Wall elements for gas turbine engine combustors

• US 7,886,541 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Woolford, James R, Mills, Stephen J, White, Kevin A
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuff; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi; Young
• Application Number:
  US11/653,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 607/52, 607/54, 607/55, 607/57, 607/58, 607/60
• US Class Current: 60/755
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A combustor wall element arrangement for a gas turbine engine comprises an upstream wall element (50A) overlapping a downstream wall element (50B) and defining a gap (37) and an outlet (35) therebetween. In use, a coolant flow exits the outlet (35) to provide a coolant film (D) across at least a part of the downstream wall element (50B). The outlet (35) has a smaller dimension, normal to the downstream wall element (50B), than the gap (37) thereby increasing the velocity of the coolant flow across at the downstream wall element (50B). The resultant film coolant flow is effective further across the downstream wall element.

Claims

1. A double wall combustor arrangement of a gas turbine engine, the arrangement comprising:

an external wall comprising a liner;

an internal wall comprising a plurality of overlapping tiles, the internal and external walls in respect to a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine, an upstream tile overlapping a downstream tile and defining a gap and an outlet therebetween;

a coolant flow passes during use through said gap and exits the outlet to provide a coolant film across at least a part of the downstream tile; and

a plurality of projections being provided on an outer surface of the tiles to facilitate heat transfer to the coolant flow during use, wherein the outlet has a smaller dimension normal to the downstream tile than the gap to increase the velocity of the coolant flow across the downstream tile during use.

2. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of projections comprises a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern spaced from the outlet.

3. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the outlet has a smaller cross-sectional area than the gap.

10. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the first pattern comprises a staggered array of pedestals.

11. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the second pattern comprises elongate pedestals.

12. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the elongate pedestals define coolant flow passages therebetween, the elongate pedestals are tapered in the downstream direction such that the coolant flow is diffused across the outlet.

13. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the elongate pedestals define coolant flow passages therebetween, the elongate pedestals are tapered in the upstream direction such that the passages are convergent laterally and towards the outlet to further increase the velocity of the coolant flow across the downstream wall element.

14. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the second pattern comprises pedestals arranged substantially in-line.

15. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 14, wherein adjacent pedestals consecutively increase in cross-sectional area.

16. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 14, wherein adjacent pedestals consecutively decrease in cross-sectional area.

4. A double wall combustor arrangement of a gas turbine engine, the arrangement comprising:

an external wall comprising a liner;

an internal wall comprising a plurality of overlapping tiles, the internal and external walls in respect to a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine, an upstream tile overlapping a downstream tile and defining a gap and an outlet therebetween;

a coolant flow passes during use through said gap and exits the outlet to provide a coolant film across at least a part of the downstream tile; and

a plurality of projections being provided on an outer surface of the tiles to facilitate heat transfer to the coolant flow during use, wherein the outlet has a smaller dimension normal to the downstream tile than the gap to increase the velocity of the coolant flow across the downstream tile during use, and wherein the upstream and downstream tiles define a convergent portion leading to the outlet.

5. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the upstream and downstream tiles define a constant cross-section portion of the outlet, the constant cross-section portion positioned downstream of the convergent portion.

6. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the projections in the second pattern are adjacent the convergent portion and/or the constant cross-section portion.

7. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a trailing edge of the projections in the second pattern are within the region of the convergent portion and/or the constant cross-section portion.

8. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a trailing edge of the projections in the second pattern are within the region of the convergent portion and/or the constant cross-section portion.

9. A double wall combustor arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a trailing edge of the projections of the second pattern is aligned with the exit plane of the outlet.