Combustor arrangement with fastening system for combustor parts

Abstract

A combustor arrangement with a front panel, a combustor liner, and a carrier structure element is provided for carrying the front panel and the combustor liner, wherein the combustor arrangement further includes a fastening system for connecting the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element to one another. The fastening system includes at least one elastic connection element, the latter being fixedly connected to the carrier structure element and extending therefrom to the combustor liner and to the front panel. The elastic connection element is further fixedly connected to the combustor liner and/or the front panel such as to clamp the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element to one another in a substantially fluid tight manner.

Claims

1. A combustor arrangement, the combustor arrangement comprising: an end plate configured to receive at least one combustor element; a tubular combustor liner arranged substantially downstream of the end plate, wherein the tubular combustor liner partly delimits a combustion chamber; a support structure having an axially oriented side wall that is configured to circumferentially surround the at least one combustor element and wherein the axially oriented side wall is arranged axially upstream of the end plate; and a fastening system for connecting the end plate, the tubular combustor liner, and the support structure to one another, the fastening system including at least one elastic connection element, the at least one elastic connection element being rod-shaped, the at least one elastic connection element being fixedly connected to the support structure and extending, substantially parallel with the axially oriented side wall, from the support structure to the tubular combustor liner and to the end plate, and wherein said at least one elastic connection element is fixedly connected to the tubular combustor liner and/or to the end plate to clamp the end plate, the tubular combustor liner, and the support structure to one another at a location which is axially upstream from the combustion chamber.

2. The combustor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic connection element comprises: an elongated intermediate section, the elongated intermediate section being configured for pre-clamping the end plate, the tubular combustor liner, and the support structure to one another in a cold state of the combustor arrangement.

3. The combustor arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the at least one elastic connection element comprises: a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the elongated intermediate section connects the first and second end portions to one another, and wherein respective interlocking elements are provided at the first and second end portions for interlocking and clamping the end plate, the tubular combustor liner, and the support structure to one another under tensile stress of the elongated intermediate section.

4. A combustor arrangement for a silo combustor, a can combustor, or an annular combustor, the combustor arrangement comprising: a front panel, wherein the front panel is configured to receive at least one combustor element; a combustor liner arranged substantially downstream of the front panel, wherein the combustor liner partly delimits a combustion chamber; a carrier structure element for carrying the front panel and the combustor liner, the carrier structure element having an axially oriented side wall that is configured to circumferentially surround the at least one combustor element, and wherein the axially oriented side wall is arranged axially upstream of the front panel; and a fastening system for connecting the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element to one another, wherein the fastening system includes: at least one elastic connection element, said at least one elastic connection element being rod-shaped, said at least one elastic connection element being fixedly connected to the carrier structure element and extending, substantially parallel with said axially oriented side wall, from the carrier structure element to the combustor liner and to the front panel, wherein said at least one elastic connection element is fixedly connected to the combustor liner and/or to the front panel to clamp the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element to one another at a location which is axially upstream from said combustion chamber.

5. The combustor arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the at least one elastic connection element comprises: an elongated intermediate section, the elongated intermediate section being configured for pre-clamping the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element to one another in a cold state of the combustor arrangement.

6. The combustor arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the at least one elastic connection element comprises: a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the elongated intermediate section connects the first and second end portions to one another, and wherein respective interlocking elements are provided at the first and second end portions for interlocking and clamping the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element to one another under tensile stress of the elongated intermediate section.

7. The combustor arrangement according to claim 5, wherein a contact portion of the front panel, a contact portion of the combustor liner, and a contact portion of the carrier structure element are arranged on one another in an axial direction and wherein at least two of said contact portions each comprise: a clamping flange, wherein the clamping flange has a recess, and wherein the recess is configured to receive a respective end portion of the at least one elastic connection element.

8. The combustor arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said contact portion of the combustor liner is arranged between said contact portion of the carrier structure element and said contact portion of the front panel.

9. The combustor arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said contact portion of the front panel is arranged between said contact portion of the carrier structure element and the contact portion of the combustor liner.

10. The combustor arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the front panel comprises: at a peripheral edge of the front panel, a circumferential outer side wall that extends in an axially downstream direction.

11. The combustor arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the circumferential outer side wall of the front panel comprises: a swan neck profile, and wherein a free end portion of the circumferential outer side wall is shaped as a laterally protruding clamping ring for engagement with the fastening system, wherein the laterally protruding clamping ring is clamped between a contact portion of the carrier structure element and a contact portion of the combustor liner.

12. The combustor arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the fastening system is configured to allow for relative movement, due to thermal expansion, in a lateral direction between the carrier structure element and the combustor liner and/or between the carrier structure element and the front panel, the elongated intermediate section having a shape and/or being made from a material such that the elongated intermediate section is deformable under said relative movement while providing a clamping force for the connection between the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element.

13. The combustor arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the elongated intermediate section has a minimum cross-sectional diameter (D) and a length (L), wherein L ranges from 6 millimeters to 52 millimeters; and/or wherein a ratio L/D ranges from 7 to 30.

14. The combustor arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a cross-sectional area of the first end portion is larger than a cross-sectional area of the elongated intermediate section and/or a cross-sectional area of the second end portion is a larger than the cross-sectional area of the elongated intermediate section, and/or wherein the elongated intermediate section has a constant cross section over a length of said elongated intermediate section, said constant cross section being circular, elliptical, or polygonal, and/or wherein the at least one elastic connection element is a single-piece element, and/or wherein a first transitional element connects the first end portion and the elongated intermediate section to one another, the first transitional element being shaped as a cone or a fillet, and/or a second transitional element connects the second end portion and the elongated intermediate section to one another, the second transitional element being shaped as a cone or a fillet.

15. The combustor arrangement according to claim 4, a shape and/or a material of the fastening system and of the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element being configured such that a thermal expansion, in an axial direction, of a clamping width of the fastening system is, in total, smaller than a combined thermal expansion, in the axial direction, of the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element such that the front panel, the combustor liner, and the carrier structure element are thereby compressed under a clamping action in a hot state of the combustor arrangement.

16. The combustor arrangement according to claim 6, comprising: a compensation element positioned at one of the first end portion of the at least one elastic connection element or the second end portion of the at least one elastic connection element, the compensation element being formed of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient such that a clamping force of the fastening system is increased upon thermal expansion of the compensation element in a hot state of the combustor arrangement.

17. A gas turbine comprising: the combustor arrangement according to claim 4.

18. The combustor arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion are T-shaped.

19. The combustor arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the axially oriented side wall of the carrier structure element is aligned in an axial direction with an axially upstream portion of the combustor liner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the following with reference to the drawings, which are for the purpose of illustrating the present preferred embodiments of the invention do not limit the same. In the drawings,

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cross-section view of a part of a gas turbine with a combustor arrangement comprising a fastening system according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2a shows a cross-section view a detail of FIG. 1 with the fastening system according to an embodiment with an additional compensation element;

(4) FIG. 2b shows front view of part of the fastening system according to FIG. 2a;

(5) FIG. 2c shows a front view of part of the fastening system according to a further embodiment;

(6) FIG. 3 shows in cross-section view the fastening system according to FIG. 2a;

(7) FIG. 4 shows an elastic connection element of the fastening system according to the previous figures;

(8) FIG. 5 shows a cross section through a first embodiment of the connecting element according to FIG. 4;

(9) FIG. 6 shows a cross section through a second embodiment of the connecting element according to FIG. 4;

(10) FIG. 7 shows a cross section through a third embodiment of the connecting element according to FIG. 4;

(11) FIG. 8 shows a cross section through a forth embodiment of the connecting element according to FIG. 4; and

(12) FIG. 9, 10 shows further embodiments of a combustor arrangement with a fastening system for combustor parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) Preferred embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10, showing various aspects of the combustor arrangement according to invention.

(14) FIG. 1 shows different parts of a gas turbine 1. The gas turbine 1 comprises a combustor arrangement 10, a hull 6, burner units 9 with fuel supplies 90, further support structures 7, a transition duct 12, and a turbine 11.

(15) The combustor arrangement 10 comprises a carrier structure element 2, a front panel 5, a combustor liner 4, and a fastening system 3. The carrier structure element 2 carries both the front panel 5 and the combustor liner 4. Accordingly, it provides, together with the further support structures 7, rigid structural support to parts fixed thereon or thereto. The carrier structure element 2, the front panel 5, and the combustor liner 4 are clamped to one another by means of the fastening system 3.

(16) The front panel 5 is a generally plate-like end wall with receptions or rim elements (not shown), the latter acting as counterparts for receiving at least one, preferably a plurality of burner units 9, mixers, pre-mixers, and/or igniters or the like. The receptions include passages for conveying fluids, such as oxidizers and fuel, from an upstream side to a downstream side of the front panel 5. On its downstream side, the front panel 5 defines a flame or hot side and partly delimits a combustion zone 40. The upstream side of the front panel 5 is the cold side. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the burner units 9 are arranged on the cold side and are fixed to the front panel 5. Exit tubes of the burner units 9 may be sealed to the front panel 5 by sliding joints. The front panel 5 is generally shaped as a dished plate that includes, at its peripheral edge, a circumferential outer side wall 53, the latter being oriented substantially axially and being connected to the dished plate at a downstream edge and having a free end at its upstream edge (see FIG. 2). A radially protruding clamping ring 54 is provided at the free upstream edge of the dished plate (see below). Accordingly, the outer side wall 53 protrudes substantially axially from the dished plate in downstream direction into the cold side. The outer side wall 53 helps to shift the clamping region way from the hot zone to further reduce thermal stress. The clamping region is the region where contact portions of the carrier structure element 2, the front panel 5, the combustor liner 4 meet one another and are clamped by the fastening system 3 to one another.

(17) The carrier structure element 2 may be connected to the further carrier structure 7 for support and comprises a generally axially oriented side wall 22 that circumferentially surrounds the burner units 9 and provides thereby a substantially cylindrical casing for the burner units 9 (see FIG. 2). The casing for the burner units 9 is covered, at the upstream side, by a cap-like hull 6. The fuel supply lines 90 for the burner units 9 are guided through the hull 6. Accordingly, the space for housing the burner units 9 is substantially delimited by the front panel 5 in downstream direction, by the side wall 22 of the carrier structure element 2 and the hull 6 in radial direction, and by the hull 6 in upstream direction.

(18) The combustion liner 4 has preferably a tubular shape and is arranged downstream of the front panel 5. The liner 4 provides a substantially cylindrical and substantially axially extending side wall that delimits the combustion zone in radial direction. Accordingly, a combustion chamber 40 is defined by the front panel 5 and the liner 4.

(19) An upstream end portion 42 of the combustion liner 4 circumferentially surrounds the outer side wall 53 of the front panel 5 and contacts, with a liner flange 44 at its upstream end portion 42, a downstream facing surface of the clamping ring 54 of the front panel 5. The carrier structure element 2 contacts, with a downstream end portion of its side wall 22, the upstream surface of the clamping ring 54. Accordingly, the clamping ring 54 is clamped, in the clamping region, between the side wall 22 and the flange 44, wherein the side wall 22 and the flange 44 are axially aligned (i.e. they contact the same radial portion of the clamping ring 54, the wall 22 from the upstream side, the flange 44 from the downstream side).

(20) The fastening system 3 comprises a plurality of elastic, rod-like connecting elements 39 that are fixed to the carrier structure element 2 upstream of the clamping region and to the liner flange 44 and that extend generally in axial direction over the clamping region and connect the carrier structure element 2 to the liner 4. The connecting elements 39 are arranged around the ring-like flanges 21, 44.

(21) A downstream section of the liner 4 is shaped as a tapering portion 41 which narrows a radial clearance of the combustion chamber 40 in downstream direction and guides the working fluid to the transition duct 12, the latter joining the downstream end of the liner 4 in an connecting region 13.

(22) The transition duct 12 then further guides the compressed working fluid to a turbine 11, over which the working fluid is expanded under generation of genetic energy in the gas turbine 1.

(23) FIG. 2a shows a cross-section view of a detail of the fastening system 3 with details of the carrier structure element 2, the front panel 5, and the combustor liner 4.

(24) The carrier structure element 2 has its side wall 22 arranged in axial direction aligned with the upstream portion 42 of the liner 4. In the upstream region of the side wall 22 is provided a lateral portion 21 which protrudes outwardly from the side wall 22. The lateral protrusion 21 forms a flange with an upstream surface 25 and a downstream surface 26. The flange 21 includes a connecting portion 23 that connects the radially oriented flange 21 to the axially oriented side wall 22. The connection portion 23 has an increased material thickness toward the side wall 22 for providing sufficient mechanical stability to the carrier structure element 2. In the connection portion 23 is provided a substantially axially oriented recess 24 in the lateral portion 21. The recess 24 is provided as a through hole and connects the upstream surface 25 and the downstream surface 26 to one another. The recess 22 extends substantially parallel and at a radially distance of 1 centimeter to 10 centimeters to the side wall 22. The recess 24 is dimensioned such that one rod-like elastic connection element 39 can extend therethrough from the upstream surface side to a downstream surface of the flange 21.

(25) The elastic connection element 39 is a flexible pre-load element that clamps, through its elasticity, the casing parts (carrier structure element 2, front panel 5, and combustor liner 4) to one another when in cold state (i.e. flame-off and after cool down). Preferably, the materials and shapes of the casing parts and the elastic connection elements 39 are chosen such that, in hot state (flame on), thermal expansion further increases the clamping force of the fastening system 3. This can be achieved, for example, by providing the casing materials from a material with a larger thermal expansion coefficient than the thermal expansion coefficient of the material of at least parts of the elastic connection element 39 or by providing additional elements (e.g. compensation element 300, see below) to decrease the clamping length (parts that experience tensile stress due to clamping) relative to the clamped length (parts that experience compressive stress due to clamping) upon thermal expansion.

(26) The elastic connection element 39 is part of the fastening system 3 and comprises an elongated intermediate portion 30, a first end portion 31 (the upstream end portion) and a second end portion 32 (the downstream end portion). The elastic connection element 39 is provided as rod-like element with a length of the length L of the intermediate portion that ranges from 40 millimeters to 1700 millimeters. The elongated connection element 30 connects the upstream end portion 31 and the downstream end portion 32 of the elastic connection element 39 to one another.

(27) The liner flange 44 at the upstream end portion 42 of the liner 4 is the counterpart of the flange 21 of the carrier structure element 2. Both flanges 21, 44 protrude radially outwardly. In other embodiments (see FIG. 9) both flanges may protrude radially inwardly.

(28) The liner flange 44 according to FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a radially outwardly protruding portion 441 and a laterally inwardly protruding portion 442. The portions 441, 442 provide each a laterally oriented upstream surface and a downstream surface. The radially inwardly protruding portion 442 provides a step 43 with a clamping surface 443 for receiving and clamping the clamping ring 54 of the front panel 5. The radially outwardly protruding portion 441 provides the recess 444 extending as a through hole from the upstream surface to the downstream surface of the portion 441. The recess 444 is axially aligned with the recess 24 of the flange 21 and has a radial width that matches a material thickness of the respective part of the elastic connection element 39.

(29) Moreover, the outwardly protruding portion 441 of the liner flange 44 has, at its free end, hook elements 45 which protrude in downstream direction over the downstream surface of the flange 44 for engaging and securing the elastic connection element 39. The hook elements 45 avoid a lateral shift of the elastic connection element 39.

(30) FIG. 2b presents a front view of the elastic connection element 39 and the flanges 21 and 44. As can be seen in FIG. 2b, the recess 24 extends, between the two hook elements 45, to the outside through a laterally extending slot 444 for insertion of the elastic connection element 39. In the embodiment according to FIG. 2b, the elastic connection element 39 has lateral engagement protrusion at its first and second end 31, 32 for engaging with the flanges 21, 44. Thereby, the elastic connection element 39 is kept in a form-fit seat in the liner flange 44 and in the flange 21 of the carrier structure element 2. The flange 21 has an upstream protruding rim 250 on its upstream surface next to the upstream end portion 31 of the elastic connection 39.

(31) In other embodiments, the first and second end portions 31, 32 and the flanges 21, 44 may be provided with different engagement structures for providing a form-fit seat of the first and second end portions 31, 32 in the flanges 21 and 44, respectively. As a further example, the fastening structure for the first end portion 31 may include a compensation element 36, 300 that is counterpart to a threaded portion of the first end portion 31 while the second end portion 31 has a threaded section that is engaged into a threaded blind hole in flange 44 (see FIG. 2c).

(32) The recess 24 in the flange 21 according to FIG. 2a is widened laterally toward the side wall 22 of the carrier structure element 2 as compared to the recess 444 in the liner flange 44. The radial width may be twice the radial material thickness of the relevant portion of the elastic connection element 39 in recess 24. Thereby, recess 24 provides space for tilting and deformation movements of the elastic connection element 39 during clamping. These movements may occur if there is a relative lateral movement between different clamped parts due to different thermal expansions of the same, which may entail a misalignment of the axial alignment of the recesses 24, 444 of the flanges 21, 44 respectively.

(33) A possible shape of a deformed and tilted elastic connection element 390 is shown in FIG. 2a by the dashed line. The different thermal expansion, e.g. the stronger radial thermal expansion of the liner 4 and the contact panel 5 relative to flange 21 leads to a relative movement between the recesses 24 and 44. Accordingly, the recess 444 in the liner flange 44 shifts more in radially outwardly along arrow 391 than the recess 24 of the carrier structure element 2 shifts in radial direction. This may be caused by choice of material, geometry, or heat exposure. In order to compensate for this relative movement, the elastic connection element 39 is deformed, e.g. bent along its length L and tilted with its upstream end towards the side wall 22. Due to its elasticity and shape, the clamping force is maintained and not no additional leakages occur.

(34) As can be seen in FIG. 2a, the front panel 5 comprises a flat plate 51, a bent transition section 52, the outer side wall 53, and the clamping ring 54. The outer region of the front panel 5 has a swan neck-like cross-section shape. The clamping ring 54 of the front panel 5 is placed with a downstream facing surface onto the clamping surface 443 of the liner 4 and contacts in lateral direction an axially oriented wall of the step 43 as shown in FIG. 2a. Moreover, a downstream front face 27 of the side wall 22 contacts the upstream surface of the clamping ring 54.

(35) An axial height of the step 43 is chosen such that the clamping ring 54 and a downstream end portion of the side wall 22, including the front face 27, are circumferentially surrounded in radial direction by the liner flange 44 of the liner 43.

(36) A radial depth of the step 43 and a radial thickness of clamping ring 54 are chosen such that the outer side wall 53 of the front panel 5 is close to the inwardly facing surface 46 of the radially inwardly protruding portion 442 of the flange 44 with a gap to allow for tolerances and misalignment. An axial downstream extension of the radially inwardly protruding portion 442 may be less than an axial extension of the outer side wall 53 such that the flat wall 51 is arranged downstream of the radially inwardly protruding portion 442, wherein a ring space 445 is created in the upstream portion of the combustion zone 40 (see FIG. 2a). This shape of the front panel 5 allows for keeping the hot side further away from the fastening system 3 and the clamping region.

(37) Dimensions and materials of the different above described parts are chosen such that, in the cold state, the elastic connection element 39 clamps the downstream front face 27 onto the clamping ring 54 and the clamping ring 54 is clamped into the step 43 of the liner. The tensile modulus or the elasticity (Young's modulus) of the elastic connection element 39, in particular of its elastic intermediate section 30, and it cross-sectional area is to be chosen accordingly.

(38) FIG. 3 shows a further aspect of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Positive clamping force is achieved if, in hot condition, by fulfilling the following inequation:
B.sub.1 . . . 2<Ca.sub.1 . . . 3
wherein B1 and B2 designate lengths of expansion sections of the elastic connection element 39 and Ca1, Ca2, Ca3 designate lengths of expansion sections of the casing parts 2, 4, 5. An thermal expansion of Ca1, Ca2, Ca3 increases the clamping force, a thermal expansion of B1, B2 decreases the clamping force of the fastening structure 3.

(39) Here, the expansion section Ca1 extends from an upstream surface 37 of the interlocking element 36, 300 to the flange 28 of the carrier structure element 2. The expansion section Ca2 extends from the upstream surface 25 of the flange 21 of the carrier structure element 2 to the downstream front face 27 of said element 2. The expansion section Ca3 extends from said downstream front face 27 to the clamping surface 443 of the liner flange 44. The expansion section B1 extends from the upstream surface 37 of the interlocking element 36, 300 to a downstream end 38 of the interlocking element 36, 300 (i.e. the latter's upstream surface contacting the flange 44). The expansion section B2 extends from said downstream end 38 of the interlocking element 36, 300 to the clamping surface 443 of the liner flange 44.

(40) Accordingly, if the elastic connection element 39 expands, at least in axial direction, less than the casing parts, this further increases the clamping force of the fastening system 3 upon flame-on or heat exposure.

(41) When selecting the materials for the different heat-exposed parts, not only their coefficient of thermal expansion, but also other properties like creep resistance, oxidation resistance, etc. should be considered as well. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the above inequation is satisfied by providing an additional compensation element 300 with a very high (or alternatively, a very low) thermal expansion coefficient in comparison to the other heat-exposed parts. According to FIG. 3, a high thermal expansion compensation element 300 may be arranged as a ring (or as the nut 36 itself) around the upstream end portion 31, between the upstream surface 25 of the flange 21 and the element 39. Upon thermal expansion of compensation element 300, the elongated intermediate section 30 is pulled partly through the recess 24 in upstream direction which shortens the required clamping length and increases clamping strength in warm operating conditions. The interlocking element 36 can for example be made of two clam shells for easier assembly.

(42) FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the elastic connection element 39 which can also be seen in FIG. 2c (see above). The elastic connection element 39 is machined, milled and/or cast from as single-piece material. The elastic connection element 39 comprises the elongated intermediate section 30 that connects the first (or upstream) and the second (or downstream) end portions 31, 32 to one another. The intermediate section 30 (also called prism) has a round or polygonal cross-section that is constant over its length L. Moreover, the element 39 comprises interlocking or engagement features (such as the nut 36, 300) for engaging with the casing parts, and it includes and transitional sections 33, 34 which connect the intermediate section 30 to the first and second end portions 31, 32. The transitional sections 33, 34 match the different cross-sections of the intermediate section 30 and the first and second end portions 31, 32 to one another. Generally, the first and second end portions 31, 32 have an enlarged cross-sectional area with respect to the cross-sectional area of the intermediate section 30. The transitional sections 33, 34 may be cones, fillets and/or combinations thereof. The interlocking features 36, 300 may have any form of hooks or threads or the like.

(43) At its second end portion 32, the elastic connection element 39 has a ring protrusion 35 that can be distanced a few millimeters from an upstream surface of the radially outwardly protruding element 441 of the flange 44 in assembled state or may be in contact with it. This represents a typical interface for assembly tools, like e.g. a hexagon to be used with wrenches. The ring can be used to apply a pre-tension to the elastic connection element 39.

(44) FIGS. 5 to 8 show preferred embodiments of a cross section of the intermediate section 30. FIG. 5 shows an intermediate section 30 with a circular cross sectional profile having a diameter D. FIG. 6 shows an intermediate section 30 with an elliptical cross sectional profile with a transverse diameter b and a conjugate diameter D. FIG. 7 shows an intermediate section 30 having a rectangular cross sectional profile with a short long length b and a short side length D. FIG. 8 shows an intermediate section 30 with a circular cross sectional profile wherein the circle has a diameter b and wherein the top and bottom parts are cut such as to have flat, parallel opposing surfaces that are spaced apart by distance D.

(45) As for the dimensions of the elastic connection element 39: The diameter D may range (for all the cross sections) from 6 millimeters to 52 millimeters. The ratio L/D may range from 5 to 50, preferably from 7 to 30. The ratio D/b may range from 1 to 22. Accordingly, the length L may range from 42 millimeters to 1560 millimeters and the width b may range from about 3 millimeters to 52 millimeters.

(46) FIG. 9 shows a further embodiment of the combustor arrangement 10 comprising the carrier structure element 2 with the side wall 22, the fastening system 3 with the first and second ends 31, 32 and the intermediate section 30, the combustion liner 4, and the front panel 5. Flanges 28 and 47 correspond to flanges 21 and 44, respectively, of the carrier structure element 2 and the liner 4 in the above described embodiments. In the embodiment according to FIG. 9, the flanges 28 and 47 are, however, oriented inwardly and not outwardly as flanges 21, 44 in the above-described embodiments. In the embodiment according to FIG. 9, the front panel 5 is a flat plate that contacts the downstream surface of flange 47. Therefore, the front panel 5 and the carrier structure element 2 are clamped to one another, while the liner 4 is clamped between the front face 27 of element 2 and the upstream surface of the front panel 5. For assembly of this configuration a bayonet catch system can for example be applied on the end of the elastic connection elements 39 closer to the hot gas.

(47) Accordingly, the front panel 5 may be a flat plate without an outer side wall 53 and may have through holes 55 extending from the hot side to the cold side and receiving the downstream portion of the elastic connection element 39. The flange 28 of the carrier structure element 2 has again through holes 29 for receiving the upstream portion of the elastic connection elements 39. At the first and second ends 31, 32 are provided nuts 36, 300 for fixing the elastic connection element 39 to the front panel 5 and the carrier structure element 2.

(48) The advantage of the embodiment according to FIG. 9 is that no radially outwardly protruding elements (such as flanges 21, 44 in embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 3) obstruct the flow 8 of a cooling fluid being convey over an outside surface of the liner 4 and carrier structure element 2.

(49) The advantage of have a swan-neck like profiled front panel 5 that is clamped between the liner 4 and the carrier structure element 2 (as in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3) is that the clamping section is shifted away from the heat zone and can therefore be kept at lower temperature which reduces thermal stress and expansions. Also, it may be beneficial to minimize a gap between liner surface 46 and outer side wall 53 in order to keep hot fluids from the combustion chamber 40 away from the clamping region.

(50) FIG. 10 shows a detail of yet another further embodiment which differs from the embodiment according to FIG. 9 only in the profile of the outer portion of the front panel 5. The embodiment according to FIG. 10 had an outer side wall 53 with an inwardly oriented clamping ring 54 and therefore combines the advantages of the embodiments according to FIGS. 2 and 9.

(51) The herein described embodiments of the invention are given by way of example and explanation and do not limit the invention. To someone skilled in the art it will be apparent that modifications and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, features described in the context of one embodiment may be used on other embodiments. The present invention therefore covers embodiments with such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the claims and also the corresponding equivalents.