Gas Turbine Blade Cooling Channel Inversion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional gas turbine blades with radial cooling channels experience significant energy consumption due to a pumping effect and induce stress from differential temperature cooling, leading to inefficient energy use and potential structural issues.

Innovation Solution

A gas turbine blade design with a cooling channel having an inlet at the root or platform and outlets at the platform, minimizing the pumping effect by ensuring no substantial energy consumption and reducing stress through optimized cooling air distribution, using configurations like U-shaped channels, protruding portions to prevent recirculation, and restrictions to control cooling air flow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If radial cooling channels with inlet at root and outlet at tip are used, then cooling air can be supplied to the airfoil, but significant energy consumption occurs due to pumping effect

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling air supplyVSAvoidenergy consumption for pumping

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional cooling channel configuration by switching the inlet and outlet positions. Instead of inlet at root and outlet at tip, the new design places inlet at tip and outlet at root, thereby eliminating the centrifugal pumping effect that caused energy consumption in the traditional design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the flow direction parameter of the cooling channel. By reversing the flow direction (inlet at tip, outlet at root instead of inlet at root, outlet at tip), the pumping effect is eliminated and energy consumption is reduced

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Temperature

If cooling air flows from root to tip, then the airfoil part closer to platform is cooled by colder air, but stress is generated within the blade due to differential temperatures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedifferential temperature coolingVSAvoidstress within blade

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the cooling air flow direction to reduce thermal stress. By changing from root-to-tip flow to tip-to-root flow, the temperature distribution is optimized to minimize differential temperature stress within the blade structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Reliability

If cooling channels are provided to withstand demanding working conditions, then blade reliability is improved, but energy consumption for compression increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblade reliability under demanding conditionsVSAvoidenergy loss for compression

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the harmful pumping effect by inverting the cooling channel flow direction, thereby reducing energy loss while maintaining the cooling function necessary for blade reliability under demanding operating conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 blade design reduces energy consumption and stress by neutralizing the pumping effect and optimizing cooling air distribution, enhancing the efficiency and structural integrity of the gas turbine blades.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling channel (5) with an inlet (6) located at the root or platform and one or more outlets (7)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

causes a pumping effect with compression of the cooling air... the amount of energy consumed because of the pumping effect can be as high as 1 MW or more

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP3091182B1blade

Publication Date: 2019.10.30 ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LTD

Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~12

AI summary

The blade (1) for a gas turbine comprises a root (2), a platform (3) and an airfoil (4). The blade (1) further has a cooling channel (5) with an inlet (6) located at the root (2) or platform (3) and outlets (7). The outlets (7) are located at the platform (3).