Gas Turbine Damper Compensation Assembly for Thermal Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dampers for gas turbines face challenges in compensating for thermal expansion differences and relative rotation between the combustion chamber and the damper, leading to inefficient pulsation damping and potential mechanical damage.
Innovation Solution
A compensation assembly featuring a spherical joint with a bulb portion and a spherical socket, allowing relative rotation and radial displacement, is integrated with the neck tube to accommodate thermal expansions, and an insert element to enhance cooling channel flow by increasing its height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a Helmholtz damper is placed on the outer side of the combustion chamber to damp pulsations, then pulsation damping effectiveness is improved, but thermal expansion prevents direct application and complicates installation
Solution Approach 1:
The compensation assembly incorporates a spherical joint with a bulb portion and spherical socket that enables dynamic relative rotation between the damper and combustion chamber to accommodate thermal expansion. This dynamic mechanism allows the rigid damper structure to be installed on the outer side while automatically adapting to thermal growth during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical joint changes the rotational parameters between the damper and combustion chamber, allowing relative rotation to compensate for thermal expansion. This parameter change enables the damper to maintain proper positioning and sealing despite temperature-induced dimensional changes in the combustion chamber.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the damper is rigidly connected to the combustion chamber, then structural stability is improved, but thermal expansion differences cause mechanical stress and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical joint transforms the rigid connection into a dynamic connection that permits relative rotation. This dynamic capability allows the damper to move with the combustion chamber during thermal expansion while maintaining structural stability and pulsation damping effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensation assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the damper and combustion chamber. It mediates the thermal expansion differences by providing a spherical joint that absorbs dimensional changes through controlled rotation, preventing stress transmission to either component.
3Reliability
If multiple components are used in the compensation assembly to accommodate thermal expansion, then compensation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compensation assembly merges multiple functions into a single integrated structure. The spherical joint combines rotation compensation, positioning, and sealing functions into one component, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms and reducing overall assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical joint serves multiple functions simultaneously: it compensates for thermal expansion through rotation, maintains the seal between damper and combustion chamber, and allows relative movement in multiple directions. This multi-functionality reduces the number of required components while improving compensation effectiveness.
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
The solution effectively compensates for thermal expansion and rotation, improving pulsation damping efficiency while simplifying assembly and reducing manufacturing costs by minimizing components and eliminating the need for expensive machining operations.
Implementation Method 1
the thermal expansion of the different layers composing the combustion chamber prevents directly applying such dampers
Implementation Method 2
a type of damper known as Helmholtz damper is utilized to damp the pulsations generated in the combustion chamber
Implementation Method 3
cooling air can be fed for purposes of convective cooling of the combustion chamber wall
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to dampers for gas turbines and, for example, to a compensation assembly for a damper of a gas turbine for reducing the pulsations occurring in the combustion chamber. The damper can include a resonator cavity with a neck tube in flow communication with the interior of the combustion chamber, wherein the compensation assembly includes a spherical joint associated to the neck tube and configured to allow relative rotation between the combustion chamber and the resonator cavity, and having a bulb portion disposed around the neck tube and a spherical socket configured to internally host the bulb portion, wherein the spherical socket can have a top collar portion and a bottom collar portion connected to each other.