Combustion chamber having a hook and groove connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10816212-B2
Application number	US-201715467603-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A gas turbine engine combustion chamber includes upstream and downstream ring structures and a plurality of circumferentially arranged combustion chamber segments. Each segment extends the full length of the combustion chamber and each segment is secured to the upstream ring structure and is mounted on the downstream ring structure. A frame structure at the downstream end of each segment has multiple spaced radially extending holes. The downstream end of each segment has an axially upstream extending groove and the downstream ring structure has an annular axially upstream extending hook which locates in the groove of each segment. A portion of the downstream ring structure abuts the frame structure of each segment. The downstream ring structure has multiple holes through the portion abutting the frame structure and segment is removably secured to the downstream ring structure by multiple fasteners locating in the holes in the segments and the downstream ring structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A combustion chamber comprising an upstream ring structure, a downstream ring structure and a plurality of circumferentially arranged combustion chamber segments, the combustion chamber having an axial direction that extends axially between the upstream ring structure and the downstream ring structure,
each combustion chamber segment extending along a full length of the combustion chamber, each combustion chamber segment comprising a frame structure and an inner wall, the frame structure and the inner wall being integral, each combustion chamber segment and each frame structure having an upstream end and a downstream end, the downstream end of the frame structure of each combustion chamber segment having a downstream edge and a surface,
the upstream end of each combustion chamber segment being secured to the upstream ring structure and the downstream end of each combustion chamber segment being mounted on the downstream ring structure,
the downstream edge of the frame structure at the downstream end of each combustion chamber segment having a circumferentially and axially upstream extending groove, the downstream ring structure having an annular axially upstream extending hook disposed in the axially upstream extending groove of each combustion chamber segment such that the hook is inserted into the groove along the axial direction,
the downstream ring structure having a portion abutting the surface of the frame structure at the downstream end of each combustion chamber segment,
the surface at the downstream end of the frame structure of each combustion chamber segment having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending holes,
the downstream ring structure having a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes extending radially through the portion abutting the surface of the frame structure,
and each combustion chamber segment being removably secured to the downstream ring structure by a plurality of fasteners locatable in the holes in the frame structure and corresponding holes in the downstream ring structure, each combustion chamber segment being removably secured to the downstream ring structure to allow differential thermal expansion and/or contraction between the combustion chamber segments and the downstream ring structure.

2. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 1 wherein the downstream ring structure has a plurality of first holes and a plurality of second holes, the first holes and the second holes being arranged circumferentially and alternately around the downstream ring structure, each first hole has a same diameter as a diameter of the holes in the frame structure of the combustion chamber segments, each second hole is circumferentially slotted, each first hole is aligned axially and circumferentially with a hole in a corresponding combustion chamber segment and each second hole is aligned axially with another hole in the corresponding combustion chamber segment to allow relative circumferential thermal expansion between each combustion chamber segment and the downstream ring structure.

3. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 2 wherein the combustion chamber is an annular combustion chamber or a tubular combustion chamber.

4. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 3 wherein the combustion chamber segments form a radially outer annular wall of the annular combustion chamber.

5. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 4 wherein:
the downstream ring structure abutting a radially outer surface of the frame structure, the downstream ring structure comprises at least one U or V shaped portion and an annular radially extending flange, the U or the V shaped portion having a radially inner limb extending axially upstream from the portion abutting the radially outer surface of the frame structure, a bend and a radially outer limb extending axially downstream to the radially extending flange, and
the U or V shaped portion has a cutout section that forms an opening on the radially outer limb and the bend.

6. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 5 wherein the downstream ring structure comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced U or V shaped portions and each U or V shaped portion having a radially inner limb extending axially upstream from the portion abutting the radially outer surface of the frame structure, a bend, and a radially outer limb extending axially downstream to the radially extending flange.

7. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 5 wherein the radially extending flange is removably secured to a combustion chamber outer casing.

8. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 4 wherein the downstream ring structure has an annular axially downstream extending member, the annular axially downstream extending member being arranged to form a seal with a radially outwardly extending flapper seal, the flapper seal being mounted at its radially inner end to a set of high pressure nozzle guide vanes.

9. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 4 wherein the frame structure comprises a plurality of bosses and each boss has a corresponding one of the holes in the frame structure.

10. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 9 wherein the frame structure includes two bosses and two holes, and the bosses are provided at corners of the frame structure.

11. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 3 wherein the combustion chamber segments form a radially inner annular wall of the annular combustion chamber.

12. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 11 wherein the downstream ring structure abuts a radially inner surface of the frame structure and the downstream ring structure comprises an annular radially inwardly extending flange.

13. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 12 wherein the radially inwardly extending flange is removably located in a radially extending groove on a combustion chamber inner casing.

14. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 11 wherein the downstream ring structure has an annular axially downstream extending member, the annular axially downstream extending member being arranged to form a seal with a radially inwardly extending flapper seal, the flapper seal being mounted at its radially outer end to a set of high pressure nozzle guide vanes.

15. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 11 wherein the frame structure comprises a plurality of bosses and each boss has a corresponding one of the holes.

16. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 15 wherein there are two bosses and two holes and the bosses are provided at corners of the frame structure.

17. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 1 wherein the combustion chamber is a gas turbine engine combustion chamber.

18. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 17 wherein the gas turbine engine is one of an aero gas turbine engine, a marine gas turbine engine, an industrial gas turbine engine, or an automotive gas turbine engine.

19. A combustion chamber as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frame structure of each combustion chamber segment comprising a first end wall, a second end wall, a first edge wall and a second edge wall, the first end wall, the second end wall, the first edge wall, and the second edge wall are integral, the frame structure of each combustion chamber segment being radially thicker and stiffer than the inner wall, the first end wall and the second end wall being thicker axially than a radial thickness of the inner wall and the first and second edge walls being thicker circumferentially than the radial thickness of the inner wall in order to carry loads and i

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Hucker Paul A
• Ballantyne Steven
• Harding Stephen C

Classifications

• F23R3/002 Primary

  Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence) · CPC title

• F23R3/60

  Support structures; Attaching or mounting means · CPC title

• F23R2900/00005

  Preventing fatigue failures or reducing mechanical stress in gas turbine components · CPC title

• F23R2900/03044

  Impingement cooled combustion chamber walls or subassemblies · CPC title

• F23R3/50

  Combustion chambers comprising an annular flame tube within an annular casing (toroidal combustion chambers F23R3/52) · CPC title