Combustion chamber wall and a method of manufacturing a combustion chamber wall

A method of manufacturing an annular combustion chamber wall, which is hollow, the annular combustion chamber wall including:

• (i) a first surface and a second surface, and (ii) a plurality of polyhedron shaped chambers defined by a matrix of integral interconnected walls, the plurality of polyhedron shaped chambers being arranged in at least two layers between the first surface and the second surface, a first layer formed by the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers and defining the first surface of the annular combustion chamber wall, and a second layer formed by the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers and defining the second surface of the annular combustion chamber wall, the polyhedron shaped chambers in each layer are fluidly interconnected to the polyhedron shaped chambers in each adjacent layer by apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers for the flow of coolant there-between, adjacent polyhedron shaped chambers share a common wall, a first plurality of apertures of the plurality of apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers in the first layer from the first surface to supply coolant into the first layer, and a second plurality of apertures of the plurality of apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers in the second layer to the second surface to supply coolant from the second layer into the combustion chamber, the method comprising steps of:
• (a) depositing layers of a metal sequentially one upon the other to form layers of a spiral wall, depositing each layer of metal in a spiral pathway, and
• (b) joining ends of the spiral wall to form the annular combustion chamber wall, the ends of the spiral wall being at opposite ends of the spiral pathway.

A method of manufacturing an annular combustion chamber wall, which is hollow, the annular combustion chamber wall including:

• (i) a first surface located on an outer side of the annular combustion chamber wall, (ii) a second surface located on an inner side of the annular combustion chamber wall forming an inner side of a combustion chamber, (iii) a plurality of polyhedron shaped chambers defined by a matrix of integral interconnected walls, the plurality of polyhedron shaped chambers being arranged in at least two layers between the first surface and the second surface including a first layer formed by the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers and defining the first surface of the annular combustion chamber wall, and a second layer formed by the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers and defining the second surface of the annular combustion chamber wall, (iv) a plurality of apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers for the flow of coolant there-between, the apertures fluidly interconnecting the polyhedron shaped chambers in each layer to the polyhedron shaped chambers in each adjacent layer, adjacent polyhedron shaped chambers share a common wall, a first plurality of apertures of the plurality of apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers in the first layer from the first surface to supply coolant into the first layer, and a second plurality of apertures of the plurality of apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers in the second layer to the second surface to supply coolant from the second layer into the combustion chamber, (v) at least one rib formed on an interior surface of at least one of the interconnected walls within at least one of the plurality of polyhedron shaped chambers, the at least one rib projecting from the interior surface towards another one of the interconnected walls that is on an opposite side of the polyhedron shaped chamber from the interior surface and into the at least one polyhedron shaped chamber, the at least one rib extending along a length of the annular combustion chamber wall, and (vi) a plurality of circumferential segments joined together to form the annular combustion chamber wall, each having a circumferential ends, the circumferential ends of each of the plurality of circumferential segments including a tongue or a groove configured to be inserted into a groove or to receive a tongue of an adjacent circumferential segment of the plurality of circumferential segments, the circumferential ends of each of the plurality of circumferential segments being formed of solid metal or a plurality of layers of polyhedron shaped chambers, the method comprising:
• manufacturing the annular combustion chamber wall by additive layer manufacture;
• manufacturing the annular combustion chamber wall in circumferential segments by the plurality of circumferential segments joined together;
• and
• building the annular combustion chamber wall by assembling each of the plurality of circumferential segments layer by layer and joining the circumferential ends of each of the plurality of circumferential segments together.

An annular combustion chamber wall, which is hollow, the annular combustion chamber wall comprising:

• a first surface located on an outer side of the annular combustion chamber wall;
• a second surface located on an inner side of the annular combustion chamber wall forming an inner side of a combustion chamber;
• a plurality of polyhedron shaped chambers defined by a matrix of integral interconnected walls, the plurality of polyhedron shaped chambers being arranged in at least two layers between the first surface and the second surface including:
• a first layer formed by the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers and defining the first surface of the annular combustion chamber wall;
• and
• a second layer formed by the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers and defining the second surface of the annular combustion chamber wall;
• a plurality of apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers for the flow of coolant there-between, the apertures fluidly interconnecting the polyhedron shaped chambers in each layer to the polyhedron shaped chambers in each adjacent layer, adjacent polyhedron shaped chambers share a common wall, a first plurality of apertures of the plurality of apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers in the first layer from the first surface to supply coolant into the first layer, and a second plurality of apertures of the plurality of apertures extending through the integral interconnected walls of the polyhedron shaped chambers in the second layer to the second surface to supply coolant from the second layer into the combustion chamber;
• and
• a plurality of circumferential segments joined together to form the annular combustion chamber wall, each having a circumferential ends, the circumferential ends of each of the plurality of circumferential segments including a tongue or a groove configured to be inserted into a groove or to receive a tongue of an adjacent circumferential segment of the plurality of circumferential segments, the circumferential ends of each of the plurality of circumferential segments being formed of a plurality of layers of polyhedron shaped chambers.