Gas Turbine Airfoil Integrated Cooling Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
In gas turbine engines, airfoil components face overheating due to high pressure ratios and firing temperatures, necessitating effective cooling solutions that current technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
An integrated core structure forming a leading edge and tip cooling fluid passage with a turn section, featuring helical ridges and passages that create a helical flow pattern, along with mid-chord and trailing edge cooling circuits, to efficiently direct and impinge cooling fluid for enhanced heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional separate cooling passages are used for leading edge and tip, then manufacturing complexity increases, but cooling effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the leading edge cooling passage and tip cooling passage into a single integrated core structure. The core includes a leading edge section, tip section, and turn section that forms a continuous cooling circuit, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated core structure serves multiple cooling functions simultaneously - it provides cooling for both the leading edge and tip sections of the airfoil through a single unified structure, making the system more versatile and efficient.
2Power
If high pressure ratios and firing temperatures are implemented, then engine power increases, but airfoil overheating occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling fluid acts as an intermediary substance that absorbs heat from the airfoil structure. The integrated cooling passages deliver this cooling fluid to both the leading edge and tip sections, effectively transferring heat away from critical areas while allowing the engine to operate at high power and temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a pneumatic cooling system where compressed air (cooling fluid) is circulated through the integrated cooling passages. This hydraulic/pneumatic system efficiently removes heat from the airfoil components exposed to high temperatures, enabling high power operation without overheating.
3Reliability
If helical ridges are added to create helical flow pattern, then heat dissipation efficiency improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates helical (curved) ridges within the cooling passages to create a helical flow pattern. This curvature in the flow path enhances heat dissipation efficiency by improving fluid mixing and heat transfer, while the helical structure is integrated into the core mold, managing the added structural complexity.
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 solution provides concurrent formation of multiple cooling circuits within the airfoil, promoting efficient heat dissipation through helical flow patterns and impingement cooling, effectively managing high temperatures in gas turbine engine components.
Implementation Method 1
The leading edge section of the first core element may include a plurality of helical ridges extending circumferentially and radially with respect to a radial axis of the leading edge section, the ridges forming corresponding helical grooves extending into a surface of the airfoil defining an outer boundary of the leading edge portion of the cooling passage, wherein the grooves effect a helical flow pattern for cooling fluid flowing radially outwardly through the leading edge portion of the cooling passage.
Implementation Method 2
cooling fluid entering the second leading edge passage from the first leading edge passage through the transition passages impinges on a surface of the airfoil defining an outer boundary of the second leading edge passage to provide impingement cooling of the surface
Data Source
AI summary
A core structure (10) includes a first core element (16) including a leading edge section (30), a tip section (32), and a turn section (34) joining the leading edge and tip sections (30, 32). The first core element (16) is adapted to be used to form a leading edge cooling circuit (102) in a gas turbine engine airfoil (100). The leading edge cooling circuit (102) includes a cooling fluid passage (104) having a leading edge portion (106) formed by the first core element leading edge section (30), a tip portion (108) formed by the first core element tip section (32), and a turn portion (110) formed by the first core element turn section (34). Each of the leading edge portion (106), the tip portion (108), and the turn portion (110) of the cooling fluid passage (104) are formed concurrently in the airfoil (100) by the first core element (16).