FORWARD CASING WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SLOPED SURFACE AND A COMBUSTOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING SAME
A forward casing used in a combustor assembly for a turbine engine includes a circumferential sloped surface which reduces the total interior volume within the forward casing. The circumferential sloped surface can be flat or concave shaped.
A combustor assembly for a turbine engine mixes compressed air with fuel, and the air-fuel mixture is then ignited to generate expanding combustion gases that drive the turbine. A partial cross-sectional view of a combustor assembly is illustrated in
As shown in
A forward casing 160 is attached to the forward end of the aft casing 130. An aft flange 167 on the forward casing 160 is used to attach the forward casing 160 to the aft casing 130. An end cover 170 is then attached to the forward end of the forward casing 160 via a forward flange 165.
A cap assembly 140 is mounted on the aft side of the forward casing 160. A plurality of cylindrical mounting elements 142 in the cap assembly 140 receive corresponding fuel nozzles 150 that deliver fuel into a flow of compressed air.
As illustrated by the arrows appearing in
As also illustrated in
The geometry of the interior volume of the forward casing 160 can cause resonant vibrations to occur within the compressed air. The resonant vibrations, which are also referred to as “dynamics” are undesirable, and can harm the components of the combustor assembly, as well as lower the overall efficiency of the turbine engine. One way to reduce or eliminate resonant vibrations generated in the forward casing is to reduce the interior within the forward casing 160.
Because the insert 180 is attached to the forward casing 160 with fasteners 183, there is a possibility that one or more of the fasteners 183 may loosen or break off during operation of the turbine engine. If this were to occur, there is a possibility that a fastener 183 would be swept through the combustor liner 110 and into the turbine section of the turbine engine. Once in the turbine section, the fastener 183 would impact the rotating turbine blades and the stationary stator blades, which is likely to cause extensive damage to the turbine engine, requiring immediate shutdown and repair.
While there may only be a small likelihood that one of the fasteners 183 used to attach the insert 180 to the forward casing 160 might come loose, the amount of damage which could occur if this happens is extensive and very expensive. It would also result in the shutdown of a turbine engine, which could severely impact a power plant's ability to produce sufficient electrical power.
For all the reasons explained above in the Background Section, attaching a removable insert to the interior of a forward casing of a combustor assembly is potentially dangerous, in that the fasteners used for this purpose can come loose and be sucked into the turbine section of the turbine engine. For these reasons, the benefits obtained through the use of an insert may be outweighed by the potential damage that can occur.
The forward casing illustrated in
A forward casing having a circumferential sloped surface as illustrated in
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A combustor assembly for a turbine engine, comprising:
- an end cover;
- an aft casing having a combustor liner mounted therein;
- a cap assembly mounted between the forward casing and the end cover;
- at least one fuel nozzle mounted on the cap assembly; and
- an integral forward casing mounted between the aft casing and the end cover, wherein the forward casing includes a circumferential sloped surface that that slopes inward from the aft casing side to the end cover side of the forward casing.
2. The combustor assembly of claim 1, wherein the integral forward casing includes a circumferential fuel passageway that extends around an outer side of the forward casing.
3. The combustor assembly of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of fuel nozzles that extend radially inward from an inner wall of the forward casing, and that are operatively coupled to the circumferential fuel passageway such that fuel in the circumferential fuel passageway is fed into the plurality of fuel nozzles.
4. The combustor assembly of claim 3, wherein the circumferential sloped surface of the integral forward casing is located on the end cover side of the plurality of fuel nozzles.
5. The combustor assembly of claim 1, wherein the circumferential sloped surface is flat, such that the circumferential sloped surface is conical.
6. The combustor assembly of claim 1, wherein the circumferential sloped surface is concave shaped.
7. The combustor assembly of claim 1, wherein the integral forwarding casing includes a generally cylindrical body, and wherein the generally cylindrical body and the circumferential sloped surface are formed as a single integral part.
8. An integral forward casing for a combustor assembly of a turbine engine, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body;
- an aft mounting flange located at a first end of the generally cylindrical body and that is configured to be attached to an aft casing of a combustor assembly;
- a forward mounting flange located at a second end of the generally cylindrical body and that is configured to be attached to an end cover of a combustor assembly; and
- a circumferential sloped surface that is integrally formed on an inner side of the generally cylindrical body, wherein a diameter of an end of the circumferential sloped surface located closest to the second end of the generally cylindrical body is smaller than a diameter of an end of the circumferential sloped surface located closest to the first end of the generally cylindrical body.
9. The integral forward casing of claim 8, wherein the integral forward casing includes a circumferential fuel passageway that extends around an outer side of the generally cylindrical body.
10. The integral forward casing of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of fuel nozzles that extend radially inward from an inner wall of the generally cylindrical body and that are operatively coupled to the circumferential fuel passageway such that fuel in the circumferential fuel passageway is fed into the plurality of fuel nozzles.
11. The integral forward casing of claim 10, wherein the circumferential sloped surface is located closer to the second end of the generally cylindrical body than the plurality of fuel nozzles.
12. The integral forward casing of claim 8, wherein the circumferential sloped surface is flat, such that the circumferential sloped surface is generally conical.
13. The integral forward casing of claim 8, wherein the circumferential sloped surface is concave shaped.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 4, 2011
Publication Date: Apr 4, 2013
Inventor: Brandon Taylor Overby (Greenville, SC)
Application Number: 13/252,525
International Classification: F23R 3/00 (20060101); F23R 3/28 (20060101);