Acoustic damping system for a combustor of a gas turbine engine

Abstract

An acoustically dampened gas turbine engine ( 10 ) having a gas turbine engine combustor ( 12 ) with an acoustic damping resonator system is disclosed. The acoustic damping resonator system ( 14 ) may be formed from one or more resonators ( 16 ) formed from a resonator housing ( 18 ) positioned within the gas turbine engine combustor ( 12 ) at an outer housing ( 20 ) forming a combustor basket ( 22 ) and extending circumferentially within the combustor ( 12 ). In at least one embodiment, the resonator housing ( 18 ) may include one or more resonator chambers ( 18 ) that provide enhanced cooling with reduced risk of cracking and other damage. The resonator housing ( 18 ) may include resonator exhaust orifices ( 26 ) that are positioned closer to an area of maximum temperature within the combustor ( 12 ), thereby enabling the resonator ( 16 ) to reduce the temperature gradient within the combustor ( 12 ). The resonator housing ( 18 ) may be sized and configured to reduce stress found in conventional systems by increasing distances between resonator exhaust orifices ( 26 ) and between resonator inlet impingement orifices ( 30 ), among others.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An acoustic damping resonator system for a combustor of a turbine engine, comprising:
 at least one resonator housing defining at least one inner channel with an inner surface and an outer surface on an opposite side of the at least one resonator housing from the inner surface;   at least one resonator chamber extending radially outward from the at least one resonator housing, wherein the at least one resonator chamber includes at least one resonator inlet impingement orifice in an outer wall of the at least one resonator chamber and at least one resonator exhaust orifice extending through the at least one resonator housing; and   wherein the at least one resonator exhaust orifice extending through the at least one resonator housing is offset axially upstream to place the at least one resonator exhaust orifice closer to an area of maximum temperature within the combustor.   
     
     
         17 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one resonator exhaust orifice comprises a plurality of resonator exhaust orifices that are positioned closer to an upstream wall of the at least one resonator chamber than a downstream wall of the at least one resonator chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices are separated from each other a distance equal to at least one and one half times a diameter of a smallest diameter of the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices. 
     
     
         19 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices are separated from each other a distance equal to at least two times a diameter of a smallest diameter of the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices. 
     
     
         20 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices are collected into a pattern of an inverted triangle with a point of the triangle pointed downstream. 
     
     
         21 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices are collected into a pattern of a rectangle. 
     
     
         22 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one resonator inlet impingement orifice comprises a plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices that are offset from the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices such that at least one of the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices is radially aligned with the at least one resonator housing in which the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices are positioned such that cooling fluids flowing into the at least one resonator chamber impinge on the at least one resonator housing. 
     
     
         23 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices form fewer rows as rows formed by the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices, and wherein the rows formed by the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices extend circumferentially and are aligned radially between rows of the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices beginning with a first upstream row of resonator exhaust orifices and moving downstream. 
     
     
         24 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices form a first row that has one fewer orifices than a first row of resonator exhaust orifices and wherein the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices form a second row downstream from the first row of resonator inlet impingement orifices, whereby the second row of resonator inlet impingement orifices has two fewer orifices than a second row of resonator exhaust orifices. 
     
     
         25 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 24 , wherein the second row of inlet impingement orifices skips a position in a middle of the second row of resonator exhaust orifices. 
     
     
         26 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices form a first row that has one fewer orifices than a first row of resonator exhaust orifices and wherein the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices form a second row downstream from the first row of resonator inlet impingement orifices, whereby the second row of resonator inlet impingement orifices has at least an additional orifice than the first row of inlet impingement orifices and the second row of resonator exhaust orifices has at least an additional orifice than the first row of resonator exhaust orifices. 
     
     
         27 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of inlet impingement orifices are separated from each other a distance equal to at least one and one half times a diameter of a smallest diameter of the plurality of inlet impingement orifices. 
     
     
         28 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of inlet impingement orifices are separated from each other a distance equal to at least two times a diameter of a smallest diameter of the plurality of inlet impingement orifices. 
     
     
         29 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 16 , wherein a ratio of distance between the outer wall of the at least one resonator chamber and the at least one resonator housing to a diameter of the at least one resonator inlet impingement orifice is between about seven and about four. 
     
     
         30 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 16 , wherein the outer wall is sized in thickness such that a ratio of a length of the at least one resonator inlet impingement orifice extending radially inward to a diameter of the at least one resonator inlet impingement orifice is greater than one. 
     
     
         31 . An acoustic damping resonator system for a combustor of a turbine engine, comprising:
 at least one resonator housing defining at least one inner channel with an inner surface and an outer surface on an opposite side of the at least one resonator housing from the inner surface;   at least one resonator chamber extending radially outward from the at least one resonator housing, wherein the at least one resonator chamber includes at least one resonator inlet impingement orifice in an outer wall of the at least one resonator chamber and at least one resonator exhaust orifice extending through the at least one resonator housing;   wherein the at least one resonator exhaust orifice extending through the at least one resonator housing is offset axially upstream to place the at least one resonator exhaust orifice closer to an area of maximum temperature within the combustor;   wherein the at least one resonator exhaust orifice comprises a plurality of resonator exhaust orifices that are positioned closer to an upstream wall of the at least one resonator chamber than a downstream wall of the at least one resonator chamber; and   wherein the at least one resonator inlet impingement orifice comprises a plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices that are offset from the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices such that at least one of the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices is radially aligned with the at least one resonator housing in which the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices are positioned such that cooling fluids flowing into the at least one resonator chamber impinge on the at least one resonator housing.   
     
     
         32 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices are separated from each other a distance equal to at least two times a diameter of a smallest diameter of the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices. 
     
     
         33 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices form half as many rows as rows formed by the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices, and wherein the rows formed by the plurality of resonator inlet impingement orifices extend circumferentially and are aligned radially between rows of the plurality of resonator exhaust orifices beginning with a first upstream row of resonator exhaust orifices and moving downstream. 
     
     
         34 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of inlet impingement orifices are separated from each other a distance equal to at least two times a diameter of a smallest diameter of the plurality of inlet impingement orifices. 
     
     
         35 . The acoustic damping resonator system of  claim 31 , wherein a ratio of distance between the outer wall of the at least one resonator chamber and the at least one resonator housing to a diameter of the at least one resonator inlet impingement orifice is between about seven and about four.