Combustor scroll de-swirler

1 . An inlet scroll for a combustor comprising:

an inlet;

an annular outlet;

a volute duct extending from the inlet to circumscribe an axis, the volute duct comprising a monotonically decreasing cross-sectional area normal to a circumferential direction about the axis; and

a transition fluidly connecting a radially inner boundary of the volute duct to the annular outlet, wherein the transition includes:

a radial portion at the volute duct;

an axial portion at the annular outlet; and

a plurality of vanes disposed about the axis within at least the radial portion of the transition,

wherein the plurality of vanes forms an axial load path through the inlet scroll;

wherein the volute duct is split along a plane normal to the axis into a first section and a second section; and

wherein the first section and the second section are joined at respective radially outer flanges and joined to the transition at respective radially inner flanges, the respective radially inner flanges are joined to the transition via at least one fastener extending axially through the respective radially inner flanges and at least one of the plurality of vanes.

2 . The inlet scroll of claim 1 , wherein the transition further includes an aperture extending through the transition at an intermediate location between the volute duct and the annular outlet that fluidly connects the transition to a region exterior to the inlet scroll.

3 . The inlet scroll of claim 1 , wherein an outlet area of the annular outlet is equal to or greater than an inlet area of the inlet, and wherein the outlet area is defined normal to the axis and the inlet area is defined normal to the circumferential direction.

4 . The inlet scroll of claim 1

wherein each vane of the plurality of vanes extends from a radially outer leading edge to a radially inner trailing edge to define an acute angle relative to a radial datum intersecting the axis.

5 . The inlet scroll of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of vanes extends from the radial portion into at least a portion of the axial portion of the transition.

6 . The inlet scroll of claim 4 , wherein the inlet scroll further includes an aperture extending through the transition between two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes and at an intermediate location between the volute duct and the annular outlet that fluidly connects the transition to a region exterior to the inlet scroll.

7 . The inlet scroll of claim 4 , wherein an outlet area of the annular outlet is equal to or greater than an inlet area of the inlet, and wherein the outlet area is defined normal to the axis and the inlet area is defined normal to the circumferential direction.

8 . A gas turbine engine comprising:

a compressor;

a combustor shell bounding an annular combustion chamber of a combustor;

a casing circumscribing the combustor shell to define a plenum; and

an inlet scroll for the combustor in fluid communication with a discharge of the compressor, the inlet scroll comprises:

an inlet;

an annular outlet in fluid communication with the plenum;

a volute duct extending from the inlet to circumscribe an axis, the volute duct comprising a monotonically decreasing cross-sectional area normal to a circumferential direction about the axis; and

a transition fluidly connecting a radially inner boundary of the volute duct to the annular outlet, wherein the transition includes:

a radial portion at the volute duct;

an axial portion at the annular outlet; and

a plurality of vanes disposed about the axis within at least the radial portion of the transition,

wherein the plurality of vanes forms an axial load path through the inlet scroll;

wherein the volute duct is split along a plane normal to the axis into a first section and a second section; and

wherein the first section and the second section are joined at respective radially outer flanges and joined to the transition at respective radially inner flanges, the respective radially inner flanges are joined to the transition via at least one fastener extending axially through the respective radially inner flanges and at least one of the plurality of vanes.

9 . The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the annular outlet of the inlet scroll is radially adjacent to an interior surface of the casing such that fluid discharged through the annular outlet flows along the interior surface of the casing.

10 . The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the inlet scroll transition further includes an aperture extending through the transition at an intermediate location between the volute duct and the annular outlet, and wherein the aperture fluidly connects the transition to the plenum.

11 . The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the aperture is oriented to direct compressed gas from within the transition towards an exterior of the combustor shell.

12 . The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the transition is spaced from the combustion shell at the annular outlet to define a gap between the axial portion of the transition and the combustor shell.

13 . The gas turbine engine of claim 8 ,

wherein each vane of the plurality of vanes extends from a radially outer leading edge to a radially inner trailing edge to define an acute angle relative to a radial datum intersecting the axis.

14 . The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of vanes extends from the radial portion into at least a portion of the axial portion of the transition.

15 . The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the axial load path is from the first section to the second section through the plurality of vanes.

16 . The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the inlet scroll further includes an aperture extending through the transition between two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes and at an intermediate location between the volute duct and the annular outlet, and wherein the aperture fluidly connects the transition to the plenum.

17 . The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , further comprising:

a heat exchanger in thermal communication with an exhaust stream of the gas turbine engine, wherein the heat exchanger receives compressed gas from a compressor discharge duct and discharges compressed gas heated by the exhaust stream to the inlet scroll.

18 . The gas turbine engine of claim 17 , further comprising:

the compressor discharge duct in fluid communication with the discharge of the compressor and the heat exchanger to deliver compressed gas from the compressor to the heat exchanger.

19 . A gas turbine engine comprising:

a compressor;

a compressor discharge duct in fluid communication with a discharge of the compressor;

a heat exchanger in thermal communication with an exhaust stream of the gas turbine engine, wherein the heat exchanger receives compressed gas from the compressor discharge duct via a supply line fluidly connecting the compressor discharge duct with the heat exchanger;

a combustor shell bounding an annular combustion chamber of a combustor;

a casing circumscribing the combustor shell to define a plenum; and

an inlet scroll for the combustor in fluid communication with the heat exchanger to receive the compressed gas discharged from the heat exchanger, the inlet scroll comprising:

an inlet;

an annular outlet in fluid communication with the plenum;

a volute duct extending from the inlet to circumscribe an axis, the volute duct comprising:

a monotonically decreasing cross-sectional area normal to a circumferential direction about the axis;

a transition fluidly connecting a radially inner boundary of the volute duct to the annular outlet, wherein the transition includes a radial portion at the volute duct and an axial portion at the annular outlet; and

a plurality of vanes disposed about the axis within at least the radial portion of the transition, each vane of the plurality of vanes extending from a radially outer leading edge to a radially inner trailing edge to define an acute angle relative to a radial datum intersecting the axis,

wherein the plurality of vanes forms an axial load path through the inlet scroll, and

wherein the volute duct is split along a plane normal to the axis into a first section and a second section, and

wherein the first section and the second section are joined at respective radially outer flanges and joined to the transition at respective radially inner flanges, the respective radially inner flanges are joined to the transition via at least one fastener extending axially through the respective radially inner flanges and at least one of the plurality of vanes.