Combustor

• US 7,146,815 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Burd, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): FREAY, CHARLES GRANT
• Application Number:
  US10/632,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 607/52, 60755-757
• US Class Current: 60/752
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/03042 Film cooled combustion chamber walls or domes
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/03044 Impingement cooled combustion chamber walls or subassemblies
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/002 Wall structures F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/60 Support structures; Attaching or mounting means

Abstract

A combustor heat shield panel is secured relative to a combustor shell so as to hold the panel exterior surface spaced apart from and facing the shell interior surface over major area of the panel exterior surface. A gap is formed between the heat shield exterior surface and shell interior surface along at least a major portion of the perimeter of the heat shield.

Claims

1. A combustor heatshield panel comprising:

an interior surface;

an exterior surface;

a plurality of cooling gas passageways having inlets on the exterior surface and outlets on the interior surface;

a plurality of studs extending from the exterior surface and having distal threaded portions; and

a plurality of standoffs having distal surfaces for engaging a mounting surface and protruding by a distance at least 0.2 mm greater than protrusion of any perimeter rail extending at least 20% of a length of a perimeter of the panel.

2. The panel of claim 1 wherein:

each standoff is formed as a collar or a pin array encircling a portion of an associated one of the studs.

3. The panel of claim 1 wherein:

said distance is at least 0.4 mm greater.

4. The panel of claim 1 wherein:

the panel has a main body portion and each stud is either unitarily formed with the main body portion or is non-unitarily integrally formed with the main body portion.

5. The panel of claim 1 wherein the panel perimeter has:

a leading edge;

a trailing edge; and

first and second lateral edges between the leading and trailing edges.

6. A combustor heat shield panel and shell combination comprising:

a heatshield panel comprising;

an interior surface;

an exterior surface;

a perimeter,

a plurality of cooling gas passageways having inlets on the panel exterior surface and outlets on the panel interior surface;

a shell comprising;

an interior surface;

an exterior surface;

a plurality of cooling gas passageways having inlets on the shell exterior surface and outlets on the shell interior surface; and

means securing the panel to the shell so as to hold the panel exterior surface spaced apart from and facing the shell interior surface over a major area of the panel exterior surface, with a gap between the panel exterior surface and shell interior surface along at least a major portion of the perimeter.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the gap extends around the entirety of the perimeter.

8. The combination of claim 6 wherein the panel exterior surface has a rail within 12.7 mm of the perimeter extending toward the shell along a major portion of the gap.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the rail extends around the entirety of the perimeter.

10. The combination of claim 6 wherein the panel exterior surface lacks a rail extending toward the shell along a major portion of the gap.

11. The combination of claim 6 wherein the gap has a height of at least 0.2 mm along a majority of the perimeter.

12. The combination of claim 6 wherein the means comprise a plurality of studs and wherein the heatshield and shell are noncontacting beyond areas within 12.7 mm of axes of the studs.

13. The combination of claim 6 wherein:

the means comprise a plurality of studs;

the panel has a main body portion; and

each stud is either unitarily formed with the main body portion or is non-unitarily integrally formed with the main body portion.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein:

the means further comprise a plurality of standoffs;

chambers are formed between the studs, standoffs, panel exterior surface, and shell interior surface.

15. The combination of claim 6 wherein the panel perimeter has:

a leading edge;

a trailing edge; and

first and second lateral edges between the leading and trailing edges.