Gas Turbine Blade Squealer Tip Cooling for Lower Thermal Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine blades face challenges in efficiently managing high thermal loads due to exposure to hot combustion or exhaust gases, leading to potential material softening or melting, and existing cooling methods often result in aerodynamic inefficiencies and increased cooling fluid usage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a squealer tip with an internal squealer tip cooling channel, formed by brazing a presintered preform with abrasive ceramic particles, which includes a first and second squealer tip rail and a squealer tip cap, connected to an internal cooling circuit to reduce thermal loading and improve aerodynamics by internal cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If external cooling methods are used to cool the blade tip, then cooling effectiveness is achieved, but aerodynamic efficiency deteriorates and cooling fluid usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channel is nested within the squealer tip structure itself. The blade tip defines a supply aperture that fluidly connects the internal cooling circuit and the internal squealer tip cooling channel, creating a nested configuration where the cooling function is integrated within the structural component rather than being external.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function is merged with the squealer tip structure by forming the internal squealer tip cooling channel using the squealer tip cap, first squealer tip rail, second squealer tip rail, and blade tip as integrated components. This combines the structural and cooling functions into a single unified element.
2Temperature
If cooling fluid is used to cool the blade tip, then thermal loading is reduced, but cooling fluid usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The squealer tip structure serves itself by containing the cooling channel within its own geometry. The blade tip, squealer tip cap, and rails together form both the structural element and the cooling passage, allowing the component to provide its own cooling without requiring separate external cooling systems.
3Productivity
If the blade tip is exposed to hot combustion gases, then aerodynamic performance is maintained, but material softening or melting occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The internal squealer tip cooling channel provides localized cooling precisely where the blade tip is exposed to hot combustion gases. The cooling is applied locally to the critical thermal zone without requiring changes to the overall blade aerodynamic shape, maintaining aerodynamic performance while protecting material integrity in the specific high-temperature region.
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 solution effectively reduces thermal loading on the squealer tip, minimizes cooling fluid usage, and enhances aerodynamic efficiency by internalizing the cooling process, thereby improving the overall performance of the gas turbine engine.
Implementation Method 1
passing of a cooling fluid, such as cooling air, across or through a portion of the component
Implementation Method 2
cooling of such components including, for example, application of a thermal barrier coating to the component
Implementation Method 3
brazing a presintered preform defining a first squealer tip rail, a second squealer tip rail adjacent to the first squealer tip rail, and a squealer tip cap extending between the first and second squealer tip rails
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A gas turbine engine blade (10) may include an airfoil (16, 40, 60) extending radially from a base to a blade tip (28, 41, 72, 114, 134), the airfoil including a pressure sidewall (17, 47, 68) and a suction sidewall (19, 49, 66) each extending between a leading edge (18, 48) and a trailing edge (20, 50) opposite the leading edge, an internal cooling circuit (22, 70) extending from the base to the blade tip; and a squealer tip (24, 42, 62). The squealer tip may include a first squealer tip rail (25, 45, 74, 116, 136) and a second squealer tip rail (26, 46, 76, 118, 138) adjacent to the first squealer tip rail, and a squealer tip cap (27, 78, 120, 140) extending between the first and second squealer tip rails. The blade tip, the first and second squealer tip rails, and the squealer tip cap may define an internal squealer tip cooling channel (44, 64, 110, 130). The blade tip may define a supply aperture (52, 86) that fluidly connect the internal cooling circuit and the internal squealer tip cooling channel.