Asymmetric Gas Turbine Vane Platform for Temperature Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine components face challenges due to high stress, temperature, and pressure, leading to uneven temperature distributions that reduce fatigue resistance and operational life, particularly in the hot section of the engine where components may experience growth and performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
A high pressure turbine vane assembly configuration featuring an outer diameter platform that extends beyond an inner diameter platform, with the leading edges defining an interface between the vane assembly and the combustor, ensuring even temperature distribution by offsetting the axes and increasing the axial length of the outer platform by at least 18% of the vane pitch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the outer diameter platform extends beyond the inner diameter platform with increased axial length, then temperature uniformity across the vane assembly is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outer diameter platform is designed to extend beyond the inner diameter platform in the axial direction, creating an asymmetric configuration. The leading edge of the outer diameter platform is offset from the leading edge of the inner diameter platform axially, which redistributes the temperature distribution across the vane assembly interface and improves temperature uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution addresses temperature distribution issues by extending the platform in the axial dimension rather than modifying radial or circumferential dimensions. By increasing the axial length of the outer diameter platform relative to the inner diameter platform, the design utilizes the axial dimension to control heat transfer and achieve more uniform temperature distribution.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If platform length in axial direction is increased to at least 18% of vane pitch, then operational life is improved through reduced temperature disparities, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The design specifies that the platform length in the axial direction shall be at least 18% of the vane pitch, establishing a quantitative parameter relationship. This parameter change ensures sufficient axial extension to achieve proper temperature distribution while providing a clear design criterion that balances operational life improvement with manufacturability.
3Strength
If the outer diameter platform extends further axially, then fatigue resistance is improved through even temperature distribution, but the amount of material and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The extended outer diameter platform creates a local quality enhancement at the interface region between the combustor and vane assembly. This localized axial extension concentrates the temperature control function at the critical interface area rather than uniformly increasing the entire vane assembly, thereby improving fatigue resistance at the most vulnerable location without proportionally increasing overall weight.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to gas turbine engines, and in particular high pressure turbine vane assemblies (110) and combustor/turbine interface configurations. In one embodiment, a vane assembly includes a plurality of turbine vanes (111), an inner diameter platform (112), wherein the leading edge (116) of the inner diameter platform is associated with a first axis (125), and an outer diameter platform (113), wherein the leading edge (114) of the outer diameter platform is associated with a second axis (120). The second axis may be offset from the first axis such that the outer platform extends away from the leading edge (115) of turbine vanes greater than the inner platform extends away from the leading edges. Another embodiment is directed to a gas turbine engine include a combustor (105) and a turbine vane assembly, wherein an inner diameter platform and outer diameter platform of the vane assembly interface with the combustor.