Combustor Assembly for a Turbine Engine

Abstract

A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a dome defining a slot. The combustor assembly also includes a liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber and extending between an aft end and a forward end. The forward end is received within the slot of the dome. In one aspect, the forward end of the liner defines blind warming openings that allow a warming airflow to actively warm the forward end during transient operation of the engine. In another aspect, the dome defines a plurality of impingement openings that allow a warming airflow to impinge on the forward end to actively warm the liner during transient operation of the engine. In another aspect, a grommet coupling a pin with the liner defines a plurality of warming passages that allow a warming airflow to flow therethrough to warm the forward end of the liner during transient engine operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the combustor assembly comprising:
 a liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber and extending between an aft end and a forward end, wherein the forward end of the liner defines a plurality of mounting openings spaced along the circumferential direction, and wherein the forward end of the liner defines one or more blind warming openings.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the forward end of the liner extends between an outer surface and an opposing inner surface along the radial direction, and wherein each of the plurality of blind warming openings extend along the radial direction from one of the outer surface and the inner surface and terminate prior to the opposing surface. 
     
     
         3 . The combustor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the forward end of the liner extends between an outer surface and an opposing inner surface along the radial direction, and wherein one or more of the plurality of blind warming openings extend along the radial direction from the outer surface and terminate prior to the inner surface and one or more of the plurality of blind warming openings extend along the radial direction from the inner surface and terminate prior to the outer surface. 
     
     
         4 . The combustor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the forward end of the liner extends between an outer surface and an opposing inner surface along the radial direction, and wherein a midline is defined midway between the outer and inner surfaces along the radial direction, wherein the plurality of blind warming openings extend along the radial direction from one of the inner and outer surfaces of the forward end past the midline. 
     
     
         5 . The combustor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the forward end of the liner extends between an outer surface and an opposing inner surface along the radial direction, and wherein the plurality of blind openings comprise a plurality of outer surface openings that each extend along the radial direction from the outer surface and terminate prior to the inner surface and a plurality of inner surface openings that each extend along the radial direction from the inner surface and terminate prior to the outer surface, and wherein the outer surface openings alternate with the inner surface openings along the axial direction. 
     
     
         6 . The combustor assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of outer surface openings extend between an opening end and a terminus end and the plurality of inner surface openings extend between an opening end and a terminus end, and wherein the opening ends of the outer surface openings and the inner surface openings are positioned aft of their respective terminus ends along the axial direction. 
     
     
         7 . The combustor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blind warming openings are angled with respect to the radial direction. 
     
     
         8 . The combustor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blind warming openings comprises one or more warming slits that extend between an opening end and a terminus end along the axial direction. 
     
     
         9 . The combustor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the forward end of the liner extends between an outer surface and an opposing inner surface along the radial direction, the forward end further having a radial interface surface extending between and connecting the outer surface with the inner surface, and wherein the plurality of blind warming openings comprises one or more warming slits that extend along the axial direction between an opening end defined by the radial interface surface of the forward end and a terminus end. 
     
     
         10 . The combustor assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more warming slits extend along the axial direction aft of the plurality of the mounting openings. 
     
     
         11 . The combustor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the forward end of the liner extends between an outer surface and an opposing inner surface along the radial direction, and wherein at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface comprise a surface enhancement, wherein the surface enhancement is at least one of a rough bond coating, a plurality of bumps, and a grit blasted coating. 
     
     
         12 . The combustor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the liner is formed of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material. 
     
     
         13 . A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the combustor assembly comprising:
 a dome comprising a yolk and a base plate spaced outward from the yolk along the radial direction, the yolk and the base plate defining a slot; and   a liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber and extending between an aft end and a forward end, the forward end of the liner received within the slot;   wherein the yolk defines a plurality of impingement openings extending therethrough such that a warming airflow impinges on the forward end of the liner during operation of the gas turbine engine.   
     
     
         14 . The combustor assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 an impingement jacket extending between a forward end and an aft end, the forward end of the impingement jacket attached to the yolk of the dome, wherein the forward end of the impingement jacket defines a plurality of impingement openings such that a warming airflow impinges on the forward end of the liner during operation of the gas turbine engine.   
     
     
         15 . The combustor assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the impingement openings each extend between an outer end and an inner end, wherein the outer end has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the inner end of one or more of the plurality of impingement openings. 
     
     
         16 . A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the combustor assembly comprising:
 a dome defining a slot;   a liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber and extending between an aft end and a forward end, the forward end of the liner received within the slot of the dome, the forward end of the liner defining a plurality of mounting openings spaced along the circumferential direction; and   a plurality of mounting assemblies for coupling the forward end of the liner with the dome, each of the plurality of mounting assemblies comprising:
 a pin extending through one of the plurality of mounting openings; and 
 a grommet positioned within one of the plurality of mounting openings and defining a grommet opening, the pin received within the grommet opening, and wherein the grommet defines one or more warming passages. 
   
     
     
         17 . The combustor assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the forward end of the liner extends between an outer surface and an opposing inner surface along the radial direction, and wherein the grommet comprises an outer collar positioned adjacent the outer surface of the liner and an inner collar positioned adjacent the inner surface of the liner, and wherein the plurality of warming passages extend through the grommet between the outer collar and the inner collar of the grommet. 
     
     
         18 . The combustor assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the grommet defines the plurality of warming passages such that the warming passages are defined in part by the grommet and defined in part by the forward end of the outer liner. 
     
     
         19 . The combustor assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the grommet comprises an outer collar, and inner collar, and a body extending therebetween along the radial direction, the body having a perimeter, and wherein the plurality of warming passages extend through the grommet from the outer collar to the inner collar along the radial direction and define cutouts along the perimeter of the body of the grommet. 
     
     
         20 . The combustor assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the grommet is sized such that a warming airflow can flow between the grommet and the liner during operation of the gas turbine engine.