Fastened Combustor Liner and Head for Buckling Resistance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional combustor assemblies in gas turbine engines face challenges in resisting mechanical buckling during load cases such as compressor surge events or flame-out events, while maintaining good performance characteristics.

Innovation Solution

A combustor assembly design featuring a combustor liner with an integral lug and a fastener that extends into the lug to fasten the combustor head and cowl to the liner, with the fastener being mostly or entirely within the external profile defined by the cowl and liner, providing enhanced structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the combustor liner and head are fastened together using conventional methods, then the assembly can be manufactured with different materials and processes, but the structure may be insufficient to resist mechanical buckling during load cases such as compressor surge or flame-out events

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuse of different materials and manufacturing processesVSAvoidresistance to mechanical buckling

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The combustor assembly is divided into separate fastened components (liner, head, cowl) rather than being welded together, allowing each component to be manufactured independently using different materials and processes while maintaining structural integrity through the fastening system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple fasteners are distributed around the combustor assembly to collectively provide the necessary structural support and load distribution, combining their individual strengths to resist mechanical buckling while maintaining the benefits of separate component manufacturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If fasteners extend beyond the external profile of the combustor assembly, then the fastening mechanism is simplified, but the aerodynamic performance and external dimensions are adversely affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefastening mechanism simplicityVSAvoidexternal profile and aerodynamic characteristics

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The fasteners are nested within the external profile of the combustor assembly, with heads positioned inside the cavity formed by the liner and cowl, allowing the fastening mechanism to be contained within the aerodynamic envelope rather than extending beyond it

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The fastening system utilizes the internal cavity space of the combustor assembly in the radial dimension, positioning fastener heads within the available internal volume rather than extending outward, thereby maintaining the external aerodynamic profile while providing adequate fastening capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS12516814B2Combustor assembly with fastened combustor liner and head

Publication Date: 2026.01.06 ROLLS ROYCE PLC

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine. The combustor assembly comprises a combustor liner, a combustor head, a cowl and a fastener. The combustor liner and the cowl define a cavity. The combustor liner has an integral lug that extends into the cavity from a wall of the combustor liner. The fastener extends into the combustor liner lug to fasten the combustor head to the combustor liner.