Transition duct system with arcuate ceramic liner for delivering hot-temperature gases in a combustion turbine engine

1. Apparatus for delivering hot-temperature gasses from a plurality of combustors in a combustion turbine engine to a first row of turbine blades in the combustion turbine engine, the apparatus comprising:

an exit piece for each one of the plurality of combustors, wherein the exit piece comprises an arcuate connection segment defining an arcuate flow path, wherein the arcuate connection segment forms an open perimeter, wherein the exit piece connects to an adjacent exit piece at the arcuate connection segment of the adjacent exit piece, and the connection of the exit piece and the adjacent exit piece defines a portion of an annular chamber, the annular chamber arranged to extend circumferentially and oriented concentric to a longitudinal axis of the combustion turbine engine, for delivering the hot-temperature gasses to the first row of blades, the exit piece comprising:

a metal outer shell and an arcuate ceramic liner inwardly disposed onto the metal outer shell along the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece, wherein the arcuate ceramic liner forms an open liner perimeter in correspondence with the open perimeter of the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece;

retainer structures disposed in the arcuate connecting segment of the exit piece to retain respective edges of the open liner perimeter in the arcuate connecting segment of the exit piece, wherein the retainer structures are disposed at the respective edges of the open perimeter of the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece, wherein the retainer structure comprises a body comprising a first flange and a second flange interconnected by a web, the body circumferentially extending in the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece, wherein the first flange and the second flange interconnected by the web define a groove configured to receive a corresponding ceramic liner protrusion at the respective edge of the open liner perimeter in the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece, the ceramic liner protrusion constituting a free end of the arcuate ceramic liner;

wherein the exit piece further comprises a straight path segment defining a straight flow path for passing hot-temperature gasses from a respective combustor of the plurality of combustors,

a straight ceramic liner inwardly disposed onto the metal outer shell along the straight path segment of the exit piece, wherein the straight ceramic liner forms a closed liner perimeter and an open liner perimeter respectively in correspondence with the closed perimeter and the open perimeter of the straight path segment of the exit piece,

wherein the straight path segment forms a closed perimeter starting at an inlet end of the straight path segment, wherein the closed perimeter of the straight path segment of the exit piece changes to an open perimeter that is in fluid communication with the portion of the annular chamber along a common plane between a convergence flow junction (CFJ) and an outlet end of the straight path segment,

wherein the arcuate flow path and the straight flow path constitute individual flow paths that mutually converge at the convergence flow junction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising fasteners disposed between the retainer structures to fasten the arcuate ceramic liner to the metal outer shell over an area between the respective edges of the open perimeter of the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the fasteners comprise respective cooling conduits extending along respective longitudinal axis of the fasteners.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal outer shell comprises impingement cooling orifices to receive cooling air, wherein the metal outer shell and the arcuate ceramic liner are arranged to form a gap between one another effective to pass a flow of the cooling air.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the respective retainer structures are configured to form a spacing with respect to a ceramic liner protrusion at a respective edge of the open liner perimeter in the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece, the spacing effective to discharge the flow of the cooling air.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising retainer structures disposed in the straight path segment of the exit piece to retain respective edges of the open liner perimeter in the straight path segment of the exit piece.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising fasteners to fasten the straight ceramic liner to the metal outer shell over an area bounded by the closed perimeter of the straight path segment of the exit piece.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising fasteners disposed between the retainer structures disposed in the straight path segment, the fasteners to fasten the straight ceramic liner to the metal outer shell over an area between the respective edges of the open liner perimeter of the straight path segment of the exit piece.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a flow-accelerating cone connected by way of a flange joint to the inlet end of the straight path segment of the exit piece, wherein the straight ceramic liner transitions to a conical liner extending upstream of the flange joint into the flow-accelerating cone.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the straight ceramic liner and the arcuate ceramic liner respectively comprise a ceramic matrix composite.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the straight ceramic liner and the arcuate ceramic liner respectively comprise discrete structures.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the straight ceramic liner and the arcuate ceramic liner comprise an integral structure.

13. Apparatus for delivering hot-temperature gasses from a plurality of combustors in a combustion turbine engine to a first row of turbine blades in the combustion turbine engine, the apparatus comprising:

an exit piece for each one of the plurality of combustors, wherein the exit piece comprises an arcuate connection segment defining an arcuate flow path, wherein each arcuate connection segment forms an open perimeter, wherein each exit piece connects to an adjacent exit piece at the arcuate connection segment of the adjacent exit piece, and the connection of the exit piece and the adjacent exit piece defines a portion of an annular chamber, the annular chamber arranged to extend circumferentially and oriented concentric to a longitudinal axis of the combustion turbine engine, for delivering the hot-temperature gasses to the first row of blades,

the exit piece comprising:

a metal outer shell and an arcuate ceramic liner inwardly disposed onto the metal outer shell along the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece, wherein the arcuate ceramic liner forms an open liner perimeter in correspondence with the open perimeter of the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece;

retainer structures disposed in the arcuate connecting segment of the exit piece to retain respective edges of the open liner perimeter in the arcuate connecting segment of the exit piece, wherein each retainer structure comprises a body comprising a first flange and a second flange interconnected by a web, the body circumferentially extending in the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece, wherein the first and second flanges interconnected by the web define a groove configured to receive a corresponding ceramic liner protrusion at a respective edge of the open liner perimeter in the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece, the ceramic liner protrusion constituting a free end of the arcuate ceramic liner;

fasteners disposed between the respective retainer structures to fasten the arcuate ceramic liner to the metal outer shell over an area between the edges of the open perimeter of the arcuate connection segment of the exit piece;

wherein the exit piece further comprises a straight path segment defining a straight flow path for receiving the hot-temperature gasses from a respective combustor of the plurality of combustors, wherein the straight path segment forms a closed perimeter starting at an inlet end of the straight path segment, wherein the closed perimeter of the straight path segment of the exit piece changes to an open perimeter that is in fluid communication with the portion of the annular chamber along a common plane between a convergence flow junction (CFJ) and an outlet end of the straight path segment,

wherein the arcuate flow path and the straight flow path constitute individual flow paths that mutually converge at the convergence flow junction, and the exit piece further comprising:

a straight ceramic liner inwardly disposed onto the metal outer shell along the straight path segment of the exit piece, wherein the straight ceramic liner forms a closed liner perimeter and an open liner perimeter respectively in correspondence with the closed perimeter and the open perimeter of the straight path segment of the exit piece.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the straight ceramic liner and the arcuate ceramic liner comprise a ceramic matrix composite.