Combustor Panel Rounded Edges for Coating Adherence
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Components in the hot gas path of gas turbine engines face challenges due to high temperatures, including metal cutting or burning at sharp corners and difficulties in applying coatings to these areas.
Innovation Solution
The design features a gas turbine engine with combustor, turbine, and exhaust nozzle sections having panels with a central web and extending legs, where the bend between the web and legs is formed at a radius, eliminating sharp corners and facilitating coating application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sharp corners are used in panel design, then manufacturing is simpler, but metal cutting or burning occurs at the corners in high-temperature environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing sharp corners with rounded corners having a specified radius of curvature. This eliminates the sharp corner geometry that is susceptible to thermal cutting and burning, while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard bending radii used in panel fabrication.
2Strength
If sharp corners are used in panel design, then structural integrity is maintained, but coating application becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rounded corner design provides a continuous surface curvature that allows coating materials to be applied uniformly without the geometric interruptions caused by sharp corners. The curvature radius is selected to be sufficient for coating application while maintaining adequate structural strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If rounded corners with large radius are used, then coating application is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a radius of curvature parameter that balances coating application requirements with manufacturing simplicity. By defining specific radius ranges, the design achieves optimal coating coverage without requiring excessively complex manufacturing processes or tooling.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3B
AI summary
A gas turbine engine section has a housing and a plurality of panels attached to the housing. The panels face toward a flow path of hot products of combustion. The panels include a central web and extending legs. A bend between the central web and the extending legs is formed at a radius. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.