# US 2014/0190175 A1 · 3d non-axisymmetric combustor liner

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- Number: US 2014/0190175 A1
- Document ID: US20140190175A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/202,969
- Filed: 2014-03-10
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2010-02-22
- Assignees: United Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: United Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Joel H. Wagner; Paul M. Lutjen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190175A1

## CPC

- F23R 3/16: with devices inside the flame tube or the combustion chamber to influence the air or gas flow
- F23C 3/00: Combustion apparatus characterised by the shape of the combustion chamber
- F23R 3/002: {Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence)}
- F23R 3/50: Combustion chambers comprising an annular flame tube within an annular casing (toroidal combustion chambers F23R3/52)
- 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)
- F23C: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN {A CARRIER GAS OR} AIR (burners F23D)

## Abstract

A combustor liner with an input end and an output end includes an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall. At least one of the inner wall and outer wall is three-dimensionally contoured. The inner wall and the outer wall form a combustion chamber with the contours creating alternating expanding and constricting regions inside the chamber causing combustion gases to flow in the circumferential and axial directions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A combustor liner with an input end and an output end, the liner comprising:
an annular inner wall; and
an annular outer wall; wherein at least one of the inner wall and outer wall is three-dimensionally contoured, and together the inner wall and outer wall form a combustion chamber with the contours creating alternating expanding and constricting regions inside the chamber causing combustion gases to flow in the circumferential and axial directions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The combustor liner of claim 1, wherein both the inner wall and outer wall are three-dimensionally contoured to form alternating expanding and constricting regions inside the chamber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The combustor liner of claim 1, wherein the contoured wall is contoured around the circumference and contoured axially through the length of the combustion chamber from input to output.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The combustor liner of claim 1, wherein the contoured inner wall and contoured outer wall are contoured around the circumference and contoured axially through the length of the combustion chamber from input to output.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The combustor liner of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional contours promote localized mixing of gasses flowing from the input to the output of the combustion chamber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The combustor liner of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer walls contain dilution holes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The combustor liner of claim 1, wherein the combustion chamber has a variation in volume along the axial length of the combustor from input to output.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The combustor liner of claim 1, wherein the distance between the inner wall and the outer wall in a region of constriction is about ⅓ to about ⅗ of the distance from the inner wall to the outer wall in a region of expansion.

### Claim 9

A generally cylindrical combustor to receive air and fuel at an input end, mix the air and fuel axially through the length of the combustor and distribute the mixture to a turbine at an output end, the combustor comprising:
a combustor liner with an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall forming a combustion chamber, with at least one of the walls having three-dimensional contours creating alternating expanding and constricting regions inside the chamber to cause combustion gases to flow in the circumferential and axial directions; and
a plurality of nozzles in an annular shape to distribute the fuel and air into the combustion chamber at the input end of the combustor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The combustor of claim 9, wherein the inner wall and outer wall of the combustor line have three-dimensional contours creating alternating expanding and constricting regions inside the chamber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The combustor of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional contours are in a wavelike pattern on the inner and outer walls and are located circumferentially around the walls and axially through the length of the liner walls from input to output.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The combustor of claim 11, wherein at the input of the combustor, the contours around the circumference of liner inner wall and outer wall form regions of constriction at locations between the nozzles, the contours around the circumference of liner inner wall and outer wall form regions of expansion at nozzles.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The combustor of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional contours are designed to promote localized mixing of the air and fuel in the combustor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The combustor of claim 9, wherein the liner further includes a plurality of dilution holes or jets.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The combustor of claim 9, wherein at the output end of the combustor, the mixing has created a generally uniform distribution of temperature and pressure in the mixture.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The combustor of claim 9, wherein the distance between liner inner wall and liner outer wall is larger in regions of expansion at the input end of the combustor than in regions of expansion at the output end of the combustor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The combustor of claim 9, wherein the combustion chamber has a variation in volume from the input end than at the output end.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

The combustor of claim 9, wherein the distance between the inner wall and the outer wall in a region of constriction is about ⅓ to about ⅗ of the distance from the inner wall to the outer wall in a region of expansion.

### Claim 19

A method comprising:
injecting fuel and air into an annular combustion chamber between inner and outer liner walls of the combustion chamber at an input end; and
creating localized mixing of the fuel and air in the combustion chamber with three-dimensional contours on at least one of the inner and outer liner walls around the circumference and axially through the length of the combustion chamber, with the contours forming alternating regions of expansion and constriction within the combustion chamber.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the step of creating localized mixing of the fuel and air with three dimensional contours further comprises:
injecting additional air into the combustor through a plurality of dilution holes or jets in the liner.