US 5,181,377 AGranted

Damped combustor cowl structure

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsPhillip D. Napoli, John M. Koshoffer

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Abstract

A friction-damped combustor cowl is formed of first and second plies of sheet material of mating, generally annular configuration defining a central cowl axis and of axially elongated and aerodynamically contoured configuration have respective fore end portions which are curled to form a cowl leading edge of arcuate cross section and corresponding fore edges which are integrally joined, and respective aft end portions which define a cowl trailing edge and corresponding aft edges which are integrally joined. Surface contact of the contiguous surfaces of the laminated and mating first and second plies provides vibration damping under normal operating conditions in an alternative and combustor cowl, a spring element is received and maintained under compression within the curled leading edge of the combustor cowl and maintains a resilient biasing force maintaining surface contact between the spring element and the interior surface of the curled leading edge, thereby maintaining frictional surface contact and requisite vibration damping under normal operating conditions.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A combustor cowl for use in assembled relationship with the combustor of a gas turbine engine, the cowl being of a generally annular configuration defining a central cowl axis and being axially elongated and aerodynamically contoured relative to the central cowl axis, the combustor defining a central combustor axis and the central cowl and combustor axes being aligned in the assembled relationship of the combustor cowl with the combustor, the combustor cowl comprising:

first and second plies of sheet metal respectively having generally annular and axially elongated and aerodynamically contoured configurations and each having inner and outer main surfaces and fore and aft end portions with corresponding fore and aft edges;
the first and second plies of sheet metal being assembled in mating relationship with the inner surface of the first ply of sheet metal disposed on and in surface contact with the outer surface of the second ply of sheet metal, the respective fore end portions of the first and second plies of sheet metal being curled together in a direction toward the interior surface of said second ply of sheet metal thereby to form a cowl leading edge, of a generally circular configuration in a plane transverse to and relating to the central cowl axis and of a generally arcuate cross-section in a plane extending radially from the central cowl axis, and the respective, corresponding fore edges being integrally joined, and the respective aft end portions of the first and second plies of sheet metal defining a cowl trailing edge and the respective, corresponding aft edges being integrally joined;
and
the surface contact of the first and second plies producing a frictional contact force affording friction damping of vibrations induced in the cowl under normal operating conditions of the gas turbine engine.

1 more element

a ply of sheet metal of said generally annular, axially elongated and aerodynamically contoured configuration and having inner and outer main surfaces and fore and aft end portions, the fore end portion being curled in a direction toward the inner main surface thereof, thereby to form a leading edge of the cowl of a generally circular configuration in a plane transverse to the central cowl axis and of a generally arcuate cross-section in a plane extending radially from the central cowl axis, and the aft end defining a trailing edge of the cowl;
and
elongated spring means of generally arcuate configuration, received in and maintained in compression within, and thereby in surface contact with, the inner surface of the curled, leading edge of the cowl and thereby providing frictional damping of vibration induced in the cowl during normal operating conditions of the gas turbine engine.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.