Dilution passages for combustor of a gas turbine engine

Abstract

A wall assembly for use in a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the wall assembly including: a support shell; a liner panel; and an annular peripheral wall extending from the liner panel, the annular peripheral wall defining a dilution passage and the annular peripheral wall extends through an opening in the support shell when the support shell and the liner panel are secured to each other, the annular peripheral wall having a top portion that defines a portion of a first periphery of the dilution passage and a bottom portion that defines a portion of a second periphery of the dilution passage; a backstop extending from the top portion of the annular peripheral wall, the backstop defining another portion of a periphery of the dilution passage and the backstop extending through and above the opening in the support shell when the liner panel is secured to the support shell; and cooling airflow paths extending from a surface of the backstop through the backstop and the annular peripheral wall to provide cooling air to a surface of the liner panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wall assembly for use in a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the wall assembly comprising:
 a support shell;   a liner panel; and   an annular peripheral wall extending from the liner panel, the annular peripheral wall defining a dilution passage and the annular peripheral wall extends through an opening in the support shell when the support shell and the liner panel are secured to each other, the annular peripheral wall having a top portion that defines a portion of a first periphery of the dilution passage and a bottom portion that defines a portion of a second periphery of the dilution passage;   a backstop extending from the top portion of the annular peripheral wall, the backstop defining another portion of a periphery of the dilution passage and the backstop extending through and above the opening in the support shell when the liner panel is secured to the support shell; and   cooling airflow paths extending from a surface of the backstop through the backstop and the annular peripheral wall to provide cooling air to a surface of the liner panel.   
     
     
         2 . The wall assembly as in  claim 1 , further comprising an internal plenum located in the backstop and the annular peripheral wall, the cooling airflow paths extending through the internal plenum. 
     
     
         3 . The wall assembly as in  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of openings located in the surface of the backstop above the support shell, the plurality of openings being in fluid communication with the internal plenum. 
     
     
         4 . The wall assembly as in  claim 2 , further comprising a protrusion that extends from a bottom portion of the annular peripheral wall past the liner panel, the protrusion forms another portion a periphery of the dilution passage, the internal plenum extending into the protrusion and is in fluid communication with at least one opening located in a trailing edge portion of the protrusion. 
     
     
         5 . The wall assembly as in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one opening is a plurality of individual openings or a single elongated slot. 
     
     
         6 . The wall assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the protrusion has a curvature that matches a curvature of the dilution passage. 
     
     
         7 . The wall assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of individual openings or the single elongated slot are arranged in an arc. 
     
     
         8 . The wall assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the backstop is arranged to be at least partially located at a trailing edge portion of the dilution passage. 
     
     
         9 . The wall assembly as in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of openings located in the surface of the backstop, a surface of the annular peripheral wall defining the dilution passage and a bottom portion of the annular peripheral wall, the plurality of opening being in fluid communication with the cooling airflow paths and the cooling airflow paths are angled with respect to the surface of the backstop and the bottom portion of the annular peripheral wall. 
     
     
         10 . The wall assembly as in  claim 9 , wherein some of the plurality of openings located in the bottom portion the annular peripheral wall are further from a trailing edge of the dilution passage than other ones of the plurality of openings located in the bottom portion of the annular peripheral wall, the some of the plurality of openings located in the bottom portion of the annular peripheral wall that are further from the trailing edge of the dilution passage correspond to some of the plurality of openings located in the surface of the backstop or the surface of the annular peripheral wall that are further from the bottom portion of the annular peripheral wall than others of the plurality of openings located in the surface of the backstop or the surface of the annular peripheral wall. 
     
     
         11 . The wall assembly as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an internal plenum located in the annular peripheral wall, the cooling airflow paths extending through the internal plenum and at least one opening located in a surface of the annular peripheral wall defining the dilution passage, the at least one opening being in fluid communication with the internal plenum;   a protrusion that extends from a bottom portion of the annular peripheral wall past the liner panel, the protrusion forms another portion a periphery of the dilution passage, the internal plenum extending into the protrusion and is in fluid communication with at least one opening located in a trailing edge portion of the protrusion.   
     
     
         12 . The wall assembly as in  claim 11 , wherein the at least one opening located in the trailing edge portion of the protrusion is a plurality of individual openings or a single elongated slot. 
     
     
         13 . The wall assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the protrusion has a curvature that matches a curvature of the dilution passage. 
     
     
         14 . The wall assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of individual openings or the single elongated slot are arranged in an arc. 
     
     
         15 . The wall assembly as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an internal plenum located in the backstop and the annular peripheral wall, the cooling airflow paths extending through the internal plenum; and   a plurality of openings located in the surface of the backstop above the support shell, a surface of the annular peripheral wall defining the dilution passage and a bottom portion of the annular peripheral wall, the plurality of openings being in fluid communication with the internal plenum.   
     
     
         16 . The wall assembly as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an internal plenum located in the backstop and the annular peripheral wall, the cooling airflow paths extending through the internal plenum;   a protrusion that extends from a bottom portion of the annular peripheral wall past the liner panel, the protrusion forms another portion a periphery of the dilution passage, the internal plenum extending into the protrusion and is in fluid communication with at least one opening located in a trailing edge portion of the protrusion;   a plurality of openings located in the surface of the backstop above the support shell, and a surface of the annular peripheral wall defining the dilution passage, the plurality of openings and the at least one opening located in a trailing edge portion of the protrusion being in fluid communication with the internal plenum.   
     
     
         17 . The wall assembly as in  claim 16 , wherein the protrusion completely encircles the dilution passage and a bottom portion of the protrusion has openings in fluid communication with the internal plenum. 
     
     
         18 . The wall assembly as in  claim 16 , wherein the internal plenum extends completely around an interior of the annular peripheral wall. 
     
     
         19 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a compressor section;   a turbine section; and   a combustor section, the combustor section including a wall assembly for use in a combustor of the combustor section, the wall assembly comprising:
 a support shell; 
 a liner panel; and 
 an annular peripheral wall extending from the liner panel, the annular peripheral wall defining a dilution passage and the annular peripheral wall extends through an opening in the support shell when the support shell and the liner panel are secured to each other, the annular peripheral wall having a top portion that defines a portion of a first periphery of the dilution passage and a bottom portion that defines a portion of a second periphery of the dilution passage; 
 a backstop extending from the top portion of the annular peripheral wall, the backstop defining another portion of a periphery of the dilution passage and the backstop extending through and above the opening in the support shell when the liner panel is secured to the support shell; and 
 cooling airflow paths extending from a surface of the backstop through the backstop and the annular peripheral wall to provide cooling air to a surface of the liner panel. 
   
     
     
         20 . A method of guiding airflow into a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
 locating a portion of an annular peripheral wall in an opening of a support shell of the combustor, the annular peripheral wall extending from a liner panel secured to the support shell, the annular peripheral wall defining a dilution passage; and   directing airflow into the dilution passage via a backstop extending from a top portion of the annular peripheral wall, the top portion defining a portion of a periphery of the dilution passage; and   directing airflow into cooling airflow paths extending from a surface of the backstop through the backstop and the annular peripheral wall to provide cooling air to a surface of the liner panel.