Combustor Liner Rail Effusion Holes for Multi-Directional Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine combustors face challenges in effectively managing heat and cooling due to the interaction of hot combustion gases with liner assemblies, leading to thermal expansion and potential oxidation distress in the gaps between adjacent panels and rail members, which existing heat shield designs fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a heat shield panel with a rail member that features impingement orifices with unique entrance and exit configurations, allowing for efficient cooling air flow to impinge on adjacent panels and direct cooling fluid towards the hot side, utilizing braze or weld plugs to manage flow and protect against oxidation, and includes a method for forming these orifices through the rail member using angled hole boring techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional heat shield designs are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but thermal protection effectiveness is insufficient due to inadequate cooling flow management
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple functional zones within the rail member: an entrance portion receiving cooling air, an intermediate portion with multi-directional orifices for distributed cooling, and an exit portion. This segmentation allows different regions to perform specialized functions, improving thermal protection effectiveness while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The rail member incorporates orifices with non-uniform cross-sectional areas along its length, with the cross-sectional area varying to optimize cooling flow distribution at different locations. The intermediate portion features multiple orifices with different orientations and sizes tailored to specific thermal protection needs at each location, providing localized cooling quality enhancement
2Object-affected harmful factors
If cooling flow is increased to protect against oxidation distress, then thermal protection improves, but thermal expansion management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system utilizes dynamic flow distribution through the multi-directional orifices, where cooling air is distributed in multiple directions (including upward, downward, and lateral orientations) to adapt to varying thermal conditions. The system dynamically responds to thermal gradients by directing cooling flow where most needed, protecting against oxidation while accommodating thermal expansion through flexible flow adaptation
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling approach transitions from single-direction linear cooling to multi-dimensional cooling by incorporating orifices oriented in multiple directions (upward, downward, lateral) and varying cross-sectional areas. This multi-dimensional cooling distribution provides comprehensive thermal protection against oxidation distress while evenly managing thermal expansion through distributed cooling in multiple spatial dimensions
3Productivity
If multi-directional orifices with varying cross-sectional areas are implemented, then cooling flow distribution is optimized, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rail member serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, distributes cooling flow in multiple directions, and incorporates varying cross-sectional orifices for optimized thermal management. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional component, the design achieves superior cooling flow distribution while avoiding the need for multiple separate precision components, thereby managing manufacturing precision requirements
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
This configuration enhances thermal protection by creating a multi-directional cooling flow that effectively manages heat and reduces oxidation distress, maintaining structural integrity and efficiency in the combustor section.
Implementation Method 1
the exit opening is positioned to direct a flow of air through the orifice toward an engine component positioned adjacent the rail member
Implementation Method 2
utilizing braze or weld plugs to manage flow and protect against oxidation
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A heat shield panel (300; 400; 500; 600; 700; 800) for use in a gas turbine engine combustor (56) is disclosed. In various embodiments, the heat shield panel (300; 400; 500; 600; 700; 800) includes a hot side, a cold side spaced from the hot side, a rail member (308; 408; 508; 608; 708; 808) disposed on the cold side proximate an outer perimeter, the rail member (308; 408; 508; 608; 708; 808) having an outer wall (310; 410; 510; 610; 710; 810) and an inner wall (312; 412; 512; 612; 712; 812) and an orifice (420; 520; 620; 720; 820) extending through the rail member (308; 408; 508; 608; 708; 808), from the inner wall (312; 412; 512; 612; 712; 812) to the outer wall (310; 410; 510; 610; 710; 810), the orifice (420; 520; 620; 720; 820) having an entrance portion (328; 428; 528; 628; 728; 828) having an entrance opening positioned on the inner wall (312; 412; 512; 612; 712; 812) and extending at least to an intermediate portion of the rail member (308; 408; 508; 608; 708; 808) and an exit portion (330; 430; 530; 630; 730; 830) having an exit opening positioned on the outer wall (310; 410; 510; 610; 710; 810) and extending at least to the intermediate portion of the rail member (308; 408; 508; 608; 708; 808), the entrance portion (328; 428; 528; 628; 728; 828) of the orifice being angled relative to the exit portion (330; 430; 530; 630; 730; 830) of the orifice (420; 520; 620; 720; 820).