Double-Wall Combustor Front Panel Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine combustors face challenges in maintaining mechanical stability during operation due to the structural limitations of traditional front panels, which are often massive and inefficient in distributing thermal and mechanical stress.
Innovation Solution
A double-wall front panel design with a hot-side wall and a cold-side wall, connected by a radially outer side wall and annular sleeves, providing enhanced structural support and fluid passage for improved mechanical stability and thermal management, while optimizing material thickness and cooling passage configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a thin front panel is used to separate cold and hot sides, then material usage is reduced, but mechanical stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The front panel is segmented into two separate walls (cold-side wall and hot-side wall) spaced axially apart, with the cold-side wall providing structural support and the hot-side wall providing thermal separation. This segmentation allows each wall to be optimized for its specific function, with the cold-side wall being sufficiently thick for mechanical stability and the hot-side wall being thinner for material efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single-plane thin panel to a three-dimensional double-wall structure with axial spacing. This dimensional change creates a cavity between the walls that provides both structural rigidity and thermal management pathways, resolving the contradiction between thinness and stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a massive carrier structure is used to support the front panel, then mechanical stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The structural support function is segmented from the thermal separation function. The cold-side wall carries the structural load and supports burner units, while the hot-side wall handles thermal separation. This functional segmentation eliminates the need for a separate massive carrier structure, reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold-side wall is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the front panel structure, supports burner units and other combustor parts, and contributes to thermal management. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated support structures.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform material thickness is used for both cold-side and hot-side walls, then manufacturing is simplified, but thermal management efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different material thicknesses are applied to different walls based on their specific functional requirements. The cold-side wall uses greater thickness for mechanical strength and structural support, while the hot-side wall uses reduced thickness to minimize thermal mass and improve thermal response. This local differentiation optimizes both manufacturing and thermal performance.
Data Source
Figure 1~5
AI summary
Front panel (1) for a combustor, the front panel (1) defining a hot side (12) and a cold side (13) and comprising at least one reception (7; 8; 9; 10) adapted for receiving a combustor part. The front panel (1) is characterized in that it has a double-wall design with a hot-side wall (2) and a cold-side wall (3), the hot-side wall (2) defining a hot-side downstream surface (22) of the front panel (1) and the cold-side wall (3) defining a cold-side upstream surface (31) of the front panel (1), wherein the hot-side wall (2) and the cold-side wall (3) are axially spaced from one another, extend parallel to one another, and are connected to one another by an outer side wall (4).