Turbine Airfoil Cooling Hole Layout for Film Cooling Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turbine blade airfoil designs and cooling schemes in gas turbine engines lack optimal placement and distribution of cooling holes, leading to inefficiencies in cooling effectiveness and durability.
Innovation Solution
The airfoil and rotor blade designs incorporate a specific set of Cartesian coordinates to precisely locate cooling holes, enhancing their distribution and alignment with the airfoil's geometry, thereby improving cooling efficiency and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cooling hole placement methods are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but cooling effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the distribution, size, and orientation of cooling holes at different locations on the airfoil surface. Each region receives a customized cooling hole pattern optimized for its specific thermal and flow conditions, thereby improving overall cooling effectiveness without requiring uniform high-precision manufacturing across the entire component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional two-dimensional cooling hole patterns to a three-dimensional coordinate system (x, y, z coordinates) for defining cooling hole locations. This dimensional enhancement allows precise specification of hole positions, depths, and orientations, resolving the contradiction between improved cooling effectiveness and manufacturing precision requirements.
2Temperature
If cooling holes are added to improve cooling, then thermal protection is improved, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by strategically placing cooling holes only in regions where thermal protection is most critical, rather than uniformly distributing them across the entire airfoil. The varying hole sizes and patterns in different zones optimize thermal protection while minimizing impact on structural integrity in load-bearing regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by implementing cooling holes only in specific regions where they are most needed for thermal management, rather than applying cooling throughout the entire structure. This selective approach provides sufficient thermal protection while preserving structural integrity in areas where cooling holes are not required.
3Productivity
If precise Cartesian coordinates are used for cooling hole placement, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system (x, y, z) to define cooling hole locations, depths, and orientations. While this adds mathematical complexity, it enables precise control over cooling hole placement and geometry, significantly improving cooling efficiency. The coordinate-based approach provides a systematic method that can be implemented through computational design and manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by defining cooling hole characteristics (location, depth, diameter, orientation) through numerical coordinate values. This parametric approach allows for systematic optimization of cooling hole patterns and facilitates integration with computational fluid dynamics and manufacturing processes, balancing the increased complexity with measurable improvements in cooling efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The precise placement of cooling holes using Cartesian coordinates enhances the film cooling effectiveness and structural integrity of turbine blades, reducing material degradation and extending component lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
The array of external cooling holes provides film cooling to the airfoil
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus is provided for a turbine engine (20). This turbine engine apparatus includes an airfoil (84), and the airfoil (84) includes a first end (88), a second end (90), a leading edge (92), a trailing edge (94), a first side (98), a second side (100) and a plurality of cooling holes (86). The leading edge (92), the trailing edge (94), the first side (98) and the second side (100) extend spanwise from the first end (88) to the second end (90). The first side (98) and the second side (100) extend longitudinally between and meet at the leading edge (92) and the trailing edge (94). The cooling holes (86) are located in the airfoil (84) according to a set of Cartesian coordinates of Table 1, and the set of Cartesian coordinates of Table 1 describe distances from a point of origin (104) on the airfoil (84) to the cooling holes (86).