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EP-3379149-B1 - IMPINGEMENT COOLED COMPONENTS HAVING INTEGRAL THERMAL TRANSFER FEATURES

EP3379149B1EP 3379149 B1EP3379149 B1EP 3379149B1EP-3379149-B1

Inventors

  • Pearson, Matthew Robert

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20180320

Claims (15)

  1. A combustor (302) of a gas turbine engine comprising: a combustor shell (330) having a plurality of impingement holes (342; 542; 642; 742; 842; 942), the combustor shell (330) defining a combustion chamber; a combustor panel (326; 426a-e; 526; 626; 726; 826; 926) mounted to the combustor shell (330) within the combustion chamber, the combustor panel having a plurality of effusion holes (344; 544; 644; 744; 844; 944) formed therein; and at least one thermal transfer feature (352; 452a-e; 552', 552"; 652'; 752'; 852', 852"; 952) located within the combustor panel and arranged such that a condenser section of the thermal transfer feature is located proximate at least one of the plurality of impingement holes and an evaporator section of the thermal transfer feature is located away from the condenser section, wherein the at least one thermal transfer feature (552'; 652'; 752'; 852') includes at least one thermal transfer feature (552'; 652'; 752'; 852') that extends from proximate a first impingement hole (542; 642; 742; 842) to proximate a second impingement hole (542; 642; 742; 842), wherein the evaporator section of the thermal transfer feature is located between the first and second impingement holes.
  2. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal transfer feature (352; 452a-e; 552', 552"; 652'; 752'; 852', 852"; 952) is defined by a thermal transfer feature cavity formed within the combustor panel (326, 426a-e; 526; 626; 726; 826), the thermal transfer feature having a thermal transfer media (458a; 458b; 458c; 458d; 458e) contained within the thermal transfer feature cavity.
  3. The combustor of claim 2, wherein the thermal transfer media (458a; 458b; 458c; 458d; 458e) is lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium, or encapsulated pyrolytic graphite.
  4. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal transfer feature (952) is a solid state thermal transfer feature.
  5. The combustor of claim 4, wherein the at least one thermal transfer feature (952) is disc-shaped.
  6. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal transfer feature comprises plurality of thermal transfer features including a first-type thermal transfer feature (552'; 852') and a second-type thermal transfer feature (552"; 852"), wherein the first-type thermal transfer feature (552'; 852') extends within the combustor panel (526; 826) from proximate one impingement hole (542; 842) to proximate another impingement hole (542; 842) and the second-type thermal transfer feature (552"; 852") has a single end located proximate an impingement hole (542; 842).
  7. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the combustor panel (426a-e; 926) is formed from a first panel sheet (454a-e; 954) and a second panel sheet (456a-e; 956) and the thermal transfer feature (425a-e; 952) is formed between the first and second panel sheets.
  8. The combustor of claim 7, wherein the first panel sheet includes a thermal transfer feature cavity and the second panel sheet is a continuous panel and the first panel sheet has a greater thickness than the second panel sheet at locations away from the thermal transfer feature.
  9. The combustor of claim 7, wherein the first panel sheet (454c) includes a thermal transfer feature cavity and the second panel sheet (456c) includes a thermal transfer feature cavity, wherein the thermal transfer feature cavities of the first and second panel sheets (454c, 454d) are aligned.
  10. The combustor of claim 7, wherein the first panel sheet (454d) includes a thermal transfer feature cavity and the second panel sheet (456d) includes a thermal transfer feature cavity, wherein the thermal transfer feature cavities of the first and second panel sheets (454c, 454d) are offset from each other.
  11. The combustor of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal transfer feature is a micro heat pipe.
  12. A method of manufacturing a combustor of a gas turbine engine comprising: forming a combustor shell (330) having a plurality of impingement holes (342; 542; 642; 742; 842; 942), the combustor shell (330) defining a combustion chamber; forming a combustor panel (326; 426 a-e; 526; 626; 726; 826; 926); forming a thermal transfer feature cavity within at least one panel sheet (454a-e, 456 a-e) of the combustor panel; filling the thermal transfer feature cavity with a thermal transfer media (458a-d); sealing the thermal transfer media (458a-d) within the combustor panel to form a thermal transfer feature (326; 426 a-e; 526; 626; 726; 826; 926); and mounting the combustor panel to the combustor shell within the combustion chamber; wherein the thermal transfer feature is arranged such that a condenser section of the thermal transfer feature is located proximate at least one of the plurality of impingement holes and an evaporator section of the thermal transfer feature is located away from the condenser section; and wherein the thermal transfer feature extends from proximate a first impingement hole (542; 642; 742; 842) to proximate a second impingement hole (542; 642; 742; 842), wherein the evaporator section of the thermal transfer feature is located between the first and second impingement holes.
  13. The method of claim 12, wherein the combustor panel comprises a first panel sheet (454a-e) and a second panel sheet (456a-e), and the sealing comprises joining the first panel sheet (454a-e) to the second panel sheet (456a-e) with the thermal transfer feature (452a-d) located therebetween.
  14. The method of claim 13, wherein joining comprises at least one of brazing, friction welding, and clinching.
  15. The method of claim 12, wherein: the filling and sealing are performed under vacuum conditions; or forming the thermal transfer feature comprises at least one of micromachining, grinding, laser cutting, or chemical etching; or filling the thermal transfer feature cavity comprises inserting a solid-state material into the thermal transfer feature cavity.

Description

BACKGROUND The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to impingement cooled components for gas turbine engines and, more particularly, impingement cooled components having integral thermal transfer features located therein. A combustor of a gas turbine engine may be configured and required to burn fuel in a minimum volume (e.g., a combustion chamber). Such configurations may place substantial heat load on the structure of the combustor. The heat loads may dictate that special consideration is given to structures which may be configured as heat shields or panels configured to protect the walls of the combustor, with the heat shields being air cooled. Even with such configurations, excess temperatures at various locations may occur leading to oxidation, cracking, and high thermal stresses of the heat shields or panels. As such, impingement and convective cooling of panels of the combustor wall may be used. Convective cooling may be achieved by air that is trapped between the panels and a shell of the combustor. Impingement cooling is a process of directing relatively cool air from a location exterior to the combustor toward a back or underside of the panels. Leakage of impingement cooling air may occur through effusion holes without the panel or between adjacent panels at gaps that exist between the panels and thus form film cooling over a surface of the panels. However, it may be advantageous to have improved cooling mechanisms for combustor panels. US 2016/273771 A1 discloses a combustor having a heat shield and a shell separated by a cooling cavity. Impingement apertures are provided in the shell. EP 0565442 A1 discloses cells filled with a material having a melting temperature between a normal and maximum operating range. WO 92/07227 A1 discloses a cooling arrangement of a gas turbine engine comprising a combustion chamber having a hot side surface, a cold side surface, and a thermal transfer feature located between the hot side surface and the cold side surface within the combustion chamber, and arranged such that a condenser section of the thermal transfer feature is located proximate at least one of the cold locations and an evaporator section of the thermal transfer feature is located away from the cold location. SUMMARY Viewed from one aspect the present invention provides a combustor according to claim 1. Viewed from another aspect the present invention provides a method according to claim 12. Various embodiments of the invention are listed in the dependent claims. Technical effects of embodiments of the present invention include panels of a combustor that have integrated cooling features to improve thermal conditions of the combustor panels within the combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. Technical effects further include combustor panels having thermal transfer features formed therein in the form of cooling cavities, channels, or structures that are positioned relative to impingement holes to enable or enhance thermal transfer from areas or zones that are not proximate the impingement holes. The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, the following description and drawings are intended to be illustrative and explanatory in nature and non-limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The subject matter is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the present disclosure are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a gas turbine engine that may employ various embodiments disclosed herein;FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of a combustor section of the gas turbine engine of FIG. 1A that may employ various embodiments disclosed herein;FIG. 1C is a schematic illustration of panels of the combustor of the combustor section shown in FIG. 1B that may employ various embodiment disclosed herein;FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a combustor panel arranged relative to a combustor shell that can incorporate embodiments of the present invention;FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a combustor panel having a thermal transfer feature in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;FIG. 4A is a schematic illustration of a geometry of a cross-section of a thermal transfer feature in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;FIG. 4B is a schematic illustration of a geometry of a cross-section of a cross-section of a thermal transfer feature in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;FIG. 4C is a schematic illustration of a geometry of a cross-section of a thermal t