Combustor Panel Rail-Integrated Asymmetric Studs for Dirt Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Combustor panels in gas turbine engines face issues with dirt accumulation and reduced cooling effectiveness due to oversized holes in the combustor shell, studs, and standoff pins, leading to degradation at stud locations.
Innovation Solution
The integration of asymmetrically arranged studs with a perimeter rail on combustor panels, which contact the combustor shell, reduces dirt collection zones and enhances cooling by allowing unrestricted film cooling holes, while improving structural stiffness and thermal load management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If oversized holes are used in the combustor shell to accommodate thermal growth and manufacturing tolerances, then assembly reliability is improved, but dirt accumulation increases and cooling effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the stud and the standoff pin into a single integrated component. The stud includes an integrated standoff portion that extends radially outward to contact the combustor shell, eliminating the need for separate standoff pins. This integration reduces the number of components and potential dirt accumulation zones while maintaining the necessary clearance for thermal growth and manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the separate standoff pin component from the assembly. By incorporating the standoff function directly into the stud structure through the integrated standoff portion, the design removes an additional element that would otherwise create more surfaces for dirt accumulation and complex assembly requirements.
2Strength
If multiple components (holes, studs, standoff pins) are used for panel attachment, then structural strength is improved, but device complexity increases and dirt accumulation zones multiply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated stud component. The stud includes a fastening portion for securing the panel and an integrated standoff portion for contacting the combustor shell and providing structural support. This merging of functions maintains structural strength while reducing component count and assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated stud serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical fastening through threads for nuts, provides structural support through the standoff portion, and maintains clearance for thermal expansion. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate standoff pins and simplifies the overall attachment structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If studs are arranged symmetrically around the panel perimeter, then manufacturing ease is improved, but cooling effectiveness is reduced due to restricted film cooling hole placement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an asymmetric arrangement of studs around the panel perimeter. This asymmetric positioning allows film cooling holes to be placed optimally for maximum cooling effectiveness without being constrained by symmetric stud patterns. The asymmetric configuration enables better thermal management while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized stud components.
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 improves durability and cooling efficiency by minimizing dirt accumulation, increasing structural stiffness, and reducing thermal loads at stud bases, thereby enhancing the long-term performance of combustor panels.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of cooling holes extending from the back surface to the front surface
Implementation Method 2
cooled by cooling air supplied to cooling holes in the panels
Implementation Method 3
The rail is configured to contact the combustor shell... increasing structural stiffness
Implementation Method 4
fastened thereto with a nut... fixed to the outer surface of the support shell by a plurality of nuts
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a panel for lining a combustor shell of a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes a front surface configured to face a combustion chamber and a back surface configured to face the combustor shell, a plurality of cooling holes extending from the back surface to the front surface, a rail extending from the back surface and defining a perimeter of the panel, and a plurality of studs disposed adjacent to and connected to the rail. The rail is configured to contact the combustor shell. The plurality of studs are configured to be received in a plurality of holes of the combustor shell. The plurality of studs is asymmetrically arranged around the perimeter of the panel.