Combustor Openings for Stable Vortex Driver Jets in Compact Turbines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Providing gas turbine engines with reduced length and weight while maintaining or improving combustion efficiency is a challenge, as conventional trapped vortex combustors become less effective at small sizes and maintaining a stable toroidal vortex without a full trap is difficult.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a combustor-diffuser-nozzle (CDN) with features to increase pressure drop and momentum of vortex driver jets, such as varying bleed flows, synthetic jets, and physical blockages, to stabilize the vortex.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional trapped vortex combustors are used, then combustion efficiency is maintained, but engine length and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the flow parameters by introducing synthetic jets that add momentum to the vortex driver jets. This parameter change allows the vortex to remain stable at lower flow rates, enabling a smaller combustor design that reduces engine weight while maintaining vortex stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces synthetic jets as an intermediary mechanism to enhance vortex stability. These synthetic jets act as a mediator that provides additional momentum to the vortex driver jets, allowing the system to maintain stable vortex formation in a compact configuration without requiring the full size of conventional combustors
2Weight of moving object
If combustor size is reduced, then engine weight decreases, but vortex stability becomes difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the flow parameters by adding synthetic jet momentum to the vortex driver jets. This parameter enhancement allows the system to maintain stable vortex formation at reduced flow rates and smaller combustor dimensions, directly addressing the stability issue in compact designs
Solution Approach 2:
The synthetic jets provide preliminary momentum enhancement to the vortex driver jets before the main combustion process. This preliminary action ensures that the vortex is established and stabilized early in the flow path, allowing the combustor to be smaller while maintaining vortex stability throughout the combustion process
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
Enhances vortex stability and combustion efficiency by increasing the momentum of vortex driver jets, allowing for smaller and lighter engine designs.
Implementation Method 1
conventional trapped vortex combustors become less effective at small sizes and maintaining a stable toroidal vortex without a full trap is difficult
Implementation Method 2
Implementing a combustor-diffuser-nozzle (CDN) with features to increase pressure drop and momentum of vortex driver jets
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A combustor (206, 306, 406, 407, 506) having a plurality of openings to control a vortex driver jet (243A, 243B, 245) within the combustor (206, 306, 406, 407, 506). The combustor (206, 306, 406, 407, 506) includes an outer casing (264) and an inner casing (266) extending circumferentially about a longitudinal combustor centerline axis (112), an outer liner (252) spaced apart from the outer casing (264) to define therebetween an outer flow passage (288) and an inner liner (254) spaced apart from the inner casing (266) to define therebetween an inner flow passage (290), the outer liner (252) and the inner liner (254) defining a combustion chamber (267), a plurality of outer openings (308A, 308B, 408, 409, 508) provided in the outer casing (264) and a plurality of inner openings (410, 411, 510) provided in the inner casing (266). The plurality of outer openings (308A, 308B) and the plurality of inner openings (310A, 310B, 410, 411, 510) are configured to bleed airflow from or to introduce airflow into the outer flow passage (288) or the inner flow passage (290), to control the vortex driver jet (243A, 243B, 245) within the driver openings to drive the vortex (295, 297) inside the combustion chamber (267).