Segmented Combustor Liner Planks for Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine combustor liners face challenges in durability due to harsh heat and stress environments, leading to reduced lifespan and increased maintenance costs, with existing designs often lacking in weight reduction and modular inspection capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A combustor design featuring a skeleton mesh structure with louvers that supports an inner and outer liner, utilizing ceramic or metal-coated planks to reduce hoop stress, enhance durability, and facilitate modular replacement, while providing impingement cooling and a lightweight configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional combustor liner designs are used, then structural strength is maintained, but weight is excessive and durability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor liner is divided into multiple individual planks that can be separately manufactured, inspected, and replaced. Each plank is a discrete structural element that contributes to the overall strength while allowing for optimized material usage and weight reduction compared to a monolithic liner design.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner planks utilize composite material structures, combining materials with different properties to achieve optimal strength-to-weight ratio. This allows the liner to maintain required structural strength while significantly reducing weight compared to traditional solid metal liners.
2Stability of the object's composition
If continuous liner design is used, then structural integrity is maintained, but inspection and maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is segmented into multiple independent planks that are joined together to form the complete liner structure. This segmentation maintains structural integrity through proper joining mechanisms while enabling individual plank inspection and replacement, significantly simplifying maintenance operations compared to a continuous liner design.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular plank design allows individual planks to be inspected, and only those showing wear or damage need to be replaced rather than the entire liner. This selective replacement approach reduces maintenance complexity and costs while maintaining structural integrity of the remaining planks.
3Reliability
If heavy-duty liner materials are used, then durability is improved, but weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The liner planks utilize composite material structures that combine materials with different properties to achieve optimal strength-to-weight ratio. This allows the liner to maintain required structural strength and durability while significantly reducing weight compared to traditional solid metal liners made from heavy-duty materials alone.
Solution Approach 2:
Dividing the liner into segmented planks allows for optimized material distribution, using heavier materials only where structurally necessary and lighter materials where sufficient, thereby maintaining overall durability while reducing total weight.
4Ease of repair
If modular plank design is implemented, then maintenance is simplified, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is divided into standardized modular planks with consistent dimensions and joining mechanisms. This standardization reduces manufacturing complexity by allowing repeated production of identical or similar components using the same processes, tools, and quality control procedures, while still providing the maintenance benefits of modularity.
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
The solution significantly improves liner durability, reduces weight by at least 20%, extends the combustor's life cycle beyond 20,000 cycles, and simplifies maintenance through modular design, resulting in cost savings and improved efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A combustor includes a skeleton mesh structure having a plurality of structural elements configured to mesh together to form the skeleton mesh structure, each of the plurality of structural elements including a frame and plurality of louvers connected to the frame. The combustor also includes an inner liner mounted to the skeleton mesh structure to define a combustion chamber, the inner liner having a plurality of inner planks mounted to the skeleton mesh structure... The plurality of louvers being spaced apart by a gap to define a plurality of openings to allow air to pass therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
A combustor includes a skeleton mesh structure having a plurality of structural elements configured to mesh together to form the skeleton mesh structure, each of the plurality of structural elements including a frame and, a plurality of louvers connected to the frame. The combustor also includes an inner liner mounted to the skeleton mesh structure to define a combustion chamber. The inner liner includes a plurality of inner planks mounted to the skeleton mesh structure, each of the plurality of inner planks being mounted to a corresponding one of the plurality of structural elements.