Power plants – Combustion products used as motive fluid – Combustion products generator
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-10
2003-12-02
Yu, Justine R. (Department: 3746)
Power plants
Combustion products used as motive fluid
Combustion products generator
C060S752000, C060S754000, C431S353000, C431S350000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06655147
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a liner for the combustor of a gas turbine engine and, in particular, to an annular one-piece corrugated liner of substantially sinusoidal cross-section where the amplitude of the corrugations and/or the wavelength between adjacent corrugations is varied from an upstream end to a downstream end.
Combustor liners are generally used in the combustion section of a gas turbine engine located between the compressor and turbine sections of the engine, although such liners may also be used in the exhaust sections of aircraft engines that employ afterburners. Combustors generally include an exterior casing and an interior combustor where fuel is burned to produce a hot gas at an intensely high temperature (e.g., 3000° F. or even higher). To prevent this intense heat from damaging the combustor case and the surrounding engine before it exits to a turbine, a heat shield or combustor liner is provided in the interior of the combustor.
One type of liner design includes a number of annular sheet metal bands which are joined by brazing, where each band is subject to piercing operations after forming to incorporate nugget cooling holes and shaped dilution holes. Each band is then tack welded and brazed to the adjacent band, with stiffeners known as “belly bands” being tack welded and brazed to the sheet metal bands. The fabrication of this liner has been found to be labor intensive and difficult, principally due to the inefficiency of brazing steps applied to the stiffeners and sheet metal bands.
In order to eliminate the plurality of individual sheet metal bands, an annular one-piece sheet metal liner design has been developed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,379 to Wakeman et al., U.S. No. Pat. 5,233,828 to Napoli, U.S. No. Pat. 5,279,127 to Napoli, U.S. No. Pat. 5,465,572 to Nicoll et al., and U.S. No. Pat. 5,483,794 to Nicoll et al. While each of these patents is primarily concerned with various cooling aspects of the one-piece liner, it will be noted that alternative configurations for such liners are disclosed as being corrugated so as to form a wavy wall. In this way, the buckling resistance and restriction of liner deflection for such liners is improved. The corrugations preferably take on a shallow sine wave form, but the amplitude of each corrugation (wave) and the wavelength between adjacent corrugations (waves) is shown and described as being substantially uniform across the axial length of the liner.
It has been determined that the stiffness requirements for a one-piece sheet metal liner are likely to vary across the axial length thereof since certain points will be weaker than others. Thus, it would be desirable for an annular, one-piece corrugated liner to be developed for use with a gas turbine engine combustor which provides a variable amount of stiffness along its axial length as required by the liner. It would also be desirable for such a liner to be manufactured and assembled more easily, including the manner in which it is attached at its upstream and downstream ends.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, an annular one-piece liner for a combustor of a gas turbine engine is disclosed as including a first end adjacent to an upstream end of the combustor, a second end adjacent to a downstream end of the combustor, and a plurality of corrugations between the first and second ends, each corrugation having an amplitude and a wavelength between an adjacent corrugation, wherein the amplitude of the corrugations is variable from the first end to the second end. The wavelengths between adjacent corrugations may be either substantially equal or variable from the first end to the second end of the liner.
In a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, an annular one-piece liner for a combustor of a gas turbine engine is disclosed as including a first end adjacent to an upstream end of the combustor, a second end adjacent to a downstream end of the combustor, and a plurality of corrugations between the first and second ends, each corrugation having an amplitude and a wavelength between an adjacent corrugation, wherein the wavelength between adjacent corrugations is variable from the first end to the second end. The amplitudes of each corrugation may be either substantially equal or variable from the first end to the second end of the liner.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3398527 (1968-08-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 4833881 (1989-05-01), Vdoviak et al.
patent: 4930729 (1990-06-01), Savill
patent: 5181379 (1993-01-01), Wakeman et al.
patent: 5233828 (1993-08-01), Napoli
patent: 5279127 (1994-01-01), Napoli
patent: 5363654 (1994-11-01), Lee
patent: 5460002 (1995-10-01), Correa
patent: 5465572 (1995-11-01), Nicoll et al.
patent: 5479772 (1996-01-01), Halila
patent: 5483794 (1996-01-01), Nicoll et al.
Devane Shaun M.
Farmer Gilbert
Vandike John L.
Andes William Scott
Davidson James P.
General Electric Company
Rodriguez William H.
Yu Justine R.
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