Combustor Liner Patents (Class 60/752)
  • Patent number: 8245515
    Abstract: A transition duct for a gas turbine includes a tubular body having a forward end and an aft end, the aft end surrounded by a frame component; an interior closure band within the aft end, covering interior top, bottom and side wall surfaces of the frame; and a plurality of cooling channels between the frame and the closure band, each having an inlet and an outlet at the forward and aft ends, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lewis B. Davis, Jr., Ronald J. Chila, Kevin W. McMahan
  • Patent number: 8245519
    Abstract: A film cooling hole for an air cooled turbine airfoil, the film cooling hole including an inlet metering section and a diffusion section that opens onto a surface of the airfoil and has a bean shaped cross section. The diffusion section has a 10×10×10 expansion on the side walls and the downstream wall, and the sides are smoothly and continuously contoured to be without sharp corners. The bottom wall includes a convex middle portion and two concave outer end portions that have the same radius of curvatures. The shape of the film cooling hole allows for the hole to be formed from a laser beam cutting process instead of the EDM electrode process. Because of the larger zones formed in the sides, vortex flow formation under the film stream is minimized to produce a more effective film with lower shear mixing of the hot gas vortices with the cooling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Publication number: 20120204571
    Abstract: A combustor is disclosed that includes a baffle plate and a fuel nozzle extending through the baffle plate. The combustor may also include a shroud extending from the baffle plate and surrounding at least a portion of the fuel nozzle. A passage may be defined between the shroud and an outer surface of the fuel nozzle for receiving a first fluid. Additionally, the passage may be sealed from a second fluid flowing adjacent to the shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Predrag Popovic
  • Patent number: 8234872
    Abstract: A system includes an air flow conditioner configured to mount in an air chamber separated from a combustion chamber of a turbine combustor. The air flow conditioner comprises a perforated annular wall configured to direct an air flow in both an axial direction and a radial direction relative to an axis of the turbine combustor. In addition, the air flow conditioner is configured to uniformly supply the air flow into air inlets of one or more fuel nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Jason Thurman Stewart
  • Publication number: 20120192567
    Abstract: One embodiment is a unique apparatus having a gas turbine engine flange assembly. Another embodiment is a unique system having a gas turbine engine flange assembly. Still other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engine flange assemblies. Further embodiments, forms, objects, features, advantages, aspects, embodiments and benefits shall become apparent from the following descriptions, drawings, and claims.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Edward Claude Rice, Naveen Rau, Robert C. Koth
  • Patent number: 8230688
    Abstract: An arrangement for delivering gasses from can combustors of a can annular gas turbine combustion engine to a turbine first stage section including a first row of turbine blades, the arrangement including a flow-directing structure for each combustor, wherein each flow-directing structure includes a straight path and an annular chamber end, wherein the annular chamber ends together define an annular chamber for delivering the gas flow to the turbine first stage section, wherein gasses flow from respective combustors, through respective straight paths, and into the annular chamber as respective straight gas flows, and wherein the annular chamber is configured to unite the respective straight gas flows along respective shear planes to form a singular annular gas flow, and wherein the annular chamber is configured to impart circumferential motion to the singular annular gas flow before the singular annular gas flow exits the annular chamber to the first row of blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Jody W. Wilson, Raymond S. Nordlund, Richard C. Charron
  • Publication number: 20120186260
    Abstract: An impingement sleeve for a transition piece of a gas turbine is disclosed. The impingement sleeve generally includes a first casing configured to surround a portion of an inner duct of the transition piece and a second casing configured to surround a portion of the inner duct. Additionally, the impingement sleeve may include a joint defined between the first and second casings. The joint may include a plurality of fasteners configured to attach the first casing to the second casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard Martin DiCintio, Keith Cletus Belsom, Ronnie Ray Pentecost
  • Publication number: 20120186262
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a radially inboard liner, a radially outboard liner, and a bulkhead that cooperatively define an annular combustion chamber, a plurality of first fuel injectors that are disposed in the bulkhead, and a plurality of second fuel injectors that are disposed in at least one of the inboard liner and the outboard liner aftward of the bulkhead. A method is also provided for operating the combustor of the gas turbine engine wherein fuel distribution between the forward combustion zone and the downstream combustion zone is selectively varied in response to the power operating mode of the gas turbine engine with an objective to control NOx formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: James B. Hoke
  • Patent number: 8225614
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a shim for sealing two adjacent turbine transition pieces is disclosed. The shim includes a circumferential member that includes a first lateral flange and a second lateral flange. Further, the first and second lateral flanges each comprise a tab configured to mate to a first surface plane and the first and second lateral flanges are configured to mate to a second surface plane, wherein the first and second surface planes are substantially parallel. In addition, the shim includes a first flange extending substantially perpendicular from the circumferential member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Mehmet Demiroglu, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate
  • Patent number: 8225611
    Abstract: A gas stream with a reduced oxygen concentration relative to ambient air is used to vaporize a liquid fuel or liquefied higher hydrocarbon gas, or is mixed with a vaporized gas, and the reduced oxygen vaporized fuel gas is fed to a combustion device such as a premixed or diffusion combustor. Preferably, the oxygen content of the gas stream is less than the limiting oxygen index. By mixing the fuel with a gas stream that has an appropriately reduced oxygen content, auto-ignition prior to the desired flame location in the combustor can be avoided. In some embodiments, the reduced oxygen stream is generated from an air separator or taken from the exhaust of the combustion device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: LPP Combustion, LLC
    Inventors: Richard J. Roby, Michael S. Klassen, Christopher F. Schemel
  • Patent number: 8225615
    Abstract: A combustor (14) is placed next to a turbine (16), on the side opposite a compressor (12). A heat insulation device (20) for reducing the transmission of heat from the high-temperature side to the low-temperature side is provided between the combustor/turbine and the compressor. A connection shaft (18) has an axial hole (18a) open on the inlet side of the compressor and axially extending to near a turbine impeller, and also has a radial hole (18b) open near the turbine impeller to the outside of the connection shaft and radially extending to be in communication with the axial hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventor: Kosuke Isomura
  • Publication number: 20120180492
    Abstract: A sleeve component assembly for a combustor, and a method for forming the sleeve component assembly for the combustor, are disclosed. The sleeve component assembly includes a sleeve component, the sleeve component comprising one of an inner sleeve component or an outer sleeve component. The sleeve component assembly further includes at least one support feature extending from the sleeve component, the at least one support feature configured to contact and provide vibratory support to an adjacent sleeve component. The at least one support feature is integral with the sleeve component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Alfred Simo, Patrick Benedict Melton, David William Cihlar
  • Publication number: 20120180499
    Abstract: A power generation system is provided and includes a compressor to increase a pressure of inlet ambient air and a turbine downstream from the compressor having a first stage and additional stages downstream from the first stage, the first stage structurally incorporating a combustor in which the compressed ambient air is mixed with fuel and in which the mixture is combusted to generate high temperature exhaust gas from which mechanical energy is derived in the first and additional stages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: JOHN CHARLES INTILE
  • Patent number: 8220269
    Abstract: A combustor (1) for a gas turbine engine, particularly for a gas turbine having sequential combustion, includes a combustor wall (4) defining a mixing region (5) and a combustion region (6). The mixing region (5) has at least one first inlet (2) for introducing combustion air into the mixing region (5) and at least one second inlet for introducing fuel into the mixing region (5), the combustion region (6) extending downstream of the mixing region. The mixing region (5) crosses over to the combustion region (6) in a transition region (14). A baffle (9) extends from the transition region (14) generally in the downstream direction (15), forming at least one space (10) between the combustor wall (4) and the baffle (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Madhavan Narasimhan Poyyapakkam
  • Patent number: 8220273
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor having an improved cooling structure effective to efficiently suppress a possible occurrence of buckling in the combustion liner while exhibiting a convection cooling effect to the combustion liner, the gas turbine combustor includes a combustion liner having a combustion chamber defined therein and an outer peripheral surface forming a path of a compressed air, and a heat transfer enhancement structure provided on the outer peripheral surface of the combustion liner. The heat transfer enhancement structure referred to above is of a honeycomb construction defined by ribs protruding outwardly from the outer surface of the combustion liner. The honeycomb construction may be of a geometry in which hexagonal shapes, rhombic shapes, parallelogrammic shapes, bent rectangular shapes or triangular shapes are deployed next to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidekazu Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8220246
    Abstract: A crossfire tube assembly is configured for connecting adjacent combustion cans in a gas turbine, and includes a first tube segment having a first end and an opposite female end. A second tube segment has a first end and an opposite male end fitted concentrically within the female end with an overlap region between the female and male ends. Each of the first ends of the tube segments is configured for securing to a liner of a respective combustion can. Oppositely oriented first and second impingement sleeves extend from the female end of the first tube segment to the respective first ends of the tube segments. Combustion cooling air is directed through metering holes in the impingement sleeves and flows axially along concentric cavities defined between the impingement sleeves and the first and second tube segments. The combustion cooling air vents from the cavities into an axial combustion air flow stream between the respective combustion can liners and sleeves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Stanley Kevin Widener
  • Patent number: 8215115
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine sealing arrangement which includes a combustor liner establishing a combustion area and a turbine nozzle configured to receive a portion of a combustor liner. A sealing ring arrangement is configured to seal with the turbine nozzle to control fluid flow from the combustion area and reduce leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: David Ronald Adair, Walter Ernest Ainslie, Gordon F. Jewess, Anthony C. Jones, Eric J. Alexander
  • Publication number: 20120167574
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine combustion liner. Another embodiment is a unique gas turbine engine. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engines and gas turbine engine combustion liners. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Inventor: Richard Christopher Uskert
  • Publication number: 20120167573
    Abstract: A coated part is exposed to a gas flow. The gas flow has a characteristic gas flow direction distribution over a surface of the coated part. The coated part has a substrate having a substrate surface and a coating over the substrate surface. The coating comprises at least one coating layer. A first such layer is columnar and has a column boundary direction distribution. The column boundary direction distribution is selected for partial local alignment with the gas flow direction distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Igor V. Belousov, Yuriy G. Kononenko, Vadim I. Bondarchuk, Anatoly Kuzmichev, John F. Mullooly, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120159954
    Abstract: A transition piece 10 in an embodiment is provided with an inner duct 20 through which a combustion gas is led to a turbine part 130 and an outer duct 30 that is provided so as to cover an outer periphery of the inner duct 20 and has a plurality of ejection holes 31 to eject air onto an outer peripheral surface of the inner duct 20 formed therein. It is structured such that a channel cross-sectional area of a cooling air channel 50 that is formed between the inner duct 20 and the outer duct 30 and through which the air ejected from the ejection holes 31 flows gradually decreases at an air flow downstream side rather than the portion where the ejection holes 31 are formed, and gradually increases from a throat portion 60 having the minimized channel cross-sectional area to an air flow downstream side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Shoko Ito, Daizo Saito, Yoshiaki Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120159955
    Abstract: Provided is a tail cylinder attaching and detaching fixture that attaches and detaches a tail cylinder to and from a casing, the tail cylinder being included in a combustor inserted into the casing so that the front end is connected to an inlet portion of a combustion gas passageway, the tail cylinder attaching and detaching fixture including: a guide portion of which the front end is disposed inside the casing and the front end and the base end are respectively supported by the casing and which supports the tail cylinder so as to be movable in the axial direction of the combustor; and an advancing and retracting mechanism that advances and retracts the tail cylinder in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shigetoshi Shiotani, Kenichi Arase, Naohiko Yoshida, Shuji Mizokami, Osamu Hasegawa, Satoshi Tsuzuki, Hirohito Takeda
  • Patent number: 8205336
    Abstract: A combustor heat shield comprises a heat shield member defining at least one opening for receiving a fuel nozzle. A louver is received in the opening. The louver has a flow diverting portion extending radially outwardly from the opening for directing air along the hot side of the heat shield member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Honza Stastny, Parthasarathy Sampath, Carol Desjardins, Kenneth Parkman, John Greer, Stephen Phillips, Eduardo Hawie, Yvan Schraenen
  • Patent number: 8205453
    Abstract: In order to assemble together two parts (154, 162) of materials having different coefficients of expansion via mutually engaged edge portions (154a, 162a), tongues (170) are formed in the thinned edge of one of the parts, the tongues being separated by slots (172) obtained by cutting or machining the material of the part, and the parts are assembled together by fastening (174) via the tongues. The edge portions are mutually engaged in such a manner as to be in substantially leaktight contact at the high temperatures encountered in operation. The method is applicable in particular to assembling together parts made respectively of metal and of ceramic composite material, in particular in an aviation gas turbine, for example, upstream and downstream secondary nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Snecma Propulsion Solide
    Inventor: Eric Conete
  • Patent number: 8206093
    Abstract: There is described a gas turbine with a channel wall that limits a flow, said channel wall comprising first and second wall sections, one of the wall sections being part of a combustion chamber of the gas turbine and the other wall section being part of an annular hot gas channel of a turbine unit, and the two adjacent wall sections facing each other with a gap there between. In order to reduce the leakage quantities of blocking gas that protect the gap from the entry of hot gas, it is proposed that blocking element projects from the side of the first wall section into the gap and can be displaced transversely thereto, said blocking element comprising a piston face disposed in the first wall section and a sealing structure lying opposite the piston face, it being possible to press said sealing means against an end sealing section of the second wall section by means of a pressure medium that acts on the piston face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Irmisch
  • Patent number: 8201412
    Abstract: A combustor includes a combustion chamber and an interior wall circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of the combustion chamber and defining an exterior surface. A plurality of turbulators are on the exterior surface. The combustor further includes means for preferentially directing fluid flow across a predetermined position of the turbulators. A method for cooling a combustion chamber includes locating a plurality of turbulators to an exterior surface of the combustion chamber and preferentially directing fluid flow across a predetermined position of the plurality of turbulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Saurav Dugar, Matthew P. Berkebile, Dullal Ghosh, Joseph Vincent Pawlowski, Krishnakumar Pallikara Gopalan, Marcus Byron Huffman
  • Patent number: 8196412
    Abstract: A transition duct having a panel assembly with an inlet end of generally circular cross section and an outlet end having a generally rectangular arc-like cross section is disclosed. The panel assembly has an uncoated internal profile substantially in accordance with coordinate values X, Y, and Z as set forth in Table 1. The coordinates are taken at a sweep angle ? wherein ? is an angle measured from the inlet end and X, Y, and Z are coordinates define the panel assembly profile at each angle ?. An alternate embodiment of the invention defines an envelope for the uncoated internal profile of the panel assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Stephen W. Jorgensen
  • Publication number: 20120137697
    Abstract: A combustion chamber for a turbomachine, including two coaxial walls including air inlets, each of which is configured such that its orthogonal projection, in a plane passing through the axis of the injection system closest to the inlet and perpendicular to an axial plane passing through this axis and through the axis of the combustion chamber, has an upstream edge of convex shape when seen from downstream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventor: Denis Jean Maurice Sandelis
  • Patent number: 8191373
    Abstract: An impingement shield assembly for a turbine includes a first impingement shield portion and a second impingement shield joined to the first impingement shield portion. The assembly also includes a first connection portion formed on the first impingement shield portion, a second connection portion formed on the first impingement shield portion and first and second wedge weld portions that mate with and hold the first and a second connection portions in a fixed relationship to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Timur Rustemovich Repikov, Heath Michael Ostebee
  • Publication number: 20120131922
    Abstract: An example method of coating a surface includes rotating a sprayer about an axis and directing spray away from the axis using the sprayer. The method coats a surface with the spray. The method moves a fluid through apertures established in the surface to limit movement of spray into apertures. The apertures are configured to direct the fluid toward the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventors: Edris Raji, Michael J. Schober, Alan C. Barron, Robin Mihekun Miller
  • Patent number: 8186167
    Abstract: A transition duct for a gas turbine includes a tubular body having a forward end and an aft end; a plurality of cooling channels formed on an exterior surface of the tubular body at the aft end; a closure band surrounding the aft end, covering at least a portion of the cooling channels; and a seal attached to the closure band, surrounding the aft end of the tubular body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald J. Chila, Kevin W. McMahan
  • Publication number: 20120125006
    Abstract: In a gas turbine combustor and a gas turbine, an air passage (54) that supplies combustion high-pressure air, a pilot nozzle (44), a main fuel nozzle (45), and a top hat nozzle (47) that supply fuel, and openings (64) that supply film air (cooling air) are provided with respect to a combustor inner cylinder (42), and contraction members (71, 72, and 73) are arranged along a circumferential direction on an inner wall surface in a downstream of a flow direction of combustion gas in the inner cylinder (42). The contraction members (71, 72, and 73) are provided in a predetermined area in the circumferential direction excluding penetrating portions (74, 75, and 76), which do not disturb the flow of cooling air, thereby enabling to suppress generation of carbon monoxide and the like and to suppress the occurrence of unstable combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Keijiro Saito, Shinji Akamatsu, Kenji Sato, Shigemi Mandai
  • Patent number: 8181440
    Abstract: An igniter plug arrangement is disclosed. The arrangement includes an igniter plug of the semiconductor in shell type, a duct secured to a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine, a floating sleeve via which the igniter plug is mounted in the duct, and a system for guiding air to cool the semiconductor of the igniter plug. The shell and the semiconductor define, at their combustion-chamber end, an annular igniter plug cavity. The shell includes orifices in the region of the igniter plug annular cavity that communicate with the annular cavity of the sleeve and orifices on its planar surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Denis Jean Maurice Sandelis
  • Patent number: 8176740
    Abstract: A method of refurbishing a seal land on a transition piece of a turbomachine includes applying a wear strip to a wall surface of the seal land, and covering the wear strip with a slot protector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jere Allen Johnson, Prahlad Kalidas
  • Patent number: 8176739
    Abstract: The low emission combustor includes a combustor housing defining a combustion chamber having a plurality of combustion zones. A liner sleeve is disposed in the combustion housing with a gap formed between the liner sleeve and the combustor housing. A secondary nozzle is disposed along a centerline of the combustion chamber and configured to inject a first fluid comprising air, at least one diluent, fuel, or combinations thereof to a downstream side of a first combustion zone among the plurality of combustion zones. A plurality of primary fuel nozzles is disposed proximate to an upstream side of the combustion chamber and located around the secondary nozzle and configured to inject a second fluid comprising air and fuel to an upstream side of the first combustion zone. The combustor also includes a plurality of tertiary coanda nozzles. Each tertiary coanda nozzle is coupled to a respective dilution hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrei Tristan Evulet, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ahmed Mostafa ElKady, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Patent number: 8171737
    Abstract: A combustor assembly for a turbine engine includes a cap assembly which gradually increases the volume of compressed air provided to the combustor assembly, and which slows the compressed air in a controlled manner before delivering the compressed air into a combustor area. The cap assembly includes inner and outer sleeves which are mounted in a concentric fashion. The annular space formed between the inner and outer sleeves gradually increases from an aft end to a forward end. A stepped portion is formed on the inner sleeve of the cap assembly, and this stepped portion is joined to a corresponding combustor liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Edward Johnson, Patrick Melton
  • Patent number: 8171736
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes an annular combustor shell having an inner liner and an outer liner respectively with inner and outer flanges at least partly overlapping to form a dome end portion of the shell, at least the outer flange including intersecting upstream and downstream wall portions defining a corner therebetween, the upstream wall portion having a plurality of cooling apertures defined therethrough immediately upstream of the corner, and the cooling apertures being oriented to direct a cooling air flow from outside the combustor shell therethrough and adjacent an inner surface of the downstream wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eduardo Hawie, Robert Sze
  • Publication number: 20120102959
    Abstract: A substrate having one or more shaped effusion cooling holes formed therein. Each shaped cooling hole has a bore angled relative to an exit surface of the combustor liner. One end of the bore is an inlet formed in an inlet surface of the combustor liner. The other end of the bore is an outlet formed in the exit surface of the combustor liner. The outlet has a shaped portion that expands in only one dimension. Also methods for making the shaped cooling holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventor: John Howard STARKWEATHER
  • Publication number: 20120102963
    Abstract: A combustor liner may include an annular inner liner and an annular outer liner with a plurality of air holes thereon. The outer liner may be positioned circumferentially around the inner liner such that an annular cooling space is defined between the inner and the outer liner. The combustor liner may also include at least one resonator coupled to the outer liner such that a base of the resonator is separated from the outer liner to form a gap with an external surface of the outer liner. The combustor liner may also include a throat extending from the base of the resonator penetrating the inner liner and the outer liner. The combustor liner may further include a grommet assembly that allows for relative thermal expansion between the inner liner and the outer liner proximate the throat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Robert Corr, Peter Sykes, Bruno Struck, Kenneth G. Thomas, Richard Braeutigam, Danny Gauce, Alexander Krichever, Vu Phi, Timothy Caron
  • Patent number: 8161752
    Abstract: A combustor includes a first liner; and a second liner forming a combustion chamber with the first liner. The combustion chamber is configured to receive an air-fuel mixture for combustion therein, and the first liner is a first dual wall liner having a first hot wall facing the combustion chamber and a first cold wall. The first cold wall has a first cold wall orifice and the first hot wall has a first hot wall orifice. A first insert is mounted in the first hot wall orifice and is configured to receive a first air jet of pressured air from the first cold wall orifice, and guide the first jet through the first hot wall orifice and into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Yankowich, Fang Xu
  • Patent number: 8156744
    Abstract: An annular gas turbine engine combustion chamber including an outer wall and an inner wall connected by a wall forming the chamber bottom is disclosed. The walls delimit sources of combustion with axes inclined relative to the axis of the chamber. The chamber-bottom wall, of frustoconical shape, is pierced with orifices for the fuel injection systems, the planes of the orifices being perpendicular to the axes of the sources of combustion. The combustion chamber also includes heat-protection baffles centered on each of the orifices with a shoulder by which they rest against a flat surface portion along the periphery of the orifices. The chamber-bottom wall is conformed in a succession of adjacent flat facets having a common edge, with one facet per orifice, and the shoulder of the deflectors pressing against the plane of the facets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Didier Hippolyte Hernandez, Thomas Olivier Marie Noel
  • Patent number: 8156743
    Abstract: Disclosed is an arrangement for expanding an annular fluid flow and a center fluid flow, comprising a combustor including a venturi and a centerbody, the centerbody including an upstream end and a downstream end, and a venturi throat defined by the venturi and disposed upstream of 0.19 inches downstream of the downstream end of the centerbody.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Kirk Hessler, Alberto Jose Negroni, Predrag Popovic, Krishna Kumar Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 8156724
    Abstract: A combustion chamber is provided, including an inner casing with a sliding surface and an outer casing with a sliding wall portion. The sliding surface and the sliding wall portion are slidably attached to each other. A cooling hole is located in the sliding wall portion. The cooling hole is at least partially located in the sliding wall portion such that it opens due to a sliding movement of the sliding surface relative to the sliding wall portion when the inner casing thermally expands and/or closes due to a sliding movement of the sliding surface relative to the sliding wall portion when the inner casing thermally contracts. Moreover, a gas turbine including an inventive combustion chamber is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Glynn Milner
  • Patent number: 8151570
    Abstract: Embodiments for an apparatus and associated method for providing a cooling fluid to a gas turbine transition duct in order to lower the effective operating temperatures of the transition duct are disclosed. The transition duct has an inner liner and an impingement sleeve positioned radially outward with a passageway formed therebetween. The impingement sleeve has a plurality of openings where a portion of the openings each have a feed tube extending through the opening and into the passageway. The feed tubes are oriented at an angle relative to the impingement sleeve, such that an inlet to the feed tube is directed generally towards an oncoming flow of cooling fluid. The feed tubes direct a portion of the cooling fluid toward the inner liner and into the passageway for cooling of the transition duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Stephen Jennings, Peter Stuttaford, Stephen W. Jorgensen
  • Publication number: 20120073303
    Abstract: A process of producing a metallic component having a desired shape that includes at least one nonuniform section, as well as metallic components produced by such a process. The process uses a composition containing a mixture of a polymeric binder and a metal powder that includes particles of an alloy having a reactive element that renders the alloy uncastable. The composition is metal injection molded to yield a green compact having a shape corresponding to the shape of the metallic component, including its at least one nonuniform section. A majority of the binder is then removed from the green compact, and then the green compact is sintered to remove a remainder of the binder and fuse particles of the metal powder together to form the metallic component and the nonuniform section thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael John McCarren, Michael William Peretti, Stephen William Freund
  • Patent number: 8142142
    Abstract: A gas turbine transition duct apparatus is provided comprising first and second turbine transition ducts and a strip seal. The strip seal may comprise a sealing element and a spring structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Zborovsky, Andreas J. Heilos
  • Patent number: 8141365
    Abstract: A combustor may include an outer liner having a first row and a second row of circumferentially distributed air admission holes. The second row of the outer liner may be downstream of the first row of the outer liner, and the air admission holes of the first row of the outer liner may be larger than the air admission holes of the second row of the outer liner. An inner liner is circumscribed by the outer liner and has a third and fourth row of circumferentially distributed air admission holes. The air admission holes of the third row of the inner liner may be larger than the air admission holes of the fourth row of the inner liner. The inner and outer liners may form a combustion chamber, and at least a portion of the air admission holes of the first, second, third, or fourth rows may be plunged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Bronson, Frank Joseph Zupanc
  • Patent number: 8141370
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a mounting assembly for a liner of a gas turbine engine combustor are provided. The combustor includes a combustor liner and a radially outer annular flow sleeve. The mounting assembly includes an inner ring surrounding a radially outer surface of the liner and including a plurality of axially extending fingers. The mounting assembly also includes a radially outer ring coupled to the inner ring through a plurality of spacers that extend radially from a radially outer surface of the inner ring to the outer ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Edward Bulman, Toby George Darkins, Jr., James Anthony Stumpf, Mark S. Schroder, John Joseph Lipinski
  • Publication number: 20120060503
    Abstract: A gas turbine including a combustion chamber and a first row of guide vanes, arranged essentially directly downstream thereof, of a turbine. The outer and/or inner limitation of the combustion chamber defined by at least one outer and/or inner heat shield, mounted on at least one combustion chamber structure arranged radially outside and/or inside. The hot gases flow path in the region of the guide vane row being restricted radially on the outside and/or inside by an outer and/or inner vane platform, mounted at least indirectly on at least one turbine carrier. A minimal gap size directly upstream of the first row of guide vanes is achieved by mounting at least indirectly on the turbine carrier at least one mini heat shield, arranged upstream of the first row of guide vanes and essentially adjacent the vane platform and in the flow direction between the heat shield and the vane platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Martin SCHNIEDER, Jörg Krückels, Uwe Rüdel, Christoph APPEL, Urs BENZ
  • Patent number: 8127526
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes an exhaust liner having cold and hot sheets radially spaced from one another and interconnected by a band arranged in a cavity between the hot and cold sheets. In one example, the band is Z-shaped to permit thermal growth of the hot sheets relative to the cold sheets in the axial and radial directions. The hot sheets include axially adjacent portions that provide slots that are in fluid communication with the space. Cooling fluid is provided to the cavity through impingement jets in the cold sheet. The slots are arranged radially between the hot sheet portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Joseph Murphy, Jeffrey R. Lavin
  • Patent number: 8127558
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided comprising an outer shell, a compressor assembly, at least one combustor assembly, a turbine assembly and duct structure. The outer shell includes a compressor section, a combustor section, an intermediate section and a turbine section. The intermediate section includes at least one first opening and at least one second opening. The compressor assembly is located in the compressor section to define with the compressor section a compressor apparatus to compress air. The at least one combustor assembly is coupled to the combustor section to define with the combustor section a combustor apparatus. The turbine assembly is located in the turbine section to define with the turbine section a turbine apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Bland, Dennis A. Horazak