Thimble, sleeve, and method for cooling a combustor assembly
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsWei Chen, Stephen Robert Thomas, Geoffrey David Myers, Vijay Kumar Turaga
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for cooling a combustor assembly having a cooling passage. The method includes providing at least one thimble including an inner surface that defines a first opening, a second opening that is downstream from the first opening, and a flow channel that extends between the first opening and the second opening. The flow channel has a converging portion and a recovery portion that is downstream from the converging portion. The method also includes inserting the at least one thimble into at least one inlet that is defined in at least one sleeve such that cooling air is discharged from the flow channel into the cooling passage.
Claims20
A method for cooling a combustor assembly including a cooling passage defined between at least one sleeve and an outer surface of a combustion component, said method comprising:
- providing at least one thimble that includes an outer surface, a lip portion at least partially defined by the outer surface of the at least one thimble, and an inner surface that defines a first opening, a second opening downstream from the first opening, and a flow channel extending therebetween, wherein the flow channel is formed with a converging portion and a recovery portion downstream from the converging portion, a diameter of the converging portion that decreases from the first opening to the recovery portion, a diameter of the recovery portion is substantially constant therethrough;
- inserting the at least one thimble into at least one inlet defined in the at least one sleeve such that the lip portion engages the outer surface of the at least one sleeve, wherein the flow channel is coupled in flow communication with the cooling passage, and such that cooling air discharged from the flow channel facilitates impingement cooling of the combustion component.
A thimble for channeling cooling air into a cooling passage of a combustor assembly, said thimble comprising:
- an outer surface extending from a sleeve into the cooling passage defined between said sleeve and an outer surface of a combustion component;
- an opposite inner surface that defines a first opening, a second opening downstream from said first opening, and a flow channel extending therebetween, said flow channel comprises a converging portion and a recovery portion downstream from said converging portion, said converging portion has a diameter that decreases from said first opening to said recovery portion, said recovery portion has a substantially constant diameter therethrough, wherein said flow channel is configured to channel air into the cooling passage;
- and
- a lip portion at least partially defined by said outer surface and coupled to an outer surface of the sleeve.
A sleeve for use with a turbine engine, said sleeve comprising:
- an outer wall at least partially defining a ledge portion;
- and
- at least one projection extending outward from said outer wall, said at least one projection configured to channel cooling air into a cooling passage of a combustor assembly, said cooling passage defined between said sleeve and an outer surface of a combustion component, said at least one projection comprising:
- an outer surface extending from said outer wall into said cooling passage;
- an opposite inner surface that defines a first opening, a second opening downstream from said first opening, and a flow channel extending therebetween, said flow channel comprises a converging portion and a recovery portion downstream from said converging portion, said converging portion has a diameter that decreases from said first opening to said recovery portion, said recovery portion has a substantially constant diameter therethrough, wherein said flow channel is configured to channel air into said cooling passage;
- and
- a lip portion at least partially defined by said outer surface of said at least one projection, said lip portion is coupled to said ledge portion of said outer wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.