Turbine Blade Tip Cooling via Segmented Microcircuits
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
As Rotor Inlet Temperature (RIT) increases, blade tip erosion becomes a weak point in the design of high pressure turbine blades, and existing cooling technologies for turbine engine components typically achieve cooling effectiveness between 0.5 and 0.7, which is insufficient to prevent material melting and burning.
Innovation Solution
A tip cooling system utilizing serpentine microcircuits on both the suction and pressure sides of turbine engine components, with separate cooling circuits for leading and trailing edges, and film cooling to maintain low-temperature coolant supply, reducing thermal load and enhancing heat transfer through film blowing and convective cooling at the tip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If Rotor Inlet Temperature (RIT) is increased to improve power output, then power generation increases, but blade tip erosion worsens and cooling effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The tip cooling system divides the cooling function into separate segments: a first cooling circuit for the pressure side tip region and a second cooling circuit for the suction side tip region. This segmentation allows independent optimization of cooling on each side, enabling effective heat dissipation at higher RIT without tip erosion
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system applies local quality by providing dedicated cooling circuits specifically to the tip regions rather than uniform cooling throughout. The first and second cooling circuits are positioned to address the specific thermal conditions and erosion risks at the pressure and suction sides of the tip respectively
2Device complexity
If conventional cooling technology is used, then device complexity is reduced, but cooling effectiveness is insufficient (0.5-0.6) to prevent material melting
Solution Approach 1:
The tip cooling system employs a nested structure where microcircuits are integrated within the blade tip structure itself. The first and second cooling circuits are embedded in the pressure and suction side walls respectively, creating a compact nested arrangement that achieves high cooling effectiveness (above 0.7) without adding significant external complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional two-dimensional cooling surfaces to three-dimensional microcircuits embedded within the tip structure. This dimensional change allows coolant to flow through the volume of the tip rather than just along the surface, dramatically improving cooling effectiveness from 0.5-0.6 to above 0.7
3Temperature
If microcircuit cooling is implemented to achieve cooling effectiveness above 0.7, then temperature control improves, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tip cooling system merges the cooling function with the structural walls of the blade tip. The first cooling circuit is integrated into the pressure side wall and the second cooling circuit into the suction side wall, combining structural and thermal management functions. This merging reduces manufacturing complexity compared to adding separate external cooling 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
The proposed cooling system effectively prevents blade tip erosion by maintaining low metal temperatures, achieving higher cooling effectiveness and reducing tip leakage losses, while simplifying manufacturing with a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
enhancing heat transfer through film blowing and convective cooling at the tip
Implementation Method 2
film cooling to maintain low-temperature coolant supply, reducing thermal load
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~9
AI summary
A turbine engine component (90) has an airfoil portion (110) having a pressure side (116), a suction side (118), a leading edge (112), a trailing edge (114), and a tip (134). The component (90) further has a first cooling microcircuit (100) embedded in a pressure side wall, a second cooling microcircuit (102) embedded in a suction side wall, and a system for cooling the tip comprising a first tip cooling microcircuit receiving cooling fluid from the first cooling microcircuit (100) and a second tip cooling microcircuit receiving cooling fluid from the second cooling microcircuit (102).