Nested Combustor Liner Assembly for Compact Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional combustor liners for gas turbine engines in limited lifetime vehicles, such as UAVs and guided munitions, are oversized and require complex assembly, leading to increased manufacturing footprint and costs.
Innovation Solution
A nested combustor liner is manufactured in a green state using additive manufacturing techniques, assembled with compressible seals, and then sintered to reduce size and complexity, allowing multiple liners to be produced simultaneously in a single build cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional combustor liners are used in limited lifetime vehicles, then the structural requirements are met, but the manufacturing footprint and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by manufacturing multiple combustor liners simultaneously within a single build chamber using additive manufacturing. The liners are arranged in a nested configuration during the build process, allowing multiple components to occupy overlapping spatial footprints during manufacturing while maintaining their individual structural integrity for operational reliability
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional assembly methods with multiple fasteners are used, then the combustor liner can be assembled, but the manufacturing time and labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate combustor liner components into a single integrated additive manufacturing build process. Instead of assembling multiple fastened parts, the entire combustor liner structure is manufactured as one unified component or pre-assembled unit through additive manufacturing, eliminating the need for separate assembly operations and reducing manufacturing time
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing methods are used, then the combustor liner can be produced, but the number of manufactured parts and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses nesting to produce multiple combustor liners simultaneously within a single additive manufacturing build chamber. This approach increases manufacturing efficiency by producing multiple parts in one build cycle, reducing the total number of manufacturing operations required and lowering per-unit production costs
4Reliability
If oversized combustor liners are designed for limited lifetime vehicles, then the structural requirements are met, but the complexity of assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple combustor liner components into a single integrated structure manufactured through additive manufacturing. This merging of components simplifies the assembly process by eliminating the need for complex fastening operations between multiple parts while maintaining the structural integrity required for reliable operation
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 method reduces manufacturing footprint and time, lowers production costs, and enhances integration of complex features, while maintaining structural integrity under operational loads.
Implementation Method 1
The method includes sintering the assembled combustor liner to densify the combustor liner
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a nested combustor liner includes manufacturing a nested combustor liner into a green state including a plurality of annular interior walls radially adjacent to one another and circumferentially surrounding an exhaust duct aperture and a plurality of annular exterior walls radially adjacent to one another and radially spaced apart from and circumferentially surrounding the plurality of annular interior walls and an ignitor wall attached to a first annular interior wall at a first interior end, extending radially toward and attached to a first annular exterior wall at a first exterior end. The method includes assembling the plurality of annular interior walls and the plurality of annular exterior walls, forming an assembled combustor liner. The method includes densifying the assembled combustor liner.