Cooled combustor dome heatshield

Claim 1

A heatshield for a fuel nozzle/air swirler feeding fuel and air to the combustion zone of an annular combustor of a gas turbine engine, the air being injected by said air swirler in a given direction, said annular combustor having annular wall means defining said combustion zone, said heatshield comprising a plate-like member disposed between the fuel nozzle/air swirler and the flame in the annular combustor, means for cooling said plate-like member including a plurality of holes in said plate-like member angularly disposed relative to the planar surfaces of said plate-like member being oriented in such a direction to impart a swirl to cooling air flowing through said plate-like member into said combustion zone in the same direction as said given direction of the air injected by said air swirler to continuously rejuvenate the film of cooling air, said angularly disposed holes having a predetermined angle so as to lay a film of cooling air adjacent the face of said plate-like member facing the combustion zone, and said plate-like member extending radially toward said annular wall means and defining therewith a gap for continuously providing cooling air.