Wavy annular dilution slots for lower emissions

Abstract

A combustor liner for a combustor of a gas turbine includes an outer liner having a plurality of outer liner segments, and an inner liner having a plurality of inner liner segments. Each segment of the inner liner and the outer liner includes at least one slotted dilution opening therethrough extending in a circumferential direction, and each slotted dilution opening includes a deflector wall extending radially from the respective liner into a dilution zone of a combustion chamber between the outer liner and the inner liner. The at least one slotted dilution opening may be a curved slot (either concave or convex) dilution opening, and the curved slot dilution openings for each segment of the outer liner and the inner liner may be connected so as to provide a wavy slotted dilution opening extending annularly through the outer liner and the inner liner.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A combustor liner for a combustor of a gas turbine, the combustor liner comprising:
 an outer liner comprising a plurality of outer liner segments connected together so as to extend annularly about a combustor centerline, each segment of the plurality of outer liner segments including at least one outer liner slotted dilution opening therethrough in an outer liner dilution zone, each outer liner slotted dilution opening extending in a circumferential direction and including an outer liner deflector wall adjacent to a downstream side of the outer liner slotted dilution opening; and   an inner liner comprising a plurality of inner liner segments connected together so as to extend annularly about the combustor centerline, each segment of the plurality of inner liner segments including at least one inner liner slotted dilution opening therethrough in an inner liner dilution zone, each inner liner slotted dilution opening extending in the circumferential direction, and including an inner liner deflector wall adjacent to a downstream side of the inner liner slotted dilution opening.   
     
     
         2 . The combustor liner according to  claim 1 , wherein the combustor liner defines an axial direction along the combustor centerline, a radial direction extending from the combustor centerline, and the circumferential direction extending circumferentially about the combustor centerline,
 each segment of the plurality of outer liner segments having an outer liner cold surface side and an outer liner hot surface side, and defining an outer flow direction extending in the axial direction from an outer liner upstream end to an outer liner downstream end, the outer liner dilution zone being between the outer liner upstream end and the outer liner downstream end, and the outer liner deflector wall extending in the radial direction radially inward from the outer liner hot surface side, and   each segment of the plurality of inner liner segments having an inner liner cold surface side and an inner liner hot surface side, and defining an inner liner flow direction extending in the axial direction from an inner liner upstream end to an inner liner downstream end, the inner liner dilution zone being between the inner liner upstream end and the inner liner downstream end, and each inner liner deflector wall extending in the radial direction radially outward from the inner liner hot surface side.   
     
     
         3 . The combustor liner according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one outer liner slotted dilution opening comprises a plurality of outer liner linear slotted segments extending in the circumferential direction, and the at least one inner liner slotted dilution opening comprises a plurality of inner liner linear slotted segments extending in the circumferential direction. 
     
     
         4 . The combustor liner according to  claim 2 , wherein each outer liner deflector wall extends radially inward from the outer liner hot surface side at an outer liner deflector wall angle with respect to the radial direction and the axial direction, and each inner liner deflector wall extends radially outward from the inner liner hot surface side at an inner liner deflector wall angle. 
     
     
         5 . The combustor liner according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one outer liner slotted dilution opening comprises at least one outer liner curved slot dilution opening, and the at least one inner liner slotted dilution opening comprises at least one inner liner curved slot dilution opening. 
     
     
         6 . The combustor liner according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one outer liner curved slot dilution opening is an outer liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and the at least one inner liner curved slot dilution opening is an inner liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction. 
     
     
         7 . The combustor liner according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one outer liner curved slot dilution opening is an outer liner convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and the at least one inner liner curved slot dilution opening is an inner liner convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction. 
     
     
         8 . The combustor liner according to  claim 5 , wherein, in a first outer liner segment among the plurality of outer liner segments, the outer liner curved slot dilution opening comprises a first segment outer liner convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and a first portion of an outer liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, the first portion of the outer liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening being axially downstream of the first segment outer liner convex curved slot dilution opening, circumferentially overlapping the first segment outer liner convex curved slot dilution opening, and extending to a boundary between the first outer liner segment and a second outer liner segment adjacent to the first outer liner segment,
 and, in the second outer liner segment, the outer liner curved slot dilution opening comprises a second segment outer liner convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and a second portion of the outer liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, the second portion of the outer liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening being axially downstream of the second segment outer liner convex curved slot dilution opening, circumferentially overlapping with the second segment outer liner convex curved slot dilution opening, and extending to the boundary between the first outer liner segment and the second outer liner segment and connecting with the first portion of the outer liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening, and 
 wherein, in a first inner liner segment among the plurality of inner liner segments, the inner liner curved slot dilution opening comprises a first segment inner liner convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction, and a first portion of an inner liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction, the first portion of the inner liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening being axially downstream of the first segment inner liner convex curved slot dilution opening, circumferentially overlapping the first segment inner liner convex curved slot dilution opening, 
 and extending to a boundary between the first inner liner segment and a second inner liner segment adjacent to the first inner liner segment, 
 and in the second inner liner segment, the inner liner curved slot dilution opening comprises a second segment inner liner convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction, and a second portion of the inner liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction, the second portion of the inner liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening being axially downstream of the second segment inner liner convex curved slot dilution opening, circumferentially overlapping with the second segment inner liner convex curved slot dilution opening, and extending to the boundary between the first inner liner segment and the second inner liner segment and connecting with the first portion of the inner liner concave curved slot connecting dilution opening. 
 
     
     
         9 . The combustor liner according to  claim 5 , wherein, with respect to the circumferential direction, a second end of the outer liner curved slot dilution opening is arranged axially downstream of a first end of the outer liner curved slot dilution opening, opposite the second end of the outer liner curved slot dilution opening, and
 with respect to the circumferential direction, a second end of the inner liner curved slot dilution opening is arranged axially downstream of a first end of the inner liner curved slot dilution opening, opposite the second end of the inner liner curved slot dilution opening.   
     
     
         10 . The combustor liner according to  claim 5 , wherein, in a first outer liner segment and a second outer liner segment among the plurality of outer liner segments, the outer liner curved slot dilution opening of the first outer liner segment comprises a first segment outer liner curved slot dilution opening and includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end in the circumferential direction, the second end extending across a boundary between the first outer liner segment and the second outer liner segment, and the outer liner curved slot dilution opening of the second outer liner segment comprises a second segment outer liner curved slot dilution opening and includes a third end and a fourth end opposite the third end in the circumferential direction, the second end of the first segment outer liner curved slot dilution opening being arranged upstream of the third end of the second segment outer liner curved slot dilution opening, and the first segment outer liner curved slot dilution opening overlapping with the second segment outer liner curved slot dilution opening in the circumferential direction at the second end and the third end. 
     
     
         11 . The combustor liner according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one outer liner curved slot dilution opening comprises a plurality of outer liner curved slot dilution openings arranged adjacent to one another in the circumferential direction, and the at least one inner liner curved slot dilution opening comprises a plurality of inner liner curved slot dilution openings arranged adjacent to one another in the circumferential direction. 
     
     
         12 . The combustor liner according to  claim 11 , wherein a first one of the plurality of outer liner curved slot dilution openings and a second one of the plurality of outer liner curved slot dilution openings each comprises an outer liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and a first one of the plurality of inner liner curved slot dilution openings and a second one of the plurality of inner liner curved slot dilution openings each comprises an inner liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction. 
     
     
         13 . The combustor liner according to  claim 11 , wherein a first one of the plurality of outer liner curved slot dilution openings comprises an outer liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and a second one of the plurality of outer liner curved slot dilution openings comprises an outer liner convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and
 a first one of the plurality of inner liner curved slot dilution openings comprises an inner liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction, and a second one of the plurality of inner liner curved slot dilution openings comprises an inner liner convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction.   
     
     
         14 . The combustor liner according to  claim 5 , wherein, in a first outer liner segment among the plurality of outer liner segments, the outer liner curved slot dilution opening is a first segment outer liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and, in a second outer liner segment among the plurality of outer liner segments, adjacent to the first outer liner segment, the outer liner curved slot dilution opening is a second segment outer liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and an outer liner connecting dilution opening connects the first segment outer liner concave curved slot dilution opening with the second segment outer liner concave curved slot dilution opening, and
 in a first inner liner segment among the plurality of inner liner segments, the inner liner curved slot dilution opening is a first segment inner liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and in a second inner liner segment among the plurality of inner liner segments, adjacent to the first inner liner segment, the inner liner curved slot dilution opening is a second segment inner liner concave curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction, and an inner liner connecting dilution opening connects the first segment inner liner concave curved slot dilution opening with the second segment inner liner concave curved slot dilution opening.   
     
     
         15 . The combustor liner according to  claim 14 , wherein the outer liner connecting dilution opening is a linear slot connecting dilution opening extending in the circumferential direction, and the inner liner connecting dilution opening is a linear slot connecting dilution opening extending in the circumferential direction. 
     
     
         16 . The combustor liner according to  claim 15 , wherein the outer liner connecting dilution opening includes an outer liner connector deflector wall extending radially inward from the outer liner hot surface side adjacent to a downstream side of the outer liner connecting dilution opening, and
 the inner liner connecting dilution opening includes an inner liner connector deflector wall extending radially outward from the inner liner hot surface side adjacent to a downstream side of the inner liner connecting dilution opening.   
     
     
         17 . The combustor liner according to  claim 14 , wherein the outer liner connecting dilution opening is a convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the outer flow direction, and the inner liner connecting dilution opening is a convex curved slot dilution opening, with respect to the inner liner flow direction. 
     
     
         18 . The combustor liner according to  claim 5 , wherein the outer liner curved slot dilution opening comprises a plurality of rows of outer liner curved slot dilution openings, a first row of outer liner curved slot dilution openings among the plurality of rows of outer liner curved slot dilution openings being arranged axially upstream of a second row of outer liner curved slot dilution openings, and the first row of outer liner curved slot dilution openings comprises a plurality of first row outer liner curved slot dilution openings arranged adjacent to one another in the circumferential direction, and the second row of outer liner curved slot dilution openings comprises a plurality of second row outer liner curved slot dilution openings arranged adjacent to one another in the circumferential direction, and
 wherein the inner liner curved slot dilution opening comprises a plurality of rows of inner liner curved slot dilution openings, a first row of inner liner curved slot dilution openings among the plurality of rows of inner liner curved slot dilution openings being arranged axially upstream of a second row of inner liner curved slot dilution openings, and the first row of inner liner curved slot dilution openings comprises a plurality of first row inner liner curved slot dilution openings arranged adjacent to one another in the circumferential direction, and the second row of inner liner curved slot dilution openings comprises a plurality of second row inner liner curved slot dilution openings arranged adjacent to one another in the circumferential direction.   
     
     
         19 . The combustor liner according to  claim 18 , wherein each first row outer liner curved slot dilution opening among the plurality of first row outer liner curved slot dilution openings is a convex curved slot dilution opening with respect to the outer flow direction, and each second row outer liner curved slot dilution opening among the plurality of second row outer liner curved slot dilution openings is a concave curved slot dilution opening, each second row outer liner curved slot dilution opening being circumferentially staggered with respect to each first row outer liner curved slot dilution opening, and
 wherein each first row inner liner curved slot dilution opening among the plurality of first row inner liner curved slot dilution openings is a convex curved slot dilution opening with respect to the inner liner flow direction, and each second row inner liner curved slot dilution opening among the plurality of second row inner liner curved slot dilution openings is a concave curved slot dilution opening, each second row inner liner curved slot dilution opening being circumferentially staggered with respect to each first row inner liner curved slot dilution opening. 
 
     
     
         20 . The combustor liner according to  claim 18 , wherein each first row outer liner curved slot dilution opening among the plurality of first row outer liner curved slot dilution openings is a convex curved slot dilution opening with respect to the outer flow direction, and each second row outer liner curved slot dilution opening among the plurality of second row outer liner curved slot dilution openings is a concave curved slot dilution opening, each second row outer liner curved slot dilution opening being circumferentially staggered with respect to each first row outer liner curved slot dilution opening, and
 wherein each first row inner liner curved slot dilution opening among the plurality of first row inner liner curved slot dilution openings is a convex curved slot dilution opening with respect to the inner liner flow direction, and each second row inner liner curved slot dilution opening among the plurality of second row inner liner curved slot dilution openings is a concave curved slot dilution opening, each second row inner liner curved slot dilution opening being circumferentially staggered with respect to each first row inner liner curved slot dilution opening.