design featuring a combustor liner and a flow sleeve with an annular flow passage, where the flow sleeve includes an internal-diameter changing portion and an annular protruding portion on the combustor liner to enhance convective cooling and reduce pressure loss, while reducing the number of welding points for improved reliability and structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the combustor liner is formed by connecting plural cylindrical members with welding, then the cooling performance is improved, but the structural strength deteriorates due to cracks and the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidstructural strength

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The combustor liner is divided into multiple cylindrical members that are axially connected, allowing each segment to be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation enables improved cooling performance through the connection structures while maintaining structural integrity by distributing thermal and mechanical stresses across multiple components rather than requiring a single large welded piece.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple cylindrical members are axially connected and overlapped to form the complete combustor liner structure. The overlapping and connection of these segments creates a unified structure that combines the cooling benefits of multiple components with the structural strength of an integrated assembly, eliminating the need for welding while achieving both cooling performance and structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Temperature

If the combustor liner is formed by connecting plural cylindrical members with welding, then the cooling performance is improved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The combustor liner is segmented into multiple cylindrical members that can be manufactured independently using standard processes. This segmentation simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing each component to be produced separately without requiring complex welding operations, while the axial connection and overlap of these segments provide the necessary cooling performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Temperature

If the flow passage cross section area is reduced by guide fins, then the heat transfer effect is improved by increasing flow velocity, but the pressure loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat transfer effectVSAvoidpressure loss

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The flow passage cross-section area is dynamically adjusted along the flow direction rather than being uniformly reduced. The passage area decreases in regions where enhanced heat transfer is needed and increases in regions where pressure loss would be excessive, creating an optimized flow pattern that balances heat transfer effectiveness with pressure loss minimization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 design effectively cools the combustor liner with minimal pressure loss, enhances structural strength, simplifies the manufacturing process, and extends the service life, thereby improving the overall reliability and efficiency of the gas turbine system.

Implementation Method 1

compressed air flows in a flow passage formed between the combustor liner and the flow sleeve

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

enhance the cooling of the combustor liner by enhancing the heat transfer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS10443845B2Gas turbine combustor

Publication Date: 2019.10.15 MITSUBISHI POWER LTD

AI summary

A gas turbine combustor includes a combustor liner, a flow sleeve in which the combustor liner is provided and an annular flow passage formed between the combustor liner and the flow sleeve, through which compressed air flows. The flow sleeve includes an internal-diameter changing portion diagonally connected to the flow sleeve and an internal-diameter reducing portion connected to the internal-diameter changing portion and extending along the flow direction of the compressed air. The combustor liner includes an annular protruding portion annularly formed on an outer wall of the combustor liner and protruding toward the flow sleeve. The annular protruding portion is located at a position on the outer wall of the combustion liner, the position facing a connection position between the flow sleeve and the internal-diameter changing portion or being at an upstream side of the position facing the connection position in the flow direction of the compressed air.