Kinked Heat Shield Panel for Gas Turbine Combustor

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Gas turbine engine combustors face excessive heat loads that lead to oxidation, cracking, and thermal stresses due to gaps between heat shield panels at kinks in the shell, which existing configurations fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

A kinked heat shield panel is designed to replace multiple panels, featuring a kinked shape that matches the shell's kink, with a mounting stud and kinked washer system to secure it in place, eliminating gaps and enhancing thermal protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple heat shield panels are used to cover kinked areas of the shell, then thermal protection is provided, but gaps between panels create thermal stress and oxidation risks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal protection continuityVSAvoidoxidation and cracking at gaps

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate heat shield panels into a single integrated kinked heat shield panel that conforms to the kinked geometry of the shell. This merging eliminates the gaps that existed between multiple panels, providing continuous thermal protection and preventing oxidation and cracking at panel junctions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat shield panel is designed with a kinked configuration that provides enhanced thermal protection specifically at the kinked areas of the shell where heat exposure is most severe. The panel geometry is locally adapted to match the shell's kinked shape, ensuring optimal protection where needed most.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If multiple separate heat shield panels are used at kinked areas, then thermal protection is provided, but the number of parts increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal protectionVSAvoidnumber of panels

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent consolidates multiple separate heat shield panels into a single integrated kinked heat shield panel. This merging reduces the total number of parts while maintaining comprehensive thermal protection across the kinked areas of the shell, simplifying both the design and assembly process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional mounting methods are used for heat shield panels, then panels can be secured, but gaps remain at kinked areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepanel mountingVSAvoidgap elimination

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The single kinked heat shield panel is divided into multiple segments or sections that are joined together to form the complete kinked configuration. This segmentation allows the panel to conform to the complex kinked geometry of the shell while maintaining a continuous surface without gaps, and facilitates manufacturing and assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3726141B1Combustor for a gas turbine having a heat shield and a shell

Publication Date: 2022.06.01 RTX CORP

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

A combustor for use in a gas turbine engine, the combustor enclosing a combustion chamber having a combustion area. The combustor includes: a shell (600) having a kink (500); and a kinked heat shield panel (400c) in facing spaced relationship with the shell, the kinked heat shield panel including a kink (700) located proximate the kink in the shell, wherein the kinked heat shield panel further includes a first surface (410), a second surface (420) opposite the first surface, and a mounting stud (430) located proximate the kink of the kinked heat shield panel and extending away from the second surface.