# US 12,595,908 B1 · Combustor with additively manufactured combustor body having aft frame with heat transfer augmentation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,595,908 B1 - Document ID: US12595908B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 19/020,211 - Filed: 2025-01-14 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2025-01-14 - Assignees: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC - Applicants: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC - Inventors: Richard Martin DiCintio; Ronnie Pentecost; Christopher Michael West - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12595908B1 ## CPC - F23R 3/002: {Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence)} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - F01D 9/023: {Transition ducts between combustor cans and first stage of the turbine in gas-turbine engines; their cooling or sealings} - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - F23R 2900/00018: Manufacturing combustion chamber liners or subparts - F23R 2900/03043: Convection cooled combustion chamber walls with means for guiding the cooling air flow - F23R 2900/03044: Impingement cooled combustion chamber walls or subassemblies - F23R 2900/03045: Convection cooled combustion chamber walls provided with turbolators or means for creating turbulences to increase cooling - 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) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) ## Abstract A combustor for a gas turbine system includes an additively manufactured (AM) combustor body including a one-piece member. The member includes a combustion liner including a transition portion, and an aft frame at an aft end of the transition portion. The aft frame includes an inner end integral with the combustion liner, an outer end configured to couple to a turbine inlet casing, and a circumferentially extending passage defined partially within the inner end. A plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs extends forward from the inner end of the aft frame on an exterior surface of the transition portion. A flow sleeve is integral with the circumferentially spaced ribs. The AM combustor body includes a plurality of parallel, sintered metal layers. The circumferentially extending passage, the spaced ribs and the flow sleeve promote increased convection and conduction cooling to the aft frame without loss of structural strength. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A combustor for a gas turbine system, the combustor comprising: an additively manufactured (AM) combustor body including a one-piece member including: a combustion liner including a transition portion; an aft frame at an aft end of the transition portion, the aft frame including an inner end integral with the combustion liner, an outer end configured to couple to a turbine inlet casing, and a circumferentially extending passage defined partially within the inner end; a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs extending forward from the inner end of the aft frame on an exterior surface of the transition portion of the combustion liner; and a first flow sleeve integral with the plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs, wherein the first flow sleeve extends circumferentially around the transition portion at a location forward of the aft frame and includes an aft end axially spaced from the aft frame, wherein the aft frame includes an intermediate portion between the inner end and the outer end thereof, and further comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings defined circumferentially between the plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs aft of the aft end of the first flow sleeve and defined axially between the intermediate portion and the aft end of the first flow sleeve, wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced openings are in fluid communication with the circumferentially extending passage defined partially within the inner end of the aft frame, and wherein the AM combustor body further includes a plurality of parallel, sintered metal layers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The combustor of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of cooling enhancement structures extending from an exterior surface of the transition portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The combustor of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of cooling enhancement channels defined in an exterior surface of the transition portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The combustor of claim 1, wherein the first flow sleeve is spaced from an exterior surface of the transition portion; and wherein the first flow sleeve, the plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs and the transition portion collectively define a plurality of cooling passages. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The combustor of claim 4, further comprising a second flow sleeve extending in a spaced manner around the combustion liner and coupled to a forward end of the first flow sleeve, the second flow sleeve defining an annular cooling passage in fluid communication with the plurality of cooling passages. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The combustor of claim 1, wherein the first flow sleeve diverges from an exterior surface of the transition portion from an aft end thereof to a forward end thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The combustor of claim 1, wherein the first flow sleeve includes a plurality of impingement openings therethrough and in fluid communication with a compressed air source. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The combustor of claim 1, further comprising a cooling passage defined within the inner end of the aft frame, the cooling passage having an inlet in fluid communication with the circumferentially extending passage and an outlet through a downstream end of the aft frame. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The combustor of claim 1, further comprising an impingement cooling structure defined within an enlarged portion of the circumferentially extending passage in the inner end of the aft frame, the impingement cooling structure having a plurality of inlets in fluid communication with the circumferentially extending passage and an outlet through a downstream end of the aft frame. ### Claim 10 A gas turbine (GT) system, comprising: a compressor section; a combustion section operatively coupled to the compressor section; and a turbine section operatively coupled to the combustion section, wherein the combustion section includes at least one combustor including: an additively manufactured (AM) combustor body including a one-piece member including: a combustion liner including a transition portion; an aft frame at an aft end of the transition portion, the aft frame including an inner end integral with the combustion liner, an outer end configured to couple to a turbine inlet, and a circumferentially extending passage defined within the inner end; a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs extending forward from the inner end of the aft frame on an exterior surface of the transition portion of the combustion liner; and a first flow sleeve integral with the plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs, wherein the first flow sleeve extends circumferentially around the transition portion at a location forward of the aft frame and includes an aft end axially spaced from the aft frame, wherein the aft frame includes an intermediate portion between the inner end and the outer end thereof, and further comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings defined circumferentially between the plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs aft of the aft end of the first flow sleeve and defined axially between the intermediate portion and the aft end of the first flow sleeve, wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced openings are in fluid communication with the circumferentially extending passage in the inner end of the aft frame, and wherein the AM combustor body further includes a plurality of parallel, sintered metal layers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The GT system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of cooling enhancement structures extending from an exterior surface of the transition portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The GT system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of cooling enhancement channels defined in an exterior surface of the transition portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The GT system of claim 10, wherein the first flow sleeve is spaced from an exterior surface of the transition portion; and wherein the first flow sleeve, the plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs and the transition portion collectively define the plurality of cooling passages. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The GT system of claim 10, wherein the first flow sleeve diverges from an exterior surface of the transition portion from an aft end thereof to a forward end thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The GT system of claim 10, further comprising a cooling passage defined within the inner end of the aft frame, the cooling passage having an inlet in fluid communication with the circumferentially extending passage and an outlet through a downstream end of the aft frame. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The GT system of claim 10, further comprising an impingement cooling structure defined within an enlarged portion of the circumferentially extending passage in the inner end of the aft frame, the impingement cooling structure having a plurality of inlets in fluid communication with the circumferentially extending passage and an outlet through a downstream end of the aft frame.