Extended CMC Bulkhead Panel for Stable Combustor Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bulkhead panels in gas turbine engines are negatively affected by effusion airflow from cooling fluid, which disrupts the flow patterns generated by swirlers, and metal panels require extensive cooling, leading to potential cracking and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The use of a ceramic matrix composite bulkhead panel with continuous coverage from interior to exterior surfaces and flanges, secured by spacers applying biasing forces, reduces the need for effusion holes and minimizes disruption to swirler-generated flow patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If metal bulkhead panels are used with effusion holes for cooling, then thermal protection is provided, but the effusion airflow disrupts swirler-generated flow patterns and causes potential cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The bulkhead panel is constructed from ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material that can withstand high temperatures without requiring effusion cooling holes. This composite material provides inherent thermal protection while maintaining structural integrity and not disrupting swirler flow patterns, thus resolving the contradiction between thermal protection and flow pattern stability.
2Temperature
If metal bulkhead panels are used with extensive cooling, then thermal protection is achieved, but material fatigue and cracking increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ceramic matrix composite material provides superior thermal resistance without the need for extensive cooling systems. The material's inherent ability to withstand high temperatures eliminates thermal stress cycles that cause metal fatigue and cracking, thereby maintaining material durability while achieving thermal protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The effusion holes and associated cooling systems are completely removed from the bulkhead panel design. By extracting these cooling features, the patent eliminates the source of material fatigue and cracking while relying on the CMC material's intrinsic thermal resistance properties.
3Temperature
If effusion holes are formed in the bulkhead panel for cooling, then thermal protection is provided, but the panel complexity and potential for cracking increase
Solution Approach 1:
The effusion holes and associated cooling infrastructure are completely removed from the bulkhead panel. This extraction simplifies the panel structure to a solid CMC component without holes or complex internal cooling channels, reducing manufacturing complexity and eliminating potential failure points while the CMC material provides the necessary thermal protection.
Data Source
AI summary
A combustor may comprise an outer combustor panel and an inner combustor panel radially inward of the outer combustor panel. A bulkhead panel may extend radially between the outer combustor panel and the inner combustor panel. An outer spacer may be located between an outer flange of the bulkhead panel and the outer combustor panel. An inner spacer may be located between an inner flange of the bulkhead panel and the inner combustor panel.