Variable Geometry Resonator for Gas Turbine Combustor Pressure Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines experience damage due to combustor pressure oscillations at natural frequencies, which existing technologies fail to effectively dampen, leading to potential engine fatigue and premature wear.
Innovation Solution
A system with a variable geometry resonator coupled to fluid supplies (air, fuel, and diluent) upstream of the combustor, tuned by a controller using feedback from pressure sensors to dampen pressure oscillations, reducing the risk of engine damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed geometry resonator is used to dampen pressure oscillations, then oscillations at a specific frequency are reduced, but the system cannot adapt to varying frequency conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The resonator incorporates variable geometry elements (such as adjustable orifices, movable walls, or changeable cavity volumes) that allow the resonant frequency to be dynamically adjusted. This enables the system to adapt to varying combustion oscillation frequencies while maintaining effective damping, resolving the contradiction between fixed-frequency protection and frequency adaptability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If existing damping technologies are applied to the combustor, then some pressure oscillations are reduced, but they fail to effectively dampen oscillations at natural frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses the harmful pressure oscillations themselves to drive the resonator, converting the oscillation energy into useful damping action. The resonator is tuned to the natural frequencies of the combustor, allowing it to selectively amplify and then dissipate energy at these critical frequencies through acoustic resonance, thereby effectively reducing the harmful oscillations that other damping technologies cannot control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a variable geometry resonator with feedback control is implemented, then frequency adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates pressure sensors that monitor combustor oscillations and feed this information to a controller, which adjusts the resonator geometry in real-time. This feedback loop enables automatic adaptation to changing frequency conditions without requiring complex manual intervention, balancing the need for frequency adaptability with acceptable system complexity through automated control.
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 effectively reduces combustor-driven oscillations by damping pressure fluctuations within fluid supplies and the combustor, thereby protecting the engine from fatigue and wear, while allowing for continuous tuning to adapt to varying frequency conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a variable geometry resonator coupled to the fluid injection system. The resonator is configured to dampen pressure oscillations in the fluid path and the combustor
Implementation Method 2
The resonator is configured to dampen pressure oscillations in the fluid path and the combustor
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a system includes a variable geometry resonator configured to couple to a fluid path upstream from a combustor of a turbine engine. The variable geometry resonator is configured to dampen pressure oscillations in the fluid path and the combustor.