Porous Combustor Components for Damping Combustion Dynamics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Combustors in turbomachine engines face challenges in balancing increased engine performance and fuel efficiency with reduced acoustic noise, emissions, and extended component life cycles, exacerbated by combustion dynamics such as thermoacoustic and hydrodynamic instabilities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing porous combustor components with tailored porous structures, such as gyroid geometries, that absorb and dissipate acoustic energy through channels designed to match and counteract specific instability frequencies, thereby reducing mechanical vibrations and thermal fluctuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If engine performance is increased through higher cycle overall pressure ratio, then power output improves, but acoustic noise and emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials in the combustor liner to damp combustion dynamics and reduce acoustic noise. The porous structure allows controlled flow of combustion gases while absorbing acoustic energy, thereby reducing noise and emissions without sacrificing power output from higher pressure ratio operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the combustor components, specifically introducing porosity variations in the liner material and adjusting flow characteristics through the porous structure. This enables damping of combustion instabilities and reduction of acoustic noise while maintaining the high pressure ratio conditions needed for power output.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If combustor components are designed to reduce combustion dynamics, then noise and emissions decrease, but component life cycle may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The porous combustor liner is designed to damp combustion dynamics while maintaining structural integrity. The porous structure provides acoustic damping benefits without compromising the mechanical strength and thermal resistance needed for reliable operation, thus extending component life cycle while reducing noise and emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures combining porous and dense regions in the combustor liner. This allows the porous sections to damp combustion dynamics while the dense structural portions maintain mechanical strength and thermal resistance, ensuring reliable operation and extended component life.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If porous structures are added to combustor components, then combustion dynamics are damped, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates porous materials directly into the combustor liner structure, creating a unified component rather than adding separate damping devices. This approach dampens combustion dynamics while avoiding significant increases in device complexity, as the porous liner serves both structural and acoustic damping functions simultaneously.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional combustor designs are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but they cannot effectively reduce combustion dynamics
Solution Approach 1:
The porous combustor liner can be manufactured using established techniques such as sintering, foam infiltration, or additive manufacturing. These methods, while slightly more complex than traditional solid liners, are well-established in the industry and allow the liner to provide combustion dynamics damping while maintaining reasonable manufacturing simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
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
Enhances durability and efficiency by damping combustion dynamics, improving mechanical strength, and maintaining structural integrity while reducing noise and emissions, with cost-effective and easily retrofittable designs.
Implementation Method 1
porous structures, such as gyroid geometries, that absorb and dissipate acoustic energy through channels designed to match and counteract specific instability frequencies
Implementation Method 2
The plurality of channels may be characterized by a plurality of parameters, such as a width, a length, a wall thickness, a shape, a curvature, and/or a cross section. In some embodiments, the porous structure is configured to dampen combustion dynamics for a plurality of frequencies
Implementation Method 3
thereby reducing mechanical vibrations and thermal fluctuations
Implementation Method 4
absorb and dissipate acoustic energy through channels designed to match and counteract specific instability frequencies
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a combustor for a turbomachine engine includes a combustion chamber and a component in operable flow with the combustion chamber. The component has a porous structure that defines multiple channels, that are adapted to configure the component as a damper to reduce combustion dynamics of the combustor. In another aspect, a combustor of a turbomachine engine includes a diffuser, a combustor component positioned aft of the diffuser to receive cooling air therefrom, and a support structure in operable flow with the diffuser and the combustor component and positioned therebetween. The support structure has a porous structure that defines multiple channels, which are adapted to improve a backflow margin of the cooling air by reducing turbulence of the cooling air.