Angled Trailing Edge Slots for Gas Turbine Airfoil Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airfoil designs for gas turbine engines face inefficiencies in cooling schemes due to structural features that lead to flow separation and increased pressure loss, reducing convective heat transfer and film cooling effectiveness at the trailing edge.
Innovation Solution
The use of angled elongated pedestals with parallel meter sections and tapering diffuser sections in the trailing edge cooling cavity, where the bleed angle is less than 90°, minimizes flow separation and enhances convective heat transfer by stabilizing the cooling flow and reducing local vortices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional cooling cavity structures are used, then cooling air can be supplied to the airfoil, but flow separation occurs and pressure loss increases, reducing cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the cooling cavity, specifically the angle of the pedestals relative to the trailing edge and the configuration of flow dividers, to optimize flow characteristics and reduce pressure loss while maintaining cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces localized flow control features including pedestals at specific angles and flow dividers positioned at particular locations within the cooling cavity to address flow separation issues in critical regions without affecting the entire cooling system
2Reliability
If multiple flow dividers and pedestals are added to improve cooling, then convective heat transfer increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooling cavity into multiple flow paths using flow dividers and pedestals, creating segmented channels that enhance convective heat transfer by increasing surface area and improving flow distribution across the trailing edge region
Solution Approach 2:
The pedestals serve multiple functions: they act as flow dividers to create separate flow paths, provide structural support within the cooling cavity, and enhance heat transfer through their geometric configuration, thereby reducing the need for additional separate components
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 configuration improves thermal cooling performance by reducing pressure loss and increasing convective heat transfer, thereby enhancing the durability and thermal mechanical failure life of airfoil components.
Implementation Method 1
minimizes flow separation and enhances convective heat transfer by stabilizing the cooling flow and reducing local vortices
Implementation Method 2
enhances convective heat transfer by stabilizing the cooling flow
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
Airfoils (400; 500; 600; 700; 800; 900; 1000; 1100; 1200; 1300) for gas turbine engines (20) are described. The airfoils include an airfoil body having a leading edge and a trailing edge (414; 614; 714; 814; 914; 1114; 1214; 1314) extending in a radial direction, a cooling cavity (418; 618; 718) defined within the airfoil body at the trailing edge, and a plurality of angled pedestals (426; 526b; 626; 726; 826; 926; 1026) arranged along the trailing edge, wherein the plurality of angled pedestals define a plurality of angled trailing edge slots (431; 831) therebetween. Adjacent angled pedestals of the plurality of angled pedestals define a meter section (434; 834) of a respective angled trailing edge slot and a diffuser section (438; 838) of the respective angled trailing edge slot, wherein the meter section is defined by parallel sides of the adjacent angled pedestals, wherein the parallel sides of the adjacent angled pedestals are oriented at a bleed direction (Db) that is less than 90° with respect to a feed direction (Df) through the cooling cavity.