Gas Turbine Combustor Liner Panel Heat Transfer Ribs

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional cooling patterns in gas turbine engine combustor sections are insufficient to provide effective thermal protection across all areas of the liner panel array, especially with lower emissions requirements and higher operational temperatures.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of heat transfer ribs on the cold side of the liner panel, which are strategically located to avoid cold side structures and form specific patterns around mount studs, with cooling holes that follow the direction of these ribs to enhance convective cooling and thermal protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional cooling patterns are used in liner panels, then the structure remains simple and easy to manufacture, but thermal protection is insufficient for all areas of the liner panel array

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal protectionVSAvoidcooling pattern complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The liner panel surface is segmented into multiple zones with different cooling requirements. Heat transfer ribs are strategically placed in specific regions (such as near mount studs or in high-heat areas) rather than uniformly across the entire panel, allowing targeted thermal protection where needed while maintaining simpler structures in lower-risk areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the liner panel are provided with different cooling intensities and patterns. Areas experiencing higher temperatures or greater thermal stress receive enhanced cooling through heat transfer ribs and concentrated cooling holes, while other areas use standard cooling patterns, optimizing both protection and structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If heat transfer ribs are added to increase convective cooling surface area, then thermal protection improves, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal protectionVSAvoidliner panel manufacturing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The heat transfer ribs are integrated directly into the liner panel structure during the casting or manufacturing process, rather than being added as separate components. This merging of the cooling features with the base structure reduces assembly steps and simplifies manufacturing, despite the increased geometric complexity of the ribs themselves.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat transfer ribs serve multiple functions: they increase the convective cooling surface area, guide cooling airflow patterns, and can be designed to avoid interference with mount studs and other cold-side structures. This multi-functionality justifies the additional manufacturing complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single structural feature.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Temperature

If cooling holes are added to follow the direction of heat transfer ribs, then heat transfer efficiency increases, but the number of holes and manufacturing steps increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliner panel temperature reductionVSAvoidcooling hole pattern
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling holes are arranged in three-dimensional patterns that follow the orientation and curvature of the heat transfer ribs. This spatial arrangement allows cooling airflow to align with the rib structures, maximizing convective heat transfer efficiency by utilizing the directional geometry of the ribs rather than using simple two-dimensional hole patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 design effectively reduces liner panel temperatures by increasing the convective cooling surface area and heat flux, improving thermal protection while maintaining low NOX emissions and extending the durability and reliability of the combustor components.

Implementation Method 1

The multiple of cooling holes may extend through the liner panel and follow a direction of the respective heat transfer rib through which the multiple of cooling holes pass

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvective cooling: Convection

Implementation Method 2

This design effectively reduces liner panel temperatures by increasing the convective cooling surface area and heat flux

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3438537B1Combustor liner panel with a multiple of heat transfer ribs for a gas turbine engine combustor
Publication Date: 2020.11.18 RTX CORP
  • EP3438537B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3438537B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3438537B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A liner panel (72,74) for use in a combustor (56) of a gas turbine engine (20), including a multiple of heat transfer ribs (150) located in at least one discrete area of the liner panel (72,74). A wall assembly (60,62) within a gas turbine engine (20) including a support shell (68,70), a liner panel (72,74) mounted to the support shell (68,70) via a multiple of studs (100) and a multiple of heat transfer ribs (150) located in at least one discrete area on a cold side (110) of the liner panel (72,74), each of the multiple of heat transfer ribs (150) account for the multiple of studs (100).