Additive Manufactured Airfoil Cooling Structure with Intersecting Columns
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional casting methods for turbine blade and vane cooling structures limit shape and arrangement, thereby restricting cooling performance and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An airfoil cooling structure featuring additive manufactured (AM) features with intersecting column parts, formed in a radial symmetry shape and inclined at specific angles, integrated into the airfoil through additive manufacturing, enhancing both cooling efficiency and production efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional casting method is used to produce cooling structures, then manufacturing process is simple, but shape and arrangement of cooling structures are limited, restricting cooling performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameter from conventional casting to additive manufacturing, enabling complex cooling structure geometries with intersecting column parts and radial symmetry that were previously unachievable, thereby improving cooling performance while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling structure is segmented into multiple column parts that intersect with each other, creating a more effective heat transfer network. This segmentation allows the cooling medium to flow through multiple pathways, enhancing cooling performance while the additive manufacturing process integrates these segments into a single manufacturable component
2Productivity
If conventional casting method is used, then production process is traditional, but cooling efficiency is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical casting process with additive manufacturing technology, which deposits material layer by layer to create complex cooling structures with optimized heat transfer surfaces. This substitution enables higher cooling efficiency while improving production efficiency through reduced manufacturing steps and integrated production
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling structure transitions from conventional two-dimensional or simple three-dimensional geometries to complex multi-dimensional configurations with intersecting column parts and radial symmetry. This dimensional complexity increases the effective heat transfer surface area and improves cooling efficiency while additive manufacturing handles this complexity without additional production burden
3Reliability
If cooling structures are made with complex shapes to improve cooling performance, then heat transfer rate increases, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing approach parameter from casting to additive manufacturing, which can accommodate complex geometric parameters such as intersecting column parts and radial symmetry. This parameter change allows the structure to achieve high heat transfer rates through its complex geometry without increasing manufacturing difficulty, as additive manufacturing excels at producing such complex shapes
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 AM features improve heat transfer rates by 31.3% at the airfoil surfaces and 11.4% on the feature surfaces compared to conventional structures, while simplifying production and increasing structural rigidity.
Implementation Method 1
The AM features improve heat transfer rates by 31.3% at the airfoil surfaces and 11.4% on the feature surfaces compared to conventional structures
Data Source
AI summary
An airfoil cooling structure, an airfoil having the airfoil cooling structure, and a turbine blade/vane element including the airfoil are disclosed. The airfoil cooling structure includes a cooling path formed inside the airfoil and having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and an additive manufactured (AM) feature disposed in the cooling path, manufactured by additive manufacturing, and including a plurality of column parts intersecting with each other so as to abut against the first surface and the second surface.