Patent ID: 7748221

Claim:
A heat shield comprising a body adapted to be mounted adjacent and spaced apart a distance from a dome of an annular combustor to define a cavity therebetween, the body defining at least one fuel nozzle opening, the body having a back face facing the combustor dome when mounted to the combustor, a central ridge projecting laterally from opposed sides of the fuel nozzle opening and dividing the back face into a radially outer half and a radially inner half, said radially outer half having an outer central region adjacent said central ridge and a radially outermost region adjacent a radially outer edge of the heat shield, said outer central region being in airflow communication with said radially outermost region, said radially inner half having an inner central region adjacent said central ridge and a radially innermost region adjacent a radially inner edge of the heat shield, said inner central region being in airflow communication with said radially innermost region, a plurality of protuberances extending from the back face, the density of protuberances in said inner and outer central regions being greater than the density of protuberances in said radially innermost and outermost regions, wherein the inner and outer central regions receive cool in air admitted into the cavity, and wherein the inner and outer central regions direct the cooling air to the radially innermost and the radially outermost regions.