Combustor cooling hole pattern

• US 7,614,235 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Cheung, Albert K., Burd, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; William H
• Application Number:
  US11/069,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20060196188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 60752-760
• US Class Current: 60/754
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/03041 Effusion cooled combustion chamber walls or domes
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/03042 Film cooled combustion chamber walls or domes
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/002 Wall structures F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/06 Arrangement of apertures along the flame tube

Abstract

A combustor assembly includes an inner and outer liner defining a combustion chamber. The inner and outer liners include a plurality of cooling holes spaced a specified distance apart. The cooling holes include first, second and third groups. The first group of cooling holes is the most densely spaced, followed by the second group and then the third group. The first group of cooling holes begin upstream of a leading edge of a large opening and terminates downstream of the leading edge. The increased density of cooling holes adjacent the large openings provide increased cooling airflow in areas where cooling may be affected by local disturbances in cooling airflow.

Claims

1. A combustor liner assembly comprising:

a liner defining an opening;

a first group of cooling holes formed in said liner beginning upstream of a leading edge of said opening and ending before at least a trailing edge of the opening, wherein the cooling holes in the first group are spaced apart according to a first hole density; and

a second group of cooling holes disposed outside of said first group of cooling holes, said cooling holes in the second group spaced apart according to a second hole density that is less than the first hole density, wherein said second group of cooling holes is disposed upstream of said first group of cooling holes.

2. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first group of cooling holes ends at a trailing edge of said opening.

3. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first group of cooling holes ends before said trailing edge of said opening.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said liner is annular, and said cooling holes of said first and second groups are arranged in annular rows spaced axially apart.

5. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first group of cooling holes and said second group of cooling holes are between 0.010 and 0.050 inches in diameter.

6. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first group of cooling holes and said second group of cooling holes are between 0.02 and 0.03 inches in diameter.

7. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first group of cooling holes are spaced apart from each other axially and circumferentially approximately 2 to 15 times a diameter of said cooling holes.

8. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first group of cooling holes are spaced apart from each other axially and circumferentially approximately 4 to 5 times a diameter of said cooling holes.

9. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said second group of cooling holes are spaced apart, axially and circumferentially approximately 5 to 6 times a diameter of one of said cooling holes.

10. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said cooling holes are disposed at an inclination angle relative to a surface of said liner.

11. The assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein said inclination angle is between 10°

and 45°

relative to an axial direction.

12. The assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein said inclination angle is between 20°

and 30°

in an axial direction.

13. The assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein said inclination angle is a compound angle including an axial component and a transverse component.

14. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said opening is larger than said cooling holes.

15. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said opening comprises a dilution hole.

16. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said opening provides for an airflow greater than a flow of cooling air.

17. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said airflow through said opening is generally normal to said liner surface.

18. A combustor liner assembly comprising:

a liner defining an opening;

a first group of cooling holes formed in said liner beginning upstream of a leading edge of said opening and ending before at least a trailing edge of the opening, wherein the cooling holes in the first group are spaced apart according to a first hole density;

a second group of cooling holes disposed outside of said first group of cooling holes, said cooling holes in the second group spaced apart according to a second hole density that is less than the first distance; and

a third group of cooling holes, wherein said third group of cooling holes are spaced apart according to a third distance, wherein the third distance is less than said first and second bole densities for the first and second group of cooling holes.

19. The assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein said third group of cooling holes begins downstream of said first group of cooling holes.

20. The assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein said third group of cooling holes are spaced apart, axially and circumferentially approximately 6 to 7 times a diameter of one of said cooling holes.

21. A combustor assembly comprising:

a liner including an opening;

a first group of cooling holes within said liner supplying a flow of cooling air, said first group of cooling holes disposed within said liner beginning upstream of a leading edge of said opening and ending at least before a trailing edge of said opening; and

a second group of cooling holes within said liner supplying a flow of cooling air, said second group of cooling holes disposed outside of said first group of cooling holes, said second group of cooling holes spaced apart according to a second hole density that is less than a spacing between cooling holes according to a first hole density within said first group of cooling holes, wherein said second group of cooling holes is disposed upstream of said first group of cooling hole.

22. The assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said first group of cooling holes ends at a trailing edge of said opening.

23. The assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said first group of cooling holes ends upstream of a trailing edge of said opening.

24. The assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said first group of cooling holes includes an axial and circumferential spacing of about 2 to 15 hole diameters.

25. The assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said first group of cooling holes includes an axial and circumferential spacing of about 4 to 5 hole diameters.

26. The assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said second group of cooling holes includes an axial and circumferential spacing of about 5 to 6 hole diameters.

27. A combustor assembly comprising:

a liner including an opening;

a first group of cooling holes within said liner supplying a flow of cooling air, said first group of cooling holes disposed within said liner beginning upstream of a leading edge of said opening and ending at least before a trailing edge of said opening;

a second group of cooling holes within said liner supplying a flow of cooling air, said second group of cooling holes disposed outside of said first group of cooling holes, said second group of cooling holes spaced apart according to a second hole density that is less than a spacing according to a first hole density between cooling holes within said first group of cooling holes; and

a third group of cooling holes spaced apart from each other according to a third hole density that is less than said first hole density of said first group of cooling holes and said second hole density of said second group of cooling holes.

28. The assembly as recited in claim 27, wherein said third group of cooling holes includes an axial and circumferential spacing of about 6 to 7 hole diameters.

29. The assembly as recited in claim 27, wherein said third group of cooling holes is disposed downstream of said first group of cooling holes.