Aerodynamic turbomachine component having cooling features and manufacturing method

Abstract

The gas turbine airfoil (126) includes a rear edge cooling hole (144) having an elliptical cross-sectional shape. Additionally, the outlet passage wall leading to the rear edge cooling hole (144) has a surface that varies according to the outlet passage profile (150). By applying the iterative method of the embodiment, a final outlet passage profile (150) having significantly reduced thermal deformation during operation compared to the prior art can be produced, thereby resulting in improved component life.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a cooling arrangement within an aerodynamic turbomachine component, and more specifically, to a turbine blade comprising a cooling opening and a structure located along a trailing edge. Background Technology

[0002] Aerodynamic turbomachine components, particularly those in the high-temperature gas flow paths of gas turbine engines such as turbine blades within expansion turbines, undergo thermal deformation that can lead to creep and reduced service life of such components. While various strategies have been employed to reduce thermal deformation, further reduction is always being sought. means of solving the problem

[0003] All modes, examples, and features mentioned below may be combined in any technically possible way.

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an aerodynamic component, the method comprising: generating a digital model of said aerodynamic component and its cooling circuit—the cooling circuit comprising an outlet passage defined in the body of said aerodynamic component and a cooling hole at the rear edge of said aerodynamic component, and said outlet passage comprising an outlet passage profile—; establishing a reference profile of said outlet passage and using said reference profile of said outlet passage as an initial value of said outlet passage profile; simulating the operation of said aerodynamic component using said digital model, including simulating the operating environment of said aerodynamic component; retrieving a value of a first parameter from the simulated operation of said aerodynamic component; comparing said values ​​to determine a difference between said value of the first parameter and one of a previously measured value or an initial value; and adjusting said outlet passage profile in the digital model of said aerodynamic component in response to said difference exceeding a threshold percentage value. The method includes the step of repeating the steps of simulating, extracting, comparing, and adjusting until the difference becomes less than or equal to the threshold percentage value—wherein the outlet passage profile finally adjusted thereby becomes the final outlet passage profile—; and the step of forming the aerodynamic component comprising the final outlet passage profile.

[0005] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, and the forming step includes the step of casting the aerodynamic component.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure comprises any of the foregoing aspects, wherein the forming step comprises additive manufacturing (AM) and at least the step of using a digital model of the aerodynamic component having the final exit passage profile.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, wherein the outlet passage reference profile includes a plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes, and the plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes include a cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape within a plane parallel to the rear edge in the cooling hole; and the step of adjusting the outlet passage profile includes the step of adjusting each of the reference cross-sectional shapes of the plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes.

[0008] Other embodiments of the present disclosure include any of the foregoing embodiments, and the steps of simulating, extracting, comparing, adjusting, and repeating are performed for each of the plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes, starting from the cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape and subsequently to each reference cross-sectional shape that is progressively more inward among the plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure comprises any of the foregoing aspects and further comprises the step of establishing an instance of artificial intelligence (AI) trained in at least one of thermodynamic modeling, aerospace engineering, and materials science; and the step of using said AI to estimate a desired adjustment for said exit passage profile; wherein said adjustment is based at least on said estimated desired adjustment.

[0010] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an aerodynamic component, the method comprising: providing a digital model of the aerodynamic component including a cooling circuit defined in the body of the aerodynamic component, wherein the cooling circuit includes an outlet passage extending from its inlet to a cooling hole at the rear edge of the body, the outlet passage having an outlet passage profile including a plurality of cross-sectional shapes at predefined points along the length of the outlet passage, the predefined points including at least the cooling hole of the outlet passage and the inlet of the outlet passage; providing an outlet passage reference profile including a reference cross-sectional shape for each of the predefined points; simulating the operation of the aerodynamic component and its operating environment using at least the outlet passage reference profile, a final outlet passage profile for each of the cross-sectional shapes at each of the predefined points extending inward from the cooling hole to the inlet; extracting a value of a first parameter from the simulated operation of the aerodynamic component; and comparing these values ​​to determine the difference between the value of the first parameter and one of a previously extracted value or an initial value. The method includes the step of adjusting the cross-sectional shape in response to the difference exceeding a threshold percentage value; and the step of determining by repeating the extraction, the comparison, and the adjustment until the difference becomes less than or equal to the threshold percentage value—wherein the cross-sectional shape finally adjusted thereto becomes the final cross-sectional shape for the predefined point—and the step of forming the aerodynamic component including the final exit passage profile.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, and the step of determining the final exit passage profile includes the step of sequentially determining the final cross-sectional shape for each of the predefined points.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, and the step of determining the final exit passage profile includes the step of simultaneously determining the final cross-sectional shape for each of the predefined points.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the foregoing aspects, and the step of providing the exit passage reference profile includes the step of using a previously determined final exit passage profile as the exit passage reference profile.

[0014] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the foregoing aspects, and the step of determining the final exit passage profile is repeated using each subsequent final exit passage profile until the difference between the values ​​of the second parameter extracted during simulation from one iteration to the next iteration is less than or equal to a second threshold percentage value.

[0015] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, wherein the cross-sectional shape based on the cooling hole is an elliptical cross-sectional shape including a major axis and a minor axis, and the ratio of the length of the major axis to the length of the minor axis is in the range of about 1.3 to about 1.7.

[0016] An aerodynamic component for a turbomachine, comprising: an airfoil supported by a platform—the airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge spaced axially from the leading edge—; and a cooling circuit comprising a cooling hole formed on the trailing edge surface of the trailing edge at the end of an exit passage having an exit passage profile, wherein the final exit passage profile of the exit passage comprises providing a digital model of the aerodynamic component including a reference profile of the exit passage and using the reference profile of the exit passage as an initial value of the exit passage profile; establishing an instance of artificial intelligence (AI) trained in at least one of thermodynamic modeling, aerospace engineering, and materials science; simulating the operation of the aerodynamic component and its operating environment using a computing device and a digital model of the aerodynamic component; determining a current value of a first parameter of the aerodynamic component during the simulation; and, if a previous value of the first parameter is determined, determining the change between the previous value and the current value. In response to the change exceeding a threshold percentage value, using the AI ​​to estimate a desired adjustment to the exit passage profile and adjusting the exit passage profile at least partially based on the desired adjustment estimated by the AI; and repeating the simulation, determining the current value of the first parameter, determining the change, and adjusting the exit passage profile until the change becomes less than or equal to the threshold percentage value—wherein the exit passage profile becomes the final exit passage profile as the final adjusted value.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, wherein the outlet passage reference profile includes a cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape, and the simulating, determining the current value of the first parameter, determining the change, and adjusting the outlet passage profile are performed using the cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape.

[0018] Another aspect of the present disclosure comprises any of the foregoing aspects, wherein the exit passage reference profile comprises at least one additional cross-sectional shape, and the simulating, determining the current value of the first parameter, determining the change, and adjusting the exit passage profile are performed first using the cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape and then using each of the at least one additional cross-sectional shape from the point closest to the cooling hole to the point farthest from the cooling hole.

[0019] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, wherein the at least one additional cross-sectional shape includes a cross-sectional shape based on the exit passage inlet furthest from the cooling hole.

[0020] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, and the at least one additional cross-sectional shape includes a cross-sectional shape between the cooling hole cross-sectional shape and the outlet passage inlet.

[0021] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the aforementioned aspects, and the exit passage reference profile includes an elliptical cross-sectional shape.

[0022] Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes any of the embodiments described above, wherein the elliptical cross-sectional shape includes a major axis and a minor axis, and the ratio of the length of the major axis to the length of the minor axis is in the range of about 1.3 to about 1.7.

[0023] Another aspect of the present disclosure comprises any of the foregoing aspects, wherein the final exit passage profile comprises a portion substantially following the orthogonal coordinate values ​​of X, Y, and Z presented in Table I, having an origin located at the intersection of the radial axis of the aerodynamic component and the centerline of the gas turbine engine on which the aerodynamic component is to be placed, wherein the orthogonal coordinate values ​​are expressed in units of distance, and the points described by the X, Y, and Z values ​​for each cross-sectional shape are connected by smooth continuous arcs to define each cross-sectional shape at each predefined location along at least a portion of the exit passage, and the cross-sectional shapes are smoothly connected to each other to form the final exit passage profile.

[0024] Two or more embodiments described in the present disclosure, including those described in the content section of this invention, may be combined to form embodiments not specifically described in this specification.

[0025] Details regarding one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, purposes, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] These and other features of the present disclosure will be more easily understood from the following detailed description of various aspects of the present disclosure taken together with the accompanying drawings illustrating various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a gas turbine system in which an embodiment of the present disclosure can be used. FIG. 2 is an isometric elevation view of a turbomachine aerodynamic component according to an embodiment disclosed in this specification. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a turbomachine aerodynamic component according to an embodiment disclosed in this specification. FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the platform area of ​​a turbomachine aerodynamic component according to an embodiment disclosed in this specification. FIG. 5 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the interface between the rear edge of the airfoil and the platform region of a turbomachine aerodynamic component according to an embodiment disclosed in this specification. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary section depicting the profile of its outlet passage as a schematic enlarged conformal transparency of a portion of the cooling circuit of a turbomachine aerodynamic component according to an embodiment disclosed in this specification. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary section of FIG. 6 along the Y-axis shown in FIG. 6, according to an embodiment disclosed in this specification. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of using its reference cross-sectional shape to obtain the final cross-sectional shape of the outlet of a cooling circuit (or cooling hole) as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, according to an embodiment disclosed in this specification. It should be noted that the drawings of the present disclosure are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are intended to illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and should therefore not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, similar reference numerals indicate similar elements between the drawings. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] First, to clearly describe the current technology, it will be necessary to select specific terms when referring to and describing the relevant mechanical components within exemplary applications of turbomachinery aerodynamic components having improved cooling features. In doing so, where possible, ordinary industrial terms will be used and utilized in a manner consistent with their accepted meanings. Unless otherwise noted, such terms should be given a broad interpretation consistent with the context of this application and the scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize that certain components may often be referred to using several different or overlapping terms. What may be described as a single part in this specification may comprise a number of components and may be referred to as being composed of these in other contexts. Alternatively, what may be described as comprising a number of components in this specification may be referred to as a single part elsewhere.

[0028] Additionally, some descriptive terms may be used frequently in this specification, and it may be helpful to define these terms at the beginning of this section. These terms and their definitions, unless otherwise noted, are as follows. As used herein, “downstream” and “upstream” are terms indicating the direction of fluid flow, such as working fluid through a turbomachine, or, for example, air flow through a combustor or coolant flow through one of the turbomachine’s component systems. The term “downstream” corresponds to the direction of fluid flow, and the term “upstream” refers to the direction opposite to the flow. The terms “forward” and “aft” refer to directions without any additional specificity, where “forward” or “fore” refers to the front of the turbomachine or the compressor end, and “aftward” or “aft” refers to the rear of the turbomachine or the turbine end.

[0029] It is often required to describe parts located at different radial positions with respect to a central axis. The term "axial" refers to movement or position parallel to an axis, e.g., the axis of a turbomachine. The term "radial" refers to movement or position perpendicular to an axis, e.g., the axis of a turbomachine. In such cases, if the first component is closer to the axis than the second component, the first component will be referred to in this specification as being "radially inward" or "inside" of the second component. Conversely, if the first component is further from the axis than the second component, the first component may be referred to in this specification as being "radially outward" or "outside" of the second component. Finally, the term "circumferential" refers to movement or position around an axis, e.g., the circumferential inner surface of a casing extending around the axis of a turbomachine. As indicated above, it will be recognized that these terms may be applied with respect to the axis of a turbomachine.

[0030] Additionally, as described below, several descriptive terms may be used periodically in this specification. The terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another, but are not intended to indicate the location or importance of the individual components.

[0031] The terms used herein are merely for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms (“a,” “an,” and “the”) are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that, as used herein, the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising” specify the presence of the mentioned features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. “Optional” or “optionally” means that an event or situation described subsequently may or may not occur, or that a component or element described subsequently may or may not exist, and that the description includes cases where the event occurs or the component exists, and cases where the event does not occur or the component does not exist.

[0032] Where an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaging with," "connected to," "coupled to," or "mounted to" another element or layer, there may be an element or layer that is directly above, engages with, connects to, is coupled to, or is mounted to, or interposed thereon. Conversely, where one element is referred to as being "directly above," "directly engaged with," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there is no interposed element or layer. Other words used to describe relationships between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated enumerated items. The verb forms "coupling" and "mounting" may be used interchangeably in this specification.

[0033] The embodiments disclosed in this specification may be implemented in a gas turbine engine (10) such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. Such a gas turbine engine (10) may include an inlet (12) that supplies air to a compressor (14) comprising a plurality of aerodynamic components, such as blades and nozzles, that cooperate to compress incoming air and supply it to a combustor (16). The combustor (16) mixes fuel with the compressed incoming air and ignites the mixture to generate and discharge an energy-supplied high-temperature gas (34). An expansion turbine (18) may include a rotor (24) having a rotor wheel (26) equipped with a plurality of aerodynamic components (28), such as turbine blades. The expansion turbine (18) may receive the energy-supplied high-temperature gas (34) and direct it over the aerodynamic components (28) through a high-temperature gas flow path (32), thereby driving the rotor (24), which subsequently drives a main shaft (22) that drives the compressor (14). The blades in the rotor (24), main shaft (22), and compressor (14) rotate circumferentially (C) around the centerline (A) of the gas turbine engine (10). The energy-supplied high-temperature gas (34) continues to be discharged to the surroundings as exhaust through the exhaust system (20) or otherwise used. Collectively, the aerodynamic components of the compressor (12) and the expansion turbine (18) may be referred to as "turbomechanical aerodynamic components." As is known, it may be advantageous to cool such turbomechanical aerodynamic components, particularly within the expansion turbine (18), in order to enjoy a longer component life and improved operating efficiency.

[0034] The centerline (A) is also identical to the axial direction (A) of the gas turbine engine (10). The centerline (A) may also be referred to as the center axis or rotation axis of the gas turbine (10). As can also be seen in FIG. 1, the radial direction (R) may extend away from the centerline (A) and may rotate in the circumferential direction (C) around the centerline (A).

[0035] Examples of turbomachine aerodynamic components (100) that may include optimized cooling features are illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. A platform (102) supports an airfoil (126), and the platform (102) itself is mounted to a turbomachine, such as the gas turbine (10) of FIG. 1, via a shank (116) and a dovetail (124). The platform (102) has rear and front edges (104, 108) spaced apart in the axial direction (A) (at the bottom of the drawing), as well as leading and trailing edges (106, 112) spaced apart in the circumferential direction (C) (at the bottom of the drawing). The airfoil (126) has a base portion (130) adjacent to the platform (102), and a body portion (134) extending radially away from the platform (102) and the base portion (130) in the radial direction (R) (at the bottom of the drawing). The airfoil (126) also has a tip (128) extending from the body portion (134), a pressure surface (136), a suction surface (138) (Fig. 3), a leading edge (140) (Fig. 3), and a trailing edge (142) spaced axially (A) away from the leading edge (140). As can be seen particularly in FIG. 3, which is a plan view of a turbomachine aerodynamic component (100), the rear edge (142) of the airfoil (126) may include a plurality of cooling holes (144), including a bottom cooling hole (144) closest to the platform (102). The cooling holes (144) may be part of a cooling circuit (146) limited to the airfoil (126).

[0036] The transition between the platform (102) and the airfoil (126) is subjected to mechanical and thermal stress, which can lead to creep and / or cracking. In this application, the bottom cooling hole (144) is particularly important for directing the cooling flow from the rear edge (142) of the airfoil (126) toward the platform (102). The contour of the cooling hole (144) affects the velocity and direction of the cooling flow. It has been found that optimizing the portion of the cooling hole profile closest to the platform (102) (i.e., the bottom or trough of the cooling hole (144)) can lead to improved cooling in the region prone to such stress.

[0037] Directions (A, C, R) are illustrated by arrows at the bottom of FIG. 2. A radial axis (S) is also depicted as extending radially from the centerline (A). In some embodiments, the radial axis (S) may represent the stacking direction axis of the aerodynamic component (100) or a part thereof, and / or the radial axis (S) may represent the radial centerline of the aerodynamic component (100) or a part thereof. As schematically illustrated, the origin (P) may be located at the intersection of the radial axis (S) and the centerline (A). In an embodiment, the origin (P) is a common origin that can be used to depict the profile of the aerodynamic component (100) and a part thereof. For example, referring further to FIG. 5, the orthogonal coordinate system may be located at the origin (P), where the X-axis coincides with the centerline (A), the Z-axis coincides with the radial axis (S), such as the stacking direction axis and / or radial centerline of the aerodynamic component (100), and the Y-axis is mutually perpendicular to the X-axis and the Z-axis.

[0038] As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cooling hole (144) may be fluidly connected to the coolant supply passage (148), for example, through the outlet passage (150). The cooling hole (144) may be formed on the surface (143) of the rear edge (142) at the end (152) of the outlet passage (150). The outlet passage (150) may be defined by the outlet passage wall (154) within the airfoil (126). In an embodiment, the outlet passage (150) may include an outlet passage profile that may include the cross-sectional shape of the outlet passage (150) at each of its predefined points, and there may be a plurality of such predefined points having each of their cross-sectional shapes. For example, as can be better understood from FIGS. 6 to 8, the exit passage (150) may have a profile ending in the cross-sectional shape of the exit or cooling hole (144), which has a major axis (a) substantially parallel to the rear edge surface (143). H0 ) and major axis (a H0 The minor axis (b) orthogonal to ) H0 It can be approximated using an elliptical shape (H0) (Fig. 8) having ). In the embodiment, the major axis (a) of the elliptical cross-sectional shape (H0) H0 Length of ) versus short axis (b) of elliptical cross-sectional shape (H0) H0 The ratio of the lengths of ) is in the range of about 1.3 to about 1.7, for example, about 1.5.

[0039] As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the profile of the exit passage (150) can be described using a plurality of cross-sections (601 to 611) at predefined points or locations along the length (L) (Fig. 6) of the exit passage (150). Such cross-sections may, for example, be perpendicular to the centerline of the exit passage (150). The cross-sectional shape of each section (601 to 611) can be described using points on its periphery, expressed as a set of X, Y, and Z coordinates with respect to the origin (P) (Fig. 2 and FIGS. 4 to 6). Coordinates for specific examples of similar cross-sectional shapes are expressed as XYZ values ​​in Table I below. Since a specific section is not taken parallel to a plane defined by two of the coordinate axes, the predefined locations of the sections are not simply coordinates on one of the axes. FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an exit passage (150) using the orthogonal coordinate values ​​of X, Y, and Z of 11 exemplary sections (601 to 611) presented in Table I. In particular, as can be seen in FIG. 7, each section (601 to 611) in the illustrated example has nine defined points having their respective X, Y, and Z coordinate values ​​listed in Table I. In FIG. 6, for example, the exit passage (150) may be formed using the coordinate values ​​for an origin (P) (Fig. 2 and FIG. 4 to 6) that determines the location where the orthogonal coordinate values ​​of X, Y, and Z presented in Table I are used to define the exit passage (150).

[0040] In an embodiment, the profile (601) of the cooling hole (144) can be approximated using an elliptical shape (H0) as illustrated in FIG. 8, which may be a cross-sectional shape based on the cooling hole. As illustrated, the elliptical cross-sectional shape (H0) may have a major axis (a) that can be oriented along the radial direction and / or parallel to the rear edge (142). H0It may have a ) reference cross-sectional shape (H0). The reference cross-sectional shape (H0) may also have a minor axis (b) that can be oriented along the circumferential direction and / or perpendicular to the axial direction. H0 ) may have. Similarly, in the embodiment, the profile (601) may have a major axis (a) that can be oriented along the radial direction and / or parallel to the rear edge surface (143). H1 ) and a minor axis (b) that can be oriented along the circumferential direction and / or perpendicular to the axial direction H1 It may have ). According to some embodiments, the long axis (a) of the profile (601) H1 Shortening of the length of the profile (601) versus the length of ) (b H1 The ratio of the lengths of ) is in the range of about 1.3 to about 1.7, for example, about 1.5.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 6, the exit passage (150) may be depicted using a plurality of cross-sections (601 to 611) at predefined points or locations along the length (L) of the exit passage (150), including a cooling hole (144) at the end (152) of the exit passage (150). In FIG. 6, section (601) may be the cross-sectional shape of the cooling hole (144), and section (611) may be the cross-sectional shape of the inlet (151) of the exit passage (150). In an exemplary set of sections, ten points may be listed for each cross-section (601 to 611), but it will be apparent that more or fewer points may be used for each periphery of each cross-section, and more or fewer cross-sections may be used, as desired and / or appropriate.

[0042] According to the embodiments described herein, a method for manufacturing an aerodynamic component (100) may be used to arrive at a suitable set of coordinate values. For example, referring to FIGS. 2 through 8, such a method may include the step of creating or providing a digital model of the aerodynamic component (100) and its cooling circuit (146). As described above, the cooling circuit (146) may include a cooling passage or an outlet passage such as an outlet passage (150) limited to the body (body portion (134), FIG. 2) of the aerodynamic component (100). The outlet passage (150) may include a cooling hole (144) at the rear edge (142) of the component (100), and the outlet passage (150) may include an outlet passage profile optimized to promote cooling and / or reduce component stress and / or reduce creep and thereby increase the effective life of the component (100). As mentioned above, the exit passage profile may include cross-sectional shapes at predefined points or locations along the length (L) of the exit passage (150), as exemplified by sections (601 to 611) of FIG. 6. In an embodiment, a reference profile of the exit passage (150) may be established, which may include a cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape (H0), as well as additional cross-sectional reference shapes at predefined locations along the length (L) of the exit passage (150).

[0043] The reference profile of the exit passage may be used as an initial value of the exit passage profile in or with the digital model to simulate the operation of the aerodynamic component (100), which may include simulating the operating environment of the aerodynamic component (100). The value of the first parameter may be derived from the simulated operation of the aerodynamic component (100), and the value may be compared with either a previously measured value or an initial value to determine the difference between them. For example, the first parameter may include the surface temperature of the aerodynamic component (100) in the cooling hole (144), strain at the same or different location, pressure at the same or different location, or any other parameter that may be suitable and / or required.

[0044] The exit passage profile in the digital model of the aerodynamic component (100) can be adjusted in response to a difference exceeding a threshold percentage value. That is, if the difference between the current value of the first parameter and the last value of the first parameter exceeds, for example, 10%, the exit passage profile can be adjusted by adjusting the cross-sectional shape at a predefined location being analyzed, such as the cross-sectional shape of the cooling hole (144), for example. By repeating the simulation, extraction, comparison, and adjustment until the difference becomes less than or equal to the threshold percentage value, the exit passage profile can be assigned as the final exit passage profile as the final adjusted one. Subsequently, the aerodynamic component (100) can be formed, for example, by casting or additive manufacturing (AM), using the final exit passage profile.

[0045] In the embodiment, the iteration of simulation, extraction, comparison, and adjustment is performed progressively inward, starting with the cooling hole cross-sectional shape, at each predefined location for each cross-sectional shape of the exit passage profile. Each cross-sectional shape can be processed sequentially, wherein other cross-sectional shapes are maintained unchanged while a given cross-sectional shape is adjusted from a reference cross-sectional shape to a final cross-sectional shape. That is, the step of determining the final exit passage profile may include the step of sequentially determining the final cross-sectional shape for each predefined point.

[0046] Alternatively, each cross-sectional shape may be machined considering the influence of other cross-sectional shape adjustments, which can be described as simultaneously adjusting two or more cross-sectional shapes in the exit passage profile. That is, the step of determining the final exit passage profile may include the step of simultaneously determining the final cross-sectional shape for each predefined point. For example, a first parameter may be measured at a plurality of predefined points, and one or more cross-sectional shapes may be adjusted to determine the difference of the first parameter at one or more of the predefined points, and this may be repeated to simultaneously determine the final cross-sectional shape of the predefined points.

[0047] Additionally, a combination of sequential and simultaneous adjustments may be used, or the final exit path profile from one run may be used as an initial value or exit path reference profile for another run. The use of the previous final exit path profile as a reference profile for subsequent runs may be repeated until the difference of the second parameter is less than or equal to a second threshold percentage value, thereby optimizing the final exit path profile in the embodiment. Additionally, the embodiment may use one or more instances of artificial intelligence (AI) to estimate a desired adjustment for the exit path profile, and the adjustment of the exit path profile may be based at least on the estimated desired adjustment. Accordingly, the method according to the embodiment may include the step of establishing an instance of artificial intelligence (AI) configured to be trained for at least one of thermodynamic modeling, aerospace engineering, and materials science, or trained.

[0048] Examples of the results of applying the method according to the embodiment are illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 8 and as orthogonal coordinates in the XYZ space of Table I, wherein the origin (P), such as the origin, is located at the intersection of the radial axis (S) (Fig. 2) of the aerodynamic component (100) and the centerline (A) (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 through 6) of the gas turbine engine (10) on which the aerodynamic component (100) is to be placed. As mentioned above, the radial axis (S) may be the stacking axis and / or radial centerline of the aerodynamic component (100) or a part thereof. The X, Y, and Z coordinate values ​​of Table I may be expressed in any distance unit as long as the ratio is maintained, and / or may be enlarged or reduced. In Table I, the X, Y, and Z coordinate values ​​are listed in inches. To scale the X, Y, or Z values ​​in Table I, the X, Y, or Z values ​​given in Table I may be multiplied by a desired scaling factor, and the scaling factor must be applied to all such values ​​to preserve the ratio between them. By connecting the points described by the X, Y, and Z values ​​for each section by smooth, continuous arcs, each exit passage profile cross-section and / or cross-sectional shape can be fixed, and the exit passage profile between sections can be determined by smoothly connecting adjacent profile sections to each other, for example, by connecting corresponding points within them, thereby forming a nominal exit passage profile.

[0049] That is, the points described by the X, Y, and Z values ​​for each cross-sectional shape are connected by smooth, continuous arcs to define each cross-sectional shape at each predefined location along at least a portion of the exit passage, and the cross-sectional shapes are smoothly connected to each other to form the final exit passage profile. Although 11 sections are used in this example, improved results can be achieved by using more sections or predefined locations along the length of the exit passage to describe the exit passage profile, and it should be noted that with the use of more sections, the exit profile passage may deviate from the surface described by smoothly connecting the results using fewer profile sections. Similarly, although 10 points are used to describe each section in this example, improved results can be obtained by using more points to describe each section.

[0050] The values ​​in Table I are generated and shown to three decimal places to determine the nominal profile of the cooling or exit passage (150) under ambient, non-operational, or non-high temperature conditions, and do not take into account any coating or fillet, although the embodiments may take into account other conditions, coatings, and / or fillets. To allow for typical manufacturing tolerances and / or coating thicknesses, ± values ​​may be added to the values ​​listed in Table I. For example, a tolerance of about 10 to 20 percent of the width of the exit passage in a direction perpendicular to any surface position following the exit passage profile may define the exit passage profile envelope for aerodynamic component design at low or room temperature. In other words, a distance of about 10 to 20 percent of the width of the exit passage in a direction perpendicular to any surface position following the exit passage profile may define the range of variation between a measured point on the actual exit passage wall surface and the ideal position of that point, particularly at low or room temperature, as is implemented by the present disclosure. The configuration of the exit passage and aerodynamic components as implemented in this specification is robust against such ranges of variation without impairment of mechanical and aerodynamic functions.

[0051] Likewise, as mentioned above, the profile and / or configuration may be enlarged or reduced, for example, geometrically, without impairment of operation. Such scaling may be facilitated by multiplying the value by a common scaling factor, which may be a number of distance units greater or fewer than could originally have been used for an exit passage of a given size. For example, the values ​​in Table I may be uniformly multiplied by a scaling factor of 2, 0.5, or any other desired scaling factor. In various embodiments, the X, Y, and Z distances may be scaled as a function of the same constant or number to provide an enlarged or reduced exit passage. Alternatively, the value may be multiplied by a desired height that is larger or smaller. Additionally, the embodiment may use a portion of the value to construct the partial exit passage profile described by it.

[0052] As referenced herein, the origin (P) of the X, Y, Z coordinate system (Figs. 2 and 4 through 6) may be placed, for example, at the intersection of the radial axis (S) (best known in Fig. 2) and the centerline of the gas turbine engine (10) (best known as A in Figs. 1 and 2), where the X-axis is collinear with the centerline, the Z-axis is collinear with the radial axis (S), and the Y-axis is mutually perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis. As mentioned above, the radial axis (S) may be the stacking axis and / or radial centerline of the aerodynamic component (100) or a part thereof. As can be further seen in FIG. 5, the positive value of X is the rear of the origin (P) (toward the rear edge (104)), the positive value of Z extends from the centerline (A) and the X-axis toward the aerodynamic component (100), and the positive (or larger) value of Y extends toward the leading edge (106) of the platform (102). Within each section, since point 1 is arbitrarily selected (e.g., in the area at the top of the cross-sectional profile as shown in FIG. 7), its value is omitted from Table I, and the respective arched portions of the profile connecting point 10 and point 2 are shown as dashed lines.

[0053] [Table I]

[0054]

[0055]

[0056]

[0057] An embodiment of the present disclosure may take the form of a gas turbine engine (10) as illustrated in FIG. 1, comprising a compressor (14), a combustor (16) operatively coupled to the compressor (14), and an expansion turbine (18) operatively coupled to the combustor (16). The expansion turbine (18) may include a plurality of aerodynamic components (28) capable of converting high-temperature gas from the combustor (16) into rotational motion. At least one of the aerodynamic components (28) may include an airfoil (126) extending radially in the expansion turbine (18), and the airfoil (126) has a rear edge (142) having a rear edge surface (143) extending radially. The cooling circuit (146) may include an exit passage (150) within the airfoil (126) that is defined by an exit passage wall (154) within the airfoil (126) and ends at a cooling hole (144) within the rear edge surface (143). The exit passage (150) may include an end portion (152) in which the exit passage wall (154) of the exit passage (150) may follow a profile as defined by the coordinate values ​​of Table I. In an embodiment, the elliptical shape (H0) may approximate the profile (601) of the cooling hole (144), and the ratio of the length of each major axis to the length of each minor axis falls within the range of 1.3 to 1.7, e.g., about 1.5.

[0058] The technical effect of the embodiments disclosed in this specification is a reduction in thermal deformation of aerodynamic components and an increase in their lifespan. By using a reference elliptical profile and applying the iterative method according to the embodiments of this specification to the cooling holes, the heat-induced strain of the aerodynamic components can be significantly reduced, for example, by 26% to 30%. This reduction in thermal deformation can increase the creep life of the trailing edge cooling holes by, for example, five times, and increase the effective lifespan of the aerodynamic components by four times.

[0059] As used in this specification and claims throughout, approximate language may be applied to modify any quantitative expression that may be acceptablely varied without causing a change in the underlying function involved. Accordingly, terms such as “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially,” or values ​​modified by such terms, are not limited to the specified exact values. In at least some cases, approximate language may correspond to the precision of the instrument for measuring the values. Herein and throughout this specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and / or interchangeable; such ranges are identified and include all subranges contained therein unless the context or expression otherwise indicates. “Approximately,” “substantially,” or “about,” as applied to specific values ​​of a certain range, may apply to both end values ​​and represent + / - 10% of the mentioned value(s), unless otherwise determined by the precision of the instrument for measuring the values.

[0060] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or steps and functional elements in the claims below are intended to include any structures, materials, or acts for performing a function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of this disclosure is presented for illustrative and illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit or encompass the disclosure in the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Embodiments have been selected and described to best illustrate the principles of this disclosure and the practical application of such technology, and to enable other persons skilled in the art to understand the possibility of various embodiments of this disclosure and various modifications of the disclosed embodiments that may be suitable for the specific use(s) being considered.

Claims

Claim 1 A method for manufacturing an aerodynamic component, comprising the steps of: generating a digital model of the aerodynamic component and its cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit includes an outlet passage defined in the body of the aerodynamic component and includes a cooling hole at the rear edge of the aerodynamic component, and the outlet passage includes an outlet passage profile; establishing a reference profile of the outlet passage and using the reference profile of the outlet passage as an initial value of the outlet passage profile; simulating the operation of the aerodynamic component using the digital model, including simulating the operating environment of the aerodynamic component; retrieving a value of a first parameter from the simulated operation of the aerodynamic component; comparing these values ​​to determine the difference between the value of the first parameter and one of a previously measured value or an initial value; adjusting the outlet passage profile in the digital model of the aerodynamic component in response to the difference exceeding a threshold percentage value; repeating the steps of simulating, retrieving, comparing, and adjusting until the difference becomes less than or equal to the threshold percentage value, wherein the outlet is finally adjusted by the same A method comprising the step of forming the aerodynamic component including the final exit passage profile, wherein the passage profile becomes the final exit passage profile. Claim 2 A method according to claim 1, wherein the forming step comprises the step of casting the aerodynamic component. Claim 3 A method according to claim 1, wherein the forming step comprises additive manufacturing (AM) and at least the step of using a digital model of the aerodynamic component having the final exit passage profile. Claim 4 The method according to claim 1, wherein the outlet passage reference profile includes a plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes, and the plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes include a cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape within a plane parallel to the rear edge in the cooling hole; and the step of adjusting the outlet passage profile includes the step of adjusting each of the reference cross-sectional shapes of the plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes. Claim 5 A method according to claim 4, wherein the steps of simulating, extracting, comparing, adjusting, and repeating are performed for each of the plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes, starting from the cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape and subsequently moving progressively inward to each of the plurality of reference cross-sectional shapes. Claim 6 The method of claim 1 further comprises the steps of: establishing an instance of artificial intelligence (AI) trained in at least one of thermodynamic modeling, aerospace engineering, and materials science; and using said AI to estimate a desired adjustment for said exit passage profile; wherein said adjustment is based at least on said estimated desired adjustment. Claim 7 A method for manufacturing an aerodynamic component, comprising the steps of: providing a digital model of the aerodynamic component including a cooling circuit limited to the body of the aerodynamic component; wherein the cooling circuit includes an outlet passage extending from its inlet to a cooling hole located at the rear edge of the body, and the outlet passage has an outlet passage profile including a plurality of cross-sectional shapes at predefined points along the length of the outlet passage, and the predefined points include at least the cooling hole of the outlet passage and the inlet of the outlet passage; providing an outlet passage reference profile including a reference cross-sectional shape for each of the predefined points; and providing a final outlet passage profile for each of the respective cross-sectional shapes at each of the predefined points extending inward from the cooling hole to the inlet. At least simulating the operation of the aerodynamic component and its operating environment using the above-mentioned exit passage reference profile; Extracting the value of a first parameter from the simulated operation of the above-mentioned aerodynamic component; Comparing these values ​​to determine the difference between the value of the first parameter and one of the previously extracted values ​​or the initial values; Adjusting the cross-sectional shape in response to the above difference exceeding a threshold percentage value; and A method comprising: a step of determining by repeating the extraction, the comparison, and the adjustment until the difference becomes less than or equal to the threshold percentage value—wherein the cross-sectional shape becomes the final cross-sectional shape for the predefined point as finally adjusted thereby; and a step of forming the aerodynamic component including the final exit passage profile. Claim 8 In claim 7, the step of determining the final exit passage profile comprises the step of sequentially determining the final cross-sectional shape for each of the predefined points. Claim 9 A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of determining the final exit passage profile includes the step of simultaneously determining the final cross-sectional shape for each of the predefined points. Claim 10 In claim 7, the step of providing the exit passage reference profile includes the step of using a previously determined final exit passage profile as the exit passage reference profile. Claim 11 In claim 10, the step of determining the final exit passage profile is repeated using each subsequent final exit passage profile until the difference between the values ​​of the second parameter extracted during simulation from one iteration to the next iteration becomes less than or equal to a second threshold percentage value. Claim 12 A method according to claim 7, wherein the cross-sectional shape based on the cooling hole is an elliptical cross-sectional shape including a major axis and a minor axis, and the ratio of the length of the major axis to the length of the minor axis is in the range of about 1.3 to about 1.

7. Claim 13 As an aerodynamic component for a turbomachine, an airfoil supported by a platform—the airfoil has a leading edge and a trailing edge spaced axially from the leading edge—; The method comprises a cooling circuit including a cooling hole formed on the rear edge surface of the rear edge at the end of the exit passage having an exit passage profile, which is limited to the body of the aerodynamic component and is limited to the body of the aerodynamic component and has an exit passage profile, wherein the final exit passage profile of the exit passage comprises: providing a digital model of the aerodynamic component including a reference profile of the exit passage and using the exit passage reference profile as an initial value of the exit passage profile; establishing an instance of artificial intelligence (AI) trained in at least one of thermodynamic modeling, aerospace engineering, and materials science; simulating the operation of the aerodynamic component and its operating environment using a computing device and a digital model of the aerodynamic component; determining a current value of a first parameter of the aerodynamic component during the simulation; determining a change between the previous value and the current value if a previous value of the first parameter is determined; and, in response to the change exceeding a threshold percentage value, using the AI ​​to estimate a desired adjustment for the exit passage profile and adjusting the exit passage profile at least partially based on the desired adjustment estimated by the AI. An aerodynamic component determined by repeating the simulation until the change becomes less than or equal to the threshold percentage value, determining the current value of the first parameter, determining the change, and adjusting the exit passage profile—wherein the exit passage profile finally adjusted thereby becomes the final exit passage profile. Claim 14 In paragraph 13, the above-mentioned outlet passage reference profile includes a cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape, and the simulating, determining the current value of the first parameter, determining the change, and adjusting the outlet passage profile are performed using the cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape, an aerodynamic component. Claim 15 An aerodynamic component according to claim 14, wherein the outlet passage reference profile comprises at least one additional cross-sectional shape, and the simulating, determining the current value of the first parameter, determining the change, and adjusting the outlet passage profile are performed first using the cooling hole reference cross-sectional shape and then using each of the at least one additional cross-sectional shape from the point closest to the cooling hole to the point farthest from the cooling hole. Claim 16 In paragraph 15, the aerodynamic component wherein the at least one additional cross-sectional shape comprises a cross-sectional shape based on the exit passage inlet furthest from the cooling hole. Claim 17 In paragraph 16, the at least one additional cross-sectional shape comprises an aerodynamic component including a cross-sectional shape between the cooling hole cross-sectional shape and the outlet passage inlet. Claim 18 In Clause 13, the above-mentioned exit passage reference profile is an aerodynamic component comprising an elliptical cross-sectional shape. Claim 19 An aerodynamic component according to claim 18, wherein the elliptical cross-sectional shape comprises a major axis and a minor axis, and the ratio of the length of the major axis to the length of the minor axis is in the range of about 1.3 to about 1.

7. Claim 20 In claim 13, the final exit passage profile comprises a portion substantially following the orthogonal coordinate values ​​of X, Y, and Z presented in Table I, having an origin located at the intersection of the radial axis of the aerodynamic component and the centerline of the gas turbine engine on which the aerodynamic component is to be placed, wherein the orthogonal coordinate values ​​are expressed in units of distance, and the points described by the X, Y, and Z values ​​for each cross-sectional shape are connected by smooth continuous arcs to define each cross-sectional shape at each predefined location along at least a portion of the exit passage, and the cross-sectional shapes are smoothly connected to each other to form the final exit passage profile, the aerodynamic component.

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