Angled Combustor Rail Cooling Holes for Vane Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
In gas turbine engines, the first vane platform cooling is inefficient due to non-directional airflow from the combustor, leading to distress and poor performance, especially when combustors and turbines are designed separately.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a gas turbine engine combustor with an aft combustor rail featuring a plurality of angled holes that direct airflow from the combustor to the first vane platform, creating a focused film cooling effect to penetrate and cool the vane airfoil leading edge, rather than relying on cooling holes in the vane platform.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling holes are added to the vane platform, then cooling capability is improved, but device complexity increases and manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cooling function from the vane platform itself and relocates it to the combustor rail. By providing cooling holes in the combustor rail that directs coolant flow to the vane platform, the complex cooling system is moved to a more accessible location where it can be implemented more simply while achieving the same cooling effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The combustor rail acts as an intermediary component that transfers coolant from the cooling system to the vane platform. Instead of directly drilling holes in the vane platform, the coolant flows through the combustor rail which then directs it to the target area, simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If combustors and turbines are designed separately, then design flexibility is improved, but cooling efficiency deteriorates and performance becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor rail is designed to serve multiple functions: it structures the combustor assembly and simultaneously provides the cooling function for the turbine vane platform. This multi-functionality allows separate design teams to work independently while achieving integrated performance through the universal combustor rail component.
3Area of stationary object
If non-directional airflow is directed from combustor to first vane platform, then cooling coverage is improved, but cooling efficiency deteriorates due to mixing losses
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling holes in the combustor rail are strategically positioned and angled to deliver coolant precisely where it is needed most on the vane platform. This localized, directional approach maintains high-velocity coherent jets that reduce mixing losses while still providing adequate coverage of the critical thermal areas.
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 directed airflow increases cooling efficiency by providing a higher pressure difference and power-efficient cooling, effectively reducing heat distress on the first vane stage while minimizing mixing losses from differing airflow velocities.
Implementation Method 1
direct airflow from the combustor to the first vane platform, creating a focused film cooling effect to penetrate and cool the vane airfoil leading edge
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A
AI summary
A gas turbine engine combustor (56) configured to cool a first vane platform by directing airflow through an aft combustor rail (400;500) is disclosed. In various embodiments, a gas turbine engine combustor (56) may comprise an aft combustor rail (400;500) connected between an outer wall of an outer liner and an aft heat shield panel (405), and a plurality of holes (401) in the aft combustor rail (400;500). The aft combustor rail (400;500) may be positioned near an outer vane platform (303) of a first vane stage (62) of a turbine (54). Further, the plurality of holes (401) may be designed to focus pass-through airflow onto the outer vane platform (303). In various embodiments, each hole of the plurality of holes (401) may be angled between 20°-90° relative to the aft combustor rail (400;500). Additionally, the plurality of holes (401) may be angled to converge the airflow to a focused area, such as a leading edge (304;538) of a vane airfoil (301;534) of the first vane stage (62).