# US 11,994,294 B2 · Combustor liner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,294 B2 - Document ID: US11994294B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/931,700 - Filed: 2022-09-13 - Published: 2023-11-16 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2022-05-13 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Hiranya Nath; Ravindra Shankar Ganiger; Sripathi Mohan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994294B2 ## CPC - F23R 3/06: Arrangement of apertures along the flame tube - F02C 7/04: Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants - F23R 3/002: {Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence)} - F23R 2900/03044: Impingement cooled combustion chamber walls or subassemblies - F23R: GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS (fluidised bed combustion apparatus specially adapted for operation at superatmospheric pressures F23C10/16) - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) ## Abstract A combustor includes a skeleton mesh structure having a plurality of structural elements configured to mesh together to form the skeleton mesh structure, each of the plurality of structural elements including a frame and, a plurality of louvers connected to the frame. The combustor also includes an inner liner mounted to the skeleton mesh structure to define a combustion chamber. The inner liner includes a plurality of inner planks mounted to the skeleton mesh structure, each of the plurality of inner planks being mounted to a corresponding one of the plurality of structural elements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A combustor comprising: a skeleton mesh structure comprising a plurality of structural elements configured to mesh together to form the skeleton mesh structure, each of the plurality of structural elements comprising a frame and a plurality of louvers connected to the frame; and an inner liner mounted to the skeleton mesh structure to define a combustion chamber, the inner liner comprising a plurality of inner planks mounted to the skeleton mesh structure, each of the plurality of inner planks being mounted to the frame of a corresponding one of the plurality of structural elements, the plurality of inner planks being exposable to hot flames within the combustion chamber, each of the plurality of inner planks comprises a plurality of holes, wherein two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers are configured such that a first distance L1 between bottoms of the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers is less than or equal to a second distance L2 between tops of the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers such that the two successive louvers are spaced apart by a gap to define an opening to allow airflow to pass therethrough, and the plurality of holes of each of the plurality of inner planks are oriented such that a first portion of airflow exiting through the opening enters through at least one of the plurality of holes, and a second portion of airflow exiting through the opening propagates along a surface of each of the plurality of inner planks in a space between the bottoms of the two successive louvers and the surface of each of the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The combustor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of louvers are spaced apart by a gap to define a plurality of openings to allow air to pass therethrough. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The combustor according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of louvers are integral with the frame of each of the plurality of structural elements of the skeleton mesh structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The combustor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are oblique relative to the surface of each of the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The combustor according to claim 1, wherein respective adjacent pairs of louvers of the plurality of louvers are spaced apart by the gap to define a plurality of openings to allow air to pass therethrough, and wherein a portion of airflow exiting through the plurality of openings enters through the plurality of holes, and another portion of airflow exiting the plurality of openings propagates along the surface of each of the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The combustor according to claim 5, wherein an angle and size of the plurality of holes relative to the surface is selected to control an amount of airflow that enters the plurality of holes relative to another amount of airflow that propagates along the surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The combustor according to claim 5, wherein the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers are configured such that the first distance L1 between the bottoms of the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers and the second distance L2 between the tops of the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers are such that a ratio between L1 and L2 between 0.1 and 1.0 provides a maximum cooling effectiveness of airflow on the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The combustor according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of louvers are configured such that an angle θ2 of the plurality of louvers relative to the surface of each of the plurality of inner planks is less than or equal to an angle θ1 of the holes in each of the plurality of inner planks relative to the surface, such that a ratio between 01 and 02 between land 4.5 provides a maximum cooling effectiveness of airflow on the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The combustor according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of louvers are configured such that a spacing S between the bottoms of the two successive louvers and the surface of each of the plurality of inner planks, and a thickness T of the plurality of inner planks are such that a ratio between S and T between 0.1 and 2 provides a maximum cooling effectiveness of airflow on the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 10 A turbine engine comprising: a combustor comprising: (a) a skeleton mesh structure comprising a plurality of structural elements configured to mesh together to form the skeleton mesh structure, each of the plurality of structural elements comprising a frame and a plurality of louvers connected to the frame; and (b) an inner liner mounted to the skeleton mesh structure to define a combustion chamber, the inner liner comprising a plurality of inner planks mounted to the skeleton mesh structure, each of the plurality of inner planks being mounted to the frame of a corresponding one of the plurality of structural elements, the plurality of inner planks being exposable to hot flames within the combustion chamber, wherein two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers are configured such that a first distance L1 between bottoms of the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers is less than or equal to a second distance L2 between tops of the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers such that the two successive louvers are spaced apart by a gap to define an opening to allow airflow to pass therethrough, and a plurality of holes are defined through each of the plurality of inner planks and are oriented such that a first portion of airflow exiting through the opening enters through at least one of the plurality of holes, and a second portion of airflow exiting through the opening propagates along a surface of each of the plurality of inner planks in a space between the bottoms of the two successive louvers and the surface of each of the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The turbine engine according to claim 10, wherein respective adjacent pairs of louvers of the plurality of louvers are spaced apart by the gap to define a plurality of openings to allow air to pass therethrough. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The turbine engine according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of louvers are integral with the frame of each of the plurality of structural elements of the skeleton mesh structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The turbine engine according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of holes are oblique relative to the surface of each of the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The turbine engine according to claim 11, wherein respective adjacent pairs of the plurality of louvers are spaced apart by the gap to define a plurality of openings to allow air to pass therethrough, and wherein a portion of airflow exiting through the plurality of openings enters through the plurality of holes, and another portion of airflow exiting the plurality of openings propagates along the surface of each of the plurality of the inner planks. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The turbine engine according to claim 14, wherein an angle of the plurality of holes relative to the surface is selected to control an amount of airflow that enters the plurality of holes relative to another amount of airflow that propagates along the surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The turbine engine according to claim 14, wherein the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers are configured such that the first distance L1 between the bottoms of the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers and the second distance L2 between the tops of the two successive louvers in the plurality of louvers are such that a ratio between L1 and L2 between 0.1 and 1.0 provides a maximum cooling effectiveness of airflow on the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The turbine engine according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of louvers are configured such that an angle θ2 of the plurality of louvers relative to the surface of each of the plurality of inner planks is less than or equal to an angle θ1 of the holes in each of the plurality of inner planks relative the surface, such that a ratio between 01 and 02 between 1 and 4.5 provides a maximum cooling effectiveness of airflow on the plurality of inner planks. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The turbine engine according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of louvers are configured such that a spacing S between the bottoms of the two successive louvers and the surface of each of the plurality of inner planks, and a thickness T of the plurality of inner planks are such that a ratio between S and T between 0.1 and 2 provides a maximum cooling effectiveness of airflow on the plurality of inner planks.