Turbine Combustor Washer Cooling Passage Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current support assemblies for turbine combustors obstruct or interfere with the controlled flow of cooling air, leading to inefficient airflow partitioning and thermal regulation, which hinders the performance and operational requirements of smaller, high-efficiency turbine combustors.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of washers with integrated cooling passages that communicate through the washer's surfaces, ensuring a controlled and uniform distribution of cooling air around support components, thereby preventing obstruction and leakage, and allowing for precise airflow partitioning and thermal regulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional support assemblies with studs and retainers are used, then structural support is provided, but cooling airflow is obstructed and leakage occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural supportVSAvoidcooling airflow obstruction

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The washer is segmented with multiple cooling passages (e.g., first, second, and third cooling passages) that divide and direct cooling airflow through specific paths, allowing the flow to bypass obstructing studs and retainers while maintaining structural support functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The washer acts as an intermediary component between the stud/retainer assembly and the cooling airflow, using its integrated cooling passages to mediate and redirect the airflow, preventing direct obstruction while maintaining the structural support function of the stud and retainer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If cooling airflow volume is increased, then cooling benefit is maximized, but airflow partitioning control becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal regulationVSAvoidairflow partitioning control

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Different cooling passages are designed with different characteristics (e.g., first cooling passage for primary cooling, second and third for supplementary cooling) to provide localized cooling zones, allowing precise control of airflow distribution and thermal regulation without requiring excessive total airflow volume

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 solution ensures a uniform and precise cooling of turbine combustor components, enhancing thermal regulation and operational efficiency by maintaining a controlled airflow distribution, even in the presence of studs and retainers, thus improving the overall performance and reliability of the turbine engine.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling passage separate from the bore and communicating through the first and second surfaces

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

the walls of the turbine combustor must be cooled to help increase the usable life of the turbine combustor components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS8800298B2Washer with cooling passage for a turbine engine combustor

Publication Date: 2014.08.12 RTX CORP

AI summary

A washer for a turbine engine combustor comprises a first surface, a second surface facing generally opposite from the first surface, a bore communicating through the first and second surfaces, and a cooling passage separate from the bore and communicating through the first and second surfaces.