Method of calibrating the air flow of a swirler of a gas turbine burner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016305666-A1
Application number	US-201415103159-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 4, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of calibrating a swirler for a burner of a turbine engine, the swirler having a plurality of vanes and a plurality of mixing channels between the vanes, wherein each mixing channel directs air from a radially outer end of the mixing channel to a radially inner end of the mixing channel, the method of calibrating the swirler including: determining a flow characteristic of the swirler, calculating the difference between the determined flow characteristic of the swirler and a predetermined flow characteristic of the swirler, and dependent on the difference, applying a calibration to the swirler to alter its flow characteristic, the calibration having a known influence on the flow characteristic such that the altered flow characteristic is within an acceptable tolerance of the predetermined flow characteristic.

First claim

1 . A method of calibrating a swirler for a burner of a turbine engine,
the swirler comprising a plurality of vanes and a plurality of mixing channels between the vanes, wherein each mixing channel directs air from a radially outer end of the mixing channel to a radially inner end of the mixing channel, the method of calibrating the swirler comprising: determining a flow characteristic of the swirler, calculating the difference between the determined flow characteristic of the swirler and a predetermined flow characteristic of the swirler, and dependent on the difference, applying a calibration means to the swirler to alter its flow characteristic, the calibration means having a known influence on the flow characteristic such that the altered flow characteristic is within an acceptable tolerance of the predetermined flow characteristic.

2 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
forming the swirler having a nominal flow characteristic which is greater than the desired flow characteristic.

3 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 2 wherein the swirler has a nominal flow characteristic which is up to 3sigma greater than the desired flow characteristic.

4 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting the calibration means from a group of calibration means, each calibration means of the group having a different and known influence on the flow characteristic of the swirler.

5 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 4 wherein the group of calibration means comprises a number of calibration means having known influences on the flow characteristics of the swirler of at least two of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%, 4.0%.

6 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 1 wherein the calibration means comprises a mesh ( 3 , 6 , 6 ′, 6 A, 6 B, 6 C, 6 D) having a lattice of wires, wherein the method further comprises: selecting any one or more of the spacing of the wires, the thickness and the shape of the wires to determine the known influence on the flow characteristics of swirler.

7 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 1 wherein the calibration means comprises a plate having at least one cut-out wherein the method further comprises: selecting any one or more of the size and number of the cut-out to determine the known influence on the flow characteristics of swirler.

8 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 1 wherein the calibration means is in the form of a ring, the method further comprising: applying the calibration means around the outer perimeter of the swirler.

9 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 5 wherein the each mixing channel has a height, the method further comprises: selecting a height of the calibration means to cover at least a part of the height of the mixing channel to at least partly influence the flow characteristics of swirler.

10 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acceptable tolerance of the predetermined flow characteristic is 1 sigma.

11 . A method of calibrating a swirler as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of applying a calibration means comprises applying the calibration means around an outer perimeter of the swirler vanes.

12 . A turbine engine having
an array of combustors, each combustor having a swirler, wherein the swirler comprises a plurality of vanes and a plurality of mixing channels between the vanes, wherein each mixing channel directs air from a radially outer end of the mixing channel to a radially inner end of the mixing channel, and wherein at least one of the swirlers has been calibrated by: determining a flow characteristic of the swirler, calculating the difference between the determined flow characteristic of the swirler and a predetermined flow characteristic of the swirler, and dependent on the difference, applying a calibration means to the swirler to alter its flow characteristic, the calibration means having a known influence on the flow characteristic such that the altered flow characteristic is within an acceptable tolerance of the predetermined flow characteristic.

13 . A turbine engine as claimed in claim 12 ,
wherein at least one of the swirlers comprises a calibration means.

14 . A turbine engine as claimed in claim 13 ,
wherein all of the swirlers comprise a calibration means.

15 . A turbine engine as claimed in claim 12 ,
wherein all the swirlers comprise a flow characteristic within the acceptable tolerance of the predetermined flow characteristic of 1 sigma.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Bulat Ghenadie
• Turnbull Michael

Classifications

• F23R3/286 Primary

  having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F23C2900/07001

  Air swirling vanes incorporating fuel injectors · CPC title

• F23R3/14

  by using swirl vanes · CPC title

• F23R3/26

  Controlling the air flow · CPC title

• F23N3/007

  using mechanical means (F23N3/02 - F23N3/08 take precedence) · CPC title