Asymmetric Fillet Design for Gas Turbine Cooling Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engine components with symmetric fillets in cooling passages are inefficient in directing airflow effectively across heat transfer members, limiting the cooling effect and heat transfer efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of asymmetric fillets with varying leading and trailing edge dimensions on heat transfer members, such as pedestals and pin fins, to control airflow direction and enhance heat transfer by maximizing the cold side surface area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If symmetric fillets are used on heat transfer members, then manufacturing is simpler and structure is more uniform, but airflow direction control is poor and heat transfer efficiency is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing fillets with different leading edge and trailing edge dimensions, where the leading edge fillet has a different size than the trailing edge fillet. This asymmetric configuration creates specific flow patterns that direct cooling air toward downstream heat transfer members, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by varying the fillet dimensions at different locations along the heat transfer member. The leading edge fillet and trailing edge fillet have different sizes tailored to their specific functional requirements, optimizing airflow control and heat transfer at each location rather than using a uniform symmetric design throughout.
2Productivity
If asymmetric fillets are used on heat transfer members, then airflow direction control is improved and heat transfer efficiency increases, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric fillet design with different leading and trailing edge dimensions provides effective airflow direction control and enhanced heat transfer efficiency. The complexity introduced is minimal, as the asymmetric fillets can be integrated into existing manufacturing processes for heat transfer members such as pedestals and pin fins.
3Stability of the object's composition
If symmetric fillets are used on heat transfer members, then structural uniformity is maintained, but cooling airflow direction control is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric fillet configuration breaks the symmetry to achieve better airflow direction control. The leading edge fillet and trailing edge fillet have different dimensions that work together to guide cooling air toward downstream heat transfer members, improving operational effectiveness while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating fillet dimensions at specific locations (leading edge vs. trailing edge) to optimize airflow control. This localized variation in fillet geometry provides the necessary ease of operation for directing cooling flows without compromising the overall structural uniformity of the heat transfer member.
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 asymmetric fillet design effectively directs cooling airflow, increasing the heat transfer efficiency and cooling effect across gas turbine engine components, particularly in high-temperature environments.
Implementation Method 1
A fillet portion leading edge is asymmetric relative to a fillet portion trailing edge to control an air flow direction towards downstream ones of the heat transfer members in the array
Implementation Method 2
The asymmetric fillet design effectively directs cooling airflow, increasing the heat transfer efficiency and cooling effect across gas turbine engine components
Implementation Method 3
These components see very high temperatures, and thus are typically provided with cooling air
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~12
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A gas turbine engine component (100; 140; 150) includes a body having an internal cooling passage (106) with opposed walls (108, 110) and an array of heat transfer members (120, 126, 132; 200; 225; 250; 270; 290; 300; 308; 314) attached to at least one of the opposed walls 9108, 110) each with at least one fillet. There is an airflow direction through the cooling passage (106) such that the heat transfer members (120...314) have a leading edge and a trailing edge. The at least one fillets have a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion, said leading edge portion being asymmetric relative to said trailing edge portion to control an air flow direction towards downstream ones of said heat transfer members (120... 314) in said array.