THERMAL MACHINE

• US 20110113790A1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: DUGGANS (-ONEIL), Marion, JONES, Russell Bond, TSCHUOR, Remigi, VOGEL, Gregory, HAEHNLE, Hartmut
• Granted Patent: US 8,272,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/806
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/26 Double casings; Measures against temperature strain in casings
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/023 Transition ducts between combustor cans and first stage of the turbine in gas-turbine engines; their cooling or sealings
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/12 Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/40 in turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 2900/03044 Impingement cooled combustion chamber walls or subassemblies
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/005 Combined with pressure or heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/04 Air inlet arrangements

Abstract

A thermal machine including a wall defining a hot gas duct for transferring a hot gas stream and a cooling jacket disposed at a distance from the wall on an outside of the hot gas duct so as to define a cooling duct with an inlet and an outlet. The cooling duct is configured to conduct a cooling medium along an external face of the wall from the inlet to an outlet in a direction counter to a flow of hot gas in the hot gas duct. An impingement cooling plate is disposed at the inlet of the cooling duct and includes cooling baffle holes configured such that cooling medium entering the cooling duct through the cooling baffle holes flows in a direction perpendicular to the wall. The impingement cooling plate is positioned such that an inflow-side edge sealingly abuts the wall of the hot gas duct so as to reduce a transverse flow of the cooling medium through the cooling duct.

Claims

1. :

A thermal machine comprising;

a wall defining a hot gas duct for transferring a hot gas stream;

a cooling jacket disposed at a distance from the wall on an outside of the hot gas duct so as to define a cooling duct with an inlet and an outlet, the cooling duct configured to conduct a cooling medium along an external face of the wall from the inlet to an outlet in a direction counter to a flow of hot gas in the hot gas duct;

an impingement cooling plate disposed at the inlet of the cooling duct and including cooling baffle holes and an inflow-side edge, the impingement cooling plate being configured such that cooling medium entering the cooling duct through the cooling baffle holes flows in a direction perpendicular to the wall, and the impingement cooling plate positioned such that the inflow-side edge sealingly abuts the wall of the hot gas duct so as to reduce a transverse flow of the cooling medium through the cooling duct.

2. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the machine is a gas turbine.

3. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal machine is configured to use air as the cooling medium.

4. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the wall includes an outwardly protruding shoulder at the inlet of the cooling duct, and wherein the inflow-side edge sealingly abuts the shoulder of the wall.

5. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 4, wherein the inflow-side edge of the impingement cooling plate loosely bears against the shoulder.

6. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 4, wherein the impingement cooling plate includes a seal extending along the inflow-side edge.

11. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 1, further comprising spacer elements holding the impingement cooling plate at a predefined distance from the wall.

12. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the impingement cooling plate includes, in succession in the direction counter to the flow of hot gas, an end region, a junction region and a connecting region, wherein

the end region is adjacent the inflow-side edge and runs substantially parallel to the wall,

the junction region is bent outward in an S shape and includes a plurality of inlets each configured to direct the cooling medium through the impingement cooling plate in a direction parallel to the wall, and

the connecting region runs substantially parallel to the wall.

13. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 12, wherein each inlet corresponds to an inwardly bent tab in the impingement cooling plate.

14. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 12, wherein a baffle is disposed in each inlet at an orientation that is parallel to the direction of flow through the inlet.

15. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the cooling baffle holes are distributed over a surface of the end region.

16. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 2, further comprising a combustion chamber and rotor blades, wherein the hot gas duct is disposed between the combustion chamber and a first row of the rotor blades.

17. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 16, wherein the combustion chamber is annular and is separable along a separating plane, and

wherein the wall of the hot gas duct includes an inner shell and an outer shell, and the cooling jacket includes inner and outer cooling jackets forming respective inner and outer cooling ducts.

18. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 17, further comprising a compressor configured to compress intake combustion air, and

a plenum connected to an outlet of the compressor,

wherein the combustion chamber is surrounded by the plenum and is arranged with the hot gas duct and cooling ducts such that the compressed air flows out of the plenum counter to the flow of hot gas in the hot gas duct, throught the cooling ducts to burners disposed in the combustion chamber.

19. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 18, wherein the burners are premixer burners.

20. :

The thermal machine as recited in claim 17, further comprising a flange attached to one of the outer shell and inner shell, the flange including an outwardly protruding shoulder configured to sealingly abut the inflow-side edge of the impingement cooling plate.