Transition Nozzle Combustor Liner Tangential Flow Contouring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas turbine engines experience efficiency losses due to strong secondary flows in the first turbine stages, which are not effectively addressed by existing non-axisymmetric endwall contouring designs limited to conventional vanes and blades with leading and trailing edges.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a non-axisymmetric flow contouring feature within the combustor, where the combustor portion is oriented tangentially to the engine centerline and includes unique or similar flow contouring features such as troughs, trailing edge ridges, protrusions, and fences on the endwalls and sidewalls, eliminating the need for a separate first nozzle stage and optimizing flow direction to the turbine bucket stage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a separate first nozzle stage is added to direct flow tangentially to the turbine, then the turbine rotation is effectively induced, but the device complexity increases and secondary flow losses worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the combustor and the first nozzle stage into a single integrated component. The combustor liner is designed with non-axisymmetric endwall contouring that directly performs the flow direction function previously requiring a separate nozzle stage, thereby eliminating additional components while maintaining effective tangential flow induction for turbine rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The combustor liner is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it performs combustion containment while its non-axisymmetric endwall contouring directly directs the flow tangentially to induce turbine rotation. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for a dedicated separate nozzle stage, reducing device complexity while maintaining power generation effectiveness.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional axisymmetric combustor design is used, then the manufacturing is simpler, but secondary flow losses increase and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor liner employs non-axisymmetric endwall contouring with asymmetric troughs, ridges, and protrusions that create intentional flow asymmetry. This asymmetric geometry directs the combustion products to flow tangentially rather than axially, reducing secondary flows and improving efficiency while remaining manufacturable through standard forming processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The endwall contouring features are localized to specific regions of the combustor liner, with troughs positioned on the pressure side and ridges on the suction side. This local modification of the endwall geometry creates the necessary flow direction control without requiring complete redesign of the entire combustor, balancing manufacturing simplicity with performance improvement.
3Loss of energy
If non-axisymmetric endwall contouring is applied to conventional vanes and blades, then secondary flow losses are reduced, but the solution is not applicable to the combustor nozzle stage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the application of non-axisymmetric endwall contouring from conventional turbine vanes and blades to the combustor liner itself. This universal application of the contouring principle to the nozzle stage demonstrates its versatility, showing that the same geometric feature can effectively reduce secondary flows in different components of the turbine system.
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 reduces secondary flow losses and enhances the efficiency of the gas turbine engine by directly inducing rotation in the first turbine bucket stage, improving overall engine performance without the need for a dedicated nozzle stage.
Implementation Method 1
a non-axisymetric flow contouring feature in the combustor. The portion of the combustor is oriented tangentially with respect to an engine centerline
Implementation Method 2
The combustor then mixes the compressed gas with combustible materials, such as fuel, and combusts the mixture to produce high energy and high temperature fluids
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
A transition nozzle is provided and includes a liner (20) in which combustion occurs and through which products of the combustion flow toward a turbine bucket stage. The liner (20) includes opposing endwalls (201) and opposing sidewalls (202) extending between the opposing endwalls (201). The opposing sidewalls (202) are oriented to tangentially direct the flow of the combustion products toward the turbine bucket stage. At least one of the opposing endwalls (201) and the opposing sidewalls (202) including a flow contouring feature to guide the flow of the combustion products.