Attachment of a ceramic combustor can

• US 20080010990A1
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Shi, Jun, Jarmon, David C., Tuthill, Richard S., Melman, Jeffrey D., Bombara, David J., Lawrence, Jason, Weber, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,762,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/772
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 25/0072 Joints for pipes of dissimilar materials non-disconnectible joints for pipes of dissimilar materials F16L13/007; joints between metal and plastic pipes F16L47/24
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 49/02 Joints with a sleeve or socket
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 49/06 Joints in which sealing surfaces are pressed together by means of a member, e.g. swivel nut, screwed on, or into, one of the joint parts
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/00017 Assembling combustion chamber liners or subparts
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/002 Wall structures F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/007 constructed mainly of ceramic components
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/60 Support structures; Attaching or mounting means

Abstract

A combustor assembly includes a metal section having an axial slot that receives a ceramic section. A clamp is received about the axial slot to secure the metal section and ceramic section together. Tabs on the metal section, a gasket between the metal section and the ceramic section, and springs within the clamp deform an amount that is greater than a thermal expansion difference between the metal section and the ceramic section to maintain a clamping force of the clamp.

Claims

1. A combustor assembly comprising:

a metal section defining an axis and including an axial slot; and

a ceramic section received into the axial slot.

2. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the metal section includes a first diameter section and a second diameter section that is less than the first diameter section, the axial slot being between the second diameter section and tabs extending axially from the first diameter section.

3. The assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the annular section includes an axial sub-slot that receives the ceramic section.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the tabs are elastically deformable in a radial direction.

5. The assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of the tabs includes a tab opening that corresponds to an opening in the ceramic section.

6. The assembly as recited in claim 4, further comprising a gasket between the tabs and the ceramic section.

7. The assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a clamp about the axial slot.

8. The assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a support ring secured to an exit duct, the support ring receiving the ceramic section there through, and a ceramic seal between the support ring and the ceramic section.

9. A combustor assembly comprising:

a metal section;

a ceramic section; and

a clamp received about a perimeter of the metal section and the ceramic section to secure the metal section and the ceramic section together.

10. The assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the metal section defines a longitudinal axis and the clamp provides a securing force in a radial direction.

11. The assembly as recited in claim 9, further comprising a fastener received through the clamp, metal section, and ceramic section to resist relative axial and circumferential movement.

12. The assembly as recited in claim 11, further comprising a gasket between the fastener and at least the ceramic section.

13. The assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the fastener includes an internal cooling passage.

14. The assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the clamp includes at least a first section and a second section secured together with a threaded fastener and a nut.

15. The assembly as recited in claim 14, further comprising at least one spring between the threaded fastener and the nut.

16. The assembly as recited in claim 15, further comprising a plurality of springs between the threaded fastener and the nut.

17. The assembly as recited in claim 9, further comprising a spring gasket between the metal section and the ceramic section.

18. The assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein the clamp is made of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion between about 4×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

F. and about 6×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

F.

19. The assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein the spring gasket is made of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than the first coefficient of thermal expansion.

20. The assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the metal section includes an axial slot that receives the ceramic section and the clamp is received about the axial slot.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, including elastically deforming a gasket, a spring, and an axially extending tab on one of the first and second sections.

21. A method of securing thermally mismatched sections together, comprising:

elastically deforming at least two deformation members in a radial direction to cooperatively provide an amount of deformation that is greater than a thermal expansion difference in the radial direction between first and second sections to at least partially maintain a securing force between the first and second sections.