Airfoil Sealed Baffle for Compressor Bleed Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines face efficiency challenges due to the need for compressor bleed cooling, which penalizes engine efficiency by relying on pressure differential, making it difficult to reduce compressor bleed volume, increase velocity, or raise temperature while maintaining high pressure and low temperature requirements.
Innovation Solution
The airfoil in the gas turbine engine incorporates a supply passage for coolant distribution with a baffle and seal system that directs coolant into an internal cavity, enhancing thermal resistance and reducing the need for compressor bleed cooling by effectively distributing cooling air through multiple internal cavities and isolated cooling circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If compressor bleed cooling is used to cool the airfoil, then the cooling function is provided, but engine efficiency is penalized due to reliance on pressure differential
Solution Approach 1:
The airfoil is divided into multiple internal cavities (first internal cavity, second internal cavity, third internal cavity) that are isolated from each other by seals. Each cavity receives coolant through separate supply passages, allowing independent cooling zones that can be optimized for different thermal requirements without relying on compressor bleed pressure differentials.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the airfoil are provided with dedicated cooling cavities and supply passages tailored to their specific thermal requirements. The first internal cavity cools the leading end, the second internal cavity cools the trailing end, and the third internal cavity provides additional cooling, allowing each region to be cooled independently with appropriate coolant flow and temperature.
2Quantity of substance
If compressor bleed volume is reduced, then engine efficiency improves, but it becomes difficult to maintain high pressure and low temperature requirements for cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple isolated cavities, each with its own supply passage. This allows the coolant to be distributed efficiently to multiple locations simultaneously, reducing the total volume of compressor bleed air needed compared to a single large cooling system, while maintaining effective cooling at each location.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system transitions from a single-dimension approach (one cooling passage) to a multi-dimensional approach with multiple isolated cavities arranged spatially (leading end, trailing end, and additional cavities). This three-dimensional cooling architecture allows more effective heat removal with reduced coolant volume by utilizing the spatial distribution of thermal loads.
3Ease of manufacture
If a baffle is seated in the internal cavity with a gap, then coolant distribution is simplified, but coolant may leak into the gap instead of flowing into the interior baffle region
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible seal (O-ring or similar elastomeric seal) is installed in a seal groove between the baffle and the airfoil section. This flexible seal conforms to the mating surfaces and reliably prevents coolant from leaking into the gap, while allowing for manufacturing tolerances and assembly variations that would make rigid sealing difficult.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal acts as an intermediary element between the baffle and the airfoil section walls. It mediates the connection between these two components, providing a reliable barrier to coolant flow while accommodating the gap that exists for ease of baffle installation and removal.
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
This design enhances thermal resistance at the compressor exit and turbine inlet, improving engine efficiency by reducing the reliance on compressor bleed cooling and optimizing coolant distribution within the airfoil.
Implementation Method 1
There is a seal proximate the baffle edge that seals off the gap such that the coolant that exits the supply passage will be directed to flow into the interior baffle region
Implementation Method 2
The baffle has a baffle wall that has cooling holes and a baffle edge adjacent the supply passage. The baffle wall defines an interior baffle region.
Implementation Method 3
enhancing thermal resistance at the compressor exit and turbine inlet, improving engine efficiency by reducing the reliance on compressor bleed cooling
Data Source
AI summary
An airfoil includes a supply passage to provide a coolant, an airfoil section that has walls that define an internal cavity, a baffle seated in the internal cavity, and a seal proximate the edge of the baffle. The baffle is seated such that there is a gap between the baffle and at least one of the walls. The baffle includes a baffle wall that has cooling holes and that defines an interior baffle region. The seal seals off the gap such that the coolant that exits the supply passage will be directed to flow into the interior baffle region.