Corrugated cowl for combustor of a gas turbine engine and method for configuring same

• US 20030159445A1
• Filed: 02/27/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Dede, Mehmet M., Shorter, Balena B., Durstock, Daniel L., Farmer, Gilbert, Redden, Ronald D., Groeschen, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,672,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/748
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/04 Air inlet arrangements

Abstract

A cowl for use with a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the cowl includes a main body with an annular corrugation. A combustor of a gas turbine engine, the combustor includes: a hollow body defining a combustion chamber, the hollow body having a liner; an outer cowl having an annular corrugation, the cowl connecting to the liner; and an inner cowl connecting to the liner. A method of configuring a cowl for a gas turbine engine combustor, the method includes forming an annular corrugation in a main body of the cowl.

Claims

1. A cowl for use with a combustor of a gas turbine engine, wherein the improvement comprises an annular corrugation formed in said cowl.

2. The cowl of claim 1, wherein said main body is made of sheet metal.

3. The cowl of claim 1, wherein the cowl is an outer cowl.

4. The cowl of claim 1, wherein the cowl is an inner cowl.

5. The cowl of claim 1, wherein said annular corrugation includes at least two annular corrugations.

6. The cowl of claim 5, wherein said annular corrugations has a spacing between each annular corrugation.

7. The cowl of claim 6, wherein said spacing is about 0.010 inches to about 0.500 inches.

8. The cowl of claim 6, wherein said spacing is about 0.080 inches.

9. The cowl of claim 1, wherein said annular corrugation has a height.

10. The cowl of claim 9, wherein said height is from about 0.010 inches to about 0.050 inches.

11. The cowl of claim 9, wherein said height is about 0.0334 inches.

12. The cowl of claim 1, further comprising a partial wrap disposed at a first end of said cowl.

13. The cowl of claim 1, further comprising a full wrap disposed at a first end of said cowl.

14. A combustor of a gas turbine engine, the combustor comprising:

a hollow body defining a combustion chamber, said hollow body having a liner;

an outer cowl having an annular corrugation, said outer cowl connecting to said liner; and

an inner cowl connecting to said liner.

15. The combustor of claim 14, wherein said inner corrugations has an inner annular corrugation.

16. The combustor of claim 14, wherein said main body is made of sheet metal.

17. The combustor of claim 14, wherein said annular corrugation includes at least two annular corrugations.

18. The combustor of claim 17, wherein said annular corrugations has a spacing between each annular corrugation.

19. The combustor of claim 18, wherein said spacing is about 0.01 inches to about 0.50 inches.

20. The combustor of claim 18, wherein said spacing is about 0.080 inches.

21. The combustor of claim 14, wherein said annular corrugation has a height.

22. The combustor of claim 21, wherein said height is from about 0.010 inches to about 0.050 inches.

23. The combustor of claim 21, wherein said height is about 0.0334 inches.

24. The combustor of claim 14, further comprising a partial wrap disposed at a first end of said outer cowl.

25. The combustor of claim 14, further comprising a full wrap disposed at a first end of said outer cowl.

26. The combustor of claim 14, further comprising a mixer disposed between said outer cowl and said inner cowl.

27. A method of configuring a cowl for a gas turbine engine combustor, the method comprising forming an annular corrugation in a main body of the cowl.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming a second annular corrugation.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising spacing said annular corrugations from about 0.01 inches to about 0.5 inches apart.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising spacing said annular corrugations about 0.08 inches apart.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming said annular corrugation with a height of between 0.01 inches to about 0.05 inches.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming said annular corrugation with a height of about 0.0334 inches.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming a partial wrap at a first end of said main body.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming a full wrap at a first end of said main body.