Combustor Wall Cooling Pin and Hole Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
The random placement of impingement holes, effusion holes, and cooling pins in gas turbine engine combustor wall assemblies leads to suboptimal cooling air usage, reducing engine efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A structured design for the combustor wall assembly with effusion holes and impingement holes oriented in a non-overlapping orthogonal pattern, accompanied by cooling pin arrays positioned within and outside the impingement footprints, optimizing the cooling cavity layout to enhance heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If impingement holes, effusion holes, and cooling pins are placed randomly in the combustor wall assembly, then the design complexity is reduced, but the cooling efficiency and engine performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor wall assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: impingement cooling zones with impingement holes, effusion cooling zones with effusion holes, and transition zones with cooling pins. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific cooling mechanism, improving overall cooling efficiency while maintaining manageable design complexity through systematic zonation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the combustor wall are assigned different cooling structures based on local thermal requirements. Impingement holes are placed in areas requiring intensive cooling, effusion holes in areas needing uniform cooling, and cooling pins in transition zones. This local differentiation optimizes cooling performance for each specific region without requiring complex global optimization.
2Ease of manufacture
If impingement holes and effusion holes are placed without considering overlap, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the cooling air distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The design methodology performs preliminary planning of hole patterns before manufacturing, using computational tools to optimize the spatial distribution of impingement and effusion holes. This preliminary optimization ensures uniform cooling air distribution while maintaining straightforward manufacturing processes, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and cooling uniformity.
3Temperature
If cooling pins are positioned within impingement footprints, then the heat dissipation from the liner cold face is enhanced, but the structural integrity of the liner may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Cooling pins are strategically positioned within impingement footprints in regions where thermal loads are highest, enhancing heat dissipation locally. The pin distribution and dimensions are locally optimized to balance heat transfer enhancement with structural integrity requirements, allowing maximum cooling benefit while maintaining adequate liner strength.
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 the distribution and effectiveness of cooling air, leading to increased engine efficiency by ensuring a more uniform and efficient heat management system.
Implementation Method 1
Impingement holes are located in the shell for supply cooling air from an outer air plenum and into the cavity
Implementation Method 2
The effusion holes are generally orientated to create a protective blanket, or, air film over the hot side of the panels, thereby protecting the panels from the hot combustion gases in the chamber
Implementation Method 3
Cooling pins may be located in the cavity and project outward from the cold side of the liner to further conduct heat out of the liner
Data Source
AI summary
A wall assembly that may be for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes a liner having a hot face that defines a combustion chamber, an opposite cold face, and a plurality of effusion holes. A shell of the assembly is spaced outward from the cold face and includes a plurality of impingement holes each having a centerline orientated substantially normal to the cold face. A plurality of cooling member arrays of the liner each include a first plurality of members that may be pins projecting outward from the cold face to conduct heat out of the liner. Each array is spaced between adjacent effusion holes and is symmetrically orientated about the respective centerline.