Segmented Combustor Liner Rails for Pressure Drop Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In gas turbine engines, the loss of a portion of the perimeter rail in combustor Impingement Film-Cooled Floatwall (IFF) liner panels can reduce the pressure drop, negatively impacting cooling efficiency and potentially leading to reduced service life due to the thermally challenging environment.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates multiple intermediate rails that are parallel, axially spaced, angled, or perpendicular to the aft perimeter rail, forming circumferential cavities to enhance cooling airflow and maintain pressure regulation, even if the aft circumferential rail is damaged.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a full perimeter rail is used to provide pressure drop for cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to performance degradation if the perimeter rail is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The perimeter rail is segmented into multiple intermediate rails that are axially spaced along the liner panel. This segmentation ensures that if one segment (perimeter rail portion) is damaged, the other segments continue to provide pressure drop for cooling, thereby maintaining cooling efficiency while reducing the vulnerability of the entire system.
2Reliability
If intermediate rails are added to maintain pressure drop after perimeter rail loss, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rail structure is divided into multiple intermediate rails spaced axially along the liner panel. Each intermediate rail acts as an independent segment that can maintain pressure drop functionality even if other segments are damaged, thus improving reliability while keeping each individual rail component relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate rails are positioned at specific axial locations along the liner panel where they are most needed to maintain pressure drop. This local placement optimizes the distribution of cooling airflow and ensures that pressure regulation is maintained in critical regions without unnecessarily complicating the entire rail structure.
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 ensures continued effective cooling by maintaining airflow and pressure regulation through the formation of circumferential cavities, suppressing static pressure and maintaining flow through film holes, thus extending the service life of the combustor components.
Implementation Method 1
a full perimeter rail that contacts the inner surface of the liner shell to provide a desired pressure drop
Implementation Method 2
combustor Impingement Film-Cooled Floatwall (IFF) liner panels
Data Source
AI summary
A liner panel for use in a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the liner panel including a liner panel with a perimeter rail and a multiple of intermediate rails. A combustor for a gas turbine engine including a support shell and a multiple of liner panels mounted to the support shell via a multiple of studs, each of the multiple of liner panels having a multiple of intermediate rails to form a multiple of circumferential cavities.