Thermal machine

• US 8,434,313 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Tschuor, Remigi, Hhnle, Hartmut, Rdel, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ted
• Application Number:
  US12/540,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20100037621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 608/04, 607/52, 607/57, 607/58, 607/60
• US Class Current: 60/804
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/00017 Assembling combustion chamber liners or subparts
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/00018 Manufacturing combustion chamber liners or subparts
• 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 3/50 Combustion chambers comprising an annular flame tube within an annular casing toroidal combustion chambers F23R3/52
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/54 Reverse-flow combustion chambers

Abstract

A thermal machine, especially a gas turbine, includes an annular combustor which is outwardly delimited by an outer shell and an inner shell (33) and through which a hot gas axially flows. The outer shell and inner shell (33) are each provided with a concentric cooling shroud (31) which is attached at a distance on their outer side, forming a cooling passage (32) through which cooling passage (32) cooling air flows in a direction which is opposite to the hot gas flow. The cooling of the combustor is improved by at least one of the cooling shrouds (31), on the side on which the cooling air enters the cooling passage (32), having an outwardly curved, rounded inlet edge (37) for improving the inflow conditions.

Claims

1. A thermal machine comprising:

an annular combustor having and outwardly delimited by an outer shell and an inner shell and through which a hot gas flow can axially flow;

wherein the outer shell and inner shell each comprise a concentric cooling shroud attached at a distance on outer sides of the outer and inner shells and forming a cooling passage therebetween through which cooling passage cooling air can flow in a direction opposite to the hot gas flow;

wherein at least one of the cooling shrouds, on a side at which cooling air enters the cooling passage, has an outwardly curved, rounded inlet edge configured and arranged to improve inflow conditions;

wherein the cooling shrouds comprise and are assembled from individual cooling shroud segments which circumferentially adjoin each other, and further comprising distributed fastening elements which fasten the cooling shroud segments on the associated shells; and

wherein all the cooling shroud segments are divided into first cooling shroud segments which are adjacent of the parting plane, and second cooling shroud segments which lie outside the parting plane, and wherein the first cooling shroud segments have a raised side edge configured and arranged to adapt to the deviating shape of the shells.

2. The thermal machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling shroud is widened out in the region of the inlet edge in a bellmouth-shaped or flared manner.

3. The thermal machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inner cooling shroud, on a side at which the cooling air discharges from the cooling passage, has an outwardly curved, rounded discharge edge configured and arranged to reduce flow losses.

4. The thermal machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling shroud segments overlap each other in pairs in adjoining regions, and wherein a cooling shroud segment of each pair of shroud segments further comprises overlapping elements forming a form-fitting connection between overlapping cooling shroud segments.

5. The thermal machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening elements are arranged axially one behind the other, and further comprising additional holes in the cooling shroud segments in axial alignment with the fastening elements through which cooling air jets can flow in from outside into the respective cooling passage for improving cooling.

6. The thermal machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combustor is split in a parting plane into an upper half with upper half-shells and a lower half with lower half-shells;

wherein the half-shells are interconnected in the parting plane by parting plane welded seams;

wherein the shells in the region of the parting plane welded seams have a shape which deviates from the axial symmetry; and

wherein the cooling shrouds in the parting plane are adapted to the deviating shape of the shells.