Small exit duct for a reverse flow combustor with integrated fastening elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10928069-B2
Application number	US-201615185310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 17, 2016
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

The described reverse flow combustor of a gas turbine engine includes inner and outer combustor liners defining a combustor chamber therewithin. A large exit duct and a small exit duct are disposed at downstream ends of the outer and inner liner respectively. The small exit duct includes an annular ring removably mounted to a support element of the gas turbine engine by one or more fastening elements that are integrally formed with the annular ring. The fastening elements are mountable with corresponding features of the support element and removably fastened thereto.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reverse flow combustor of a gas turbine engine comprising:
inner and outer liners defining a combustor chamber therewithin;
a large exit duct disposed at a downstream end of the outer liner forming a continuation of the outer liner;
a small exit duct disposed at and communicating with a downstream end of the inner liner, the small exit duct and the large exit duct cooperating to define an outlet of the combustion chamber therebetween that is configured to communicate with a turbine section of the gas turbine, the turbine section including high pressure turbine vanes located immediately downstream of the outlet of the combustion chamber;
at least one heat shield panel disposed in the combustion chamber and spaced apart from the inner liner thereby defining an annular gap therebetween; and
a sealing ring disposed between the inner liner and the small exit duct, the sealing ring defining an outlet of the annular gap
wherein the small exit duct is removably fastened to a support element, the small exit duct including an annular ring having an outer surface facing the combustion chamber and extending downstream from an outer lip to an opposite inner lip, the annular gap configured for providing a film of cooling air along at least a portion of the outer surface of the annular ring, the outer lip of the annular ring located adjacent to the inner combustor liner and the inner lip of the annular ring located adjacent to the outlet of the combustion chamber, at least the inner lip of the annular ring at a downstream end of the small exit duct being in detachable engagement with the support element, the inner lip of the annular ring and a most downstream end of the support element terminating upstream of leading edges of the high pressure turbine vanes, and one or more fastening elements integrally formed with the annular ring, the fastening elements being removably fastened to mating features of the support element for removably mounting the annular ring to the support element.

2. The reverse flow combustor of claim 1 , wherein the annular ring and the fastening elements are cast as a single piece to form a fully cast small exit duct.

3. The reverse flow combustor of claim 1 , wherein the fastening elements include one or more studs projecting from an inner surface of the annular ring, and the mating features of the support element include mounting openings cooperating with the one or more studs.

4. The reverse flow combustor of claim 1 , wherein the support element forms an integral portion of the inner combustor liner.

5. The reverse flow combustor of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the annular gap includes an opening with slats for controlling a flow of the film of cooling air.

6. The reverse flow combustor of claim 1 , wherein an end of the annular ring abuts the sealing ring and forms a single sealing interface with the sealing ring, the outer surface of the annular ring being leveled and aligned with an outer top surface of the sealing ring.

7. The reverse flow combustor of claim 1 , wherein the support element forms a continuation of the inner liner and is spaced apart from the annular ring thereby defining a passage therebetween, the support element including apertures defined therein which allow impingement airflow into the passage through the apertures.

8. The reverse flow combustor of claim 1 , wherein the annular ring has a ceramic or aluminide coating on at least a portion thereof for insulation and oxidation resistance.

9. A small exit duct for a reverse flow combustor of a gas turbine engine, the small exit duct comprising an annular ring removably fastened to a support element, the annular ring having an arcuate cross-section and defining an outer convex surface and an opposite inner concave surface, and a plurality of mounting studs extending from the inner concave surface of the annular ring, the mounting studs being integrally formed with the annular ring to form a monolithic unitary structure of the small exit duct, the mounting studs being removably fastened to mating features of the support element, the small exit duct being thereby removably mountable in place within the reverse flow combustor, wherein the annular ring extends between an outer lip and an inner lip, the outer lip being disposed radially outward from the inner lip and having a surface configured to sealingly abut a sealing ring of the reverse flow combustor forming a single sealing interface with the sealing ring, the outer convex surface of the annular ring being leveled and aligned with an outer top surface of the sealing ring, and the inner lip of the annular ring at a downstream end of the small exit duct defining an exit of the reverse flow combustor.

10. The small exit duct of claim 9 , wherein the annular ring and the mounting studs are cast as a single piece to form a fully cast small exit duct.

11. The small exit duct of claim 9 , wherein the annular ring has a ceramic or aluminide coating on at least a portion thereof which provides insulation and oxidation resistance.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Stastny Honza
• Sze Robert

Classifications

• F23R3/60 Primary

  Support structures; Attaching or mounting means · CPC title

• F23R3/54

  Reverse-flow combustion chambers · CPC title