Combustor component with cooling holes formed by additive manufacturing

Abstract

Combustor liners made using additive manufacturing techniques can employ cooling hole patterns which are not possible, or at least time consuming or expensive, to make using traditional subtractive manufacturing techniques. By additively manufacturing floatwall panels, cooling holes may be placed along axes that transect features on the floatwall panel, such as mounting studs, spacers, cooling pedestals, and rails.

1 . A combustor floatwall panel comprising:
 a stack of layers of a sintered material, which form in the aggregate:
 a panel having a first surface and a second surface parallel to the first surface; 
 a feature disposed on the first surface; and 
 a cooling hole that is made up of a series of apertures in adjacent layers, wherein the cooling hole extends between the first surface and the second surface, and is arranged along an axis that transects the feature. 
   
     
     
         2 . The combustor floatwall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is one of a mounting bracket, a mounting stud, a cooling pedestal, or a rail. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor floatwall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the feature and the panel are made of a continuous piece of sintered material. 
     
     
         4 . The combustor floatwall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the combustor floatwall panel is made out of a sintered metal. 
     
     
         5 . The combustor floatwall panel of  claim 4 , wherein the sintered metal is a high-temperature superalloy. 
     
     
         6 . A method for making a combustor floatwall panel, the method comprising:
 forming, by additive manufacturing, a multilayer structure including a wall, a feature protruding from the wall, and a series of interconnected apertures filled with a filler material; and   removing the filler material from the interconnected apertures to create a cooling hole that extends through the wall and is aligned with an axis that transects the feature.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein removing the filler material is accomplished using gas to blow away excess filler material. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising machining an exterior of the combustor floatwall panel to achieve a smooth surface. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein additively manufacturing includes selectively sintering a pulverant material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein selectively sintering the pulverant material comprises using laser additive manufacturing. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein selectively sintering the pulverant material comprises using direct metal laser sintering. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein selectively sintering the pulverant material comprises using an electron beam. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the feature is a mounting bracket, a mounting stud, a cooling pedestal, or a rail. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the filler material is a sinterable metal. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the filler material is a high-temperature superalloy. 
     
     
         16 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
 a compressor section;   a turbine section; and   a combustor section arranged between the compressor section and the turbine section, the combustor section including
 a high pressure plenum in fluid communication with the compressor section; 
 a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the turbine section; and 
 at least one combustor floatwall panel made of layers of sintered material and arranged between the high pressure plenum and the combustion chamber, wherein the combustor floatwall panel is formed by additive manufacturing and includes a plurality of cooling holes at least one of which is aligned along an axis that transects a feature protruding from the panel. 
   
     
     
         17 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 16 , wherein the feature is one of a mounting bracket, a mounting stud, a cooling pedestal, or a rail. 
     
     
         18 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 16 , wherein the feature and the combustor floatwall panel are made of a continuous piece of material. 
     
     
         19 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 18 , wherein the combustor floatwall panel is made of a sintered metal. 
     
     
         20 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 19 , wherein the sintered metal is a high-temperature superalloy.