Combustion chamber arrangement for gas turbines

#The invention generally relates to a combustion chamber arrangement for gas turbines. Preferably, it relates to one which includes a multiplicity of individual combustion chambers which open out in a common annular combustion chamber and are arranged in the shape of a circle. The invention also generally relates to a gas turbine having a combustion chamber arrangement which is constructed in accordance with the invention.

#Gas turbines are in widespread use both in the field of power generation and as means for driving jet aircraft. In gas turbines, an air/fuel mixture is ignited in a combustion chamber, and the hot-gas stream resulting from the combustion is expanded into a turbine space, where the hot-gas stream comes into contact with an arrangement comprising guide vanes and turbine blades and sets the turbine blades arranged on a shaft and therefore the shaft itself in rotation. By way of example, a generator for generating power can now be operated with the aid of the rotary energy generated in this way.

#Since the combustion of the air/fuel mixture results in high temperatures, which in modern, high-efficiency gas turbines may exceed temperatures of approximately 2000° C., the turbine has to be cooled in the region of the combustion chamber and in subsequent regions, in terms of flow, in order to avoid overheating and therefore destruction of the turbine material.

#Further advantages and features of the invention will emerge from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 shows a perspective, partially sectional view of a combustion chamber arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention with a wavy transition region between individual combustion chambers and annular combustion chamber,

#FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through a combustion chamber arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention on section line II—II from FIG. 1, this figure illustrating further parts which are flanged onto the combustion chamber arrangement,

#In the figures, identical elements are provided with identical reference symbols.

#FIG. 1 shows a perspective view, partially in section, of a combustion chamber arrangement 1 according to the invention. A multiplicity of individual combustion chambers 2, which are arranged substantially in the shape of a circle and are of cylindrical design, open out into a common annular combustion chamber 3. The annular combustion chamber 3 has a two-shell housing with an outer shell 8 and an inner shell 6. The housings of the individual combustion chambers are also of two-shell structure, with a corresponding inner shell 5 and an outer shell 7 (cf. FIG. 2). For operation of a gas turbine which is equipped with the combustion chamber arrangement 1 according to an embodiment of the invention, an air/fuel mixture is introduced into each of the individual combustion chambers 2, where it is ignited. In a first stage, the combustion then takes place in the individual combustion chambers 2, but then it also continues into the common annular combustion chamber 3.

#The hot gas formed during the combustion is expanded and starting from the individual combustion chambers 2 spreads into the annular combustion chamber 3 and then passes onward, through a gap left on the outlet side of the annular combustion chamber 3, toward a turbine space 4 (cf. FIG. 2), where it transfers mechanical energy to a turbine shaft.