Combustor Liner Panel Repair via Segment Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for repairing combustor liner panels in high bypass turbofan engines are economically excessive and inefficient, as they often require replacing entire assemblies, which leads to unnecessary material wastage and high costs due to the use of expensive high-temperature alloys like GTD-222, and do not effectively address thermally-induced cracking in critical regions.
Innovation Solution
A method is developed to replace only the damaged portions of the aft panel assembly of a combustor liner, reusing the forward bolt flange and aft panel support leg, by cutting a 360° strip from the aft section, removing the distressed region, and joining new aft panel, lip, and seal components with the reused support leg, allowing for cost-effective repair and material recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If entire combustor liner assemblies are replaced, then reliability is improved, but cost and material wastage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor liner assembly is divided into separable panels that can be independently removed and replaced. Only the damaged panels are replaced rather than the entire assembly, reducing material wastage while maintaining reliability of the repaired component.
Solution Approach 2:
Undamaged portions of the combustor liner assembly are recovered and reused after the damaged sections are removed. This recovery and reuse of functional components directly reduces material wastage while maintaining the reliability of the overall assembly.
2Strength
If expensive high-temperature alloys are used for replacement, then strength and temperature resistance are improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Expensive high-temperature alloys are applied only to the specific panels requiring replacement rather than the entire assembly. This localized application maintains the necessary strength and temperature resistance in critical areas while significantly reducing overall manufacturing cost.
3Reliability
If weld repair is performed on cracked panels, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost become economically excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The damaged cracked panels are extracted and removed from the assembly rather than attempting repair. This extraction eliminates the need for complex weld repair processes while maintaining reliability through replacement with new panels.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of repairing the damaged panels through complex welding processes, the approach is inverted by removing and replacing the panels entirely. This simplifies the repair process while achieving the same reliability outcome.
4Manufacturing precision
If entire liner assemblies are replaced, then dimensional accuracy is maintained, but productivity decreases due to extensive processing
Solution Approach 1:
The liner assembly is segmented into replaceable panels, allowing only the damaged portions to be removed and replaced. This maintains dimensional accuracy in the replaced sections while significantly improving productivity by avoiding processing of undamaged areas.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for repairing a damaged portion of a combustor inner liner assembly. The method includes removing the combustor from a gas turbine engine. After inspecting the combustor to determine whether cracks exists in portions of the inner liner assembly, the method includes removing a cracked inner liner assembly from the combustor. Then the portion of the inner liner assembly, comprising a multi-hole panel region, an aft lip region, an aft seal flange region and an aft panel support leg are separated from the inner liner assembly. The multi-hole panel region and aft lip, where fatigue damage typically exists, along with the aft seal flange region, are discarded and a new aft lip region/aft seal flange region and multi-hole panel region are provided. The new parts are joined to the aft panel support leg and the inner liner assembly aft of forward bolt flange region after these parts are refurbished. The inner liner assembly is then reattached to the combustor and reassembled into the engine.