Turbomachine Blade Trailing Edge Cooling Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional turbomachinery components, such as turbine blades, face inefficiencies in cooling due to the wasteful ejection of cooling flow at the trailing edge, which limits heat transfer capacity and component longevity under high temperature conditions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a trailing edge cooling circuit in turbomachine blades that collects and redirects cooling flow back towards other regions of the blade for enhanced cooling and reuse, utilizing a configuration with multiple sections and heat transfer elements like pinbanks and turbulators to manage the flow, allowing the heat transfer fluid to recycle or be redirected away from the trailing edge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling air is passed through internal cooling channels to cool turbine blades, then the turbine blades can operate at higher temperatures, but the cooling flow is wasted when ejected at the trailing edge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers the cooling flow that would otherwise be discarded at the trailing edge by redirecting it back into the blade interior through trailing edge openings. The cooling air is circulated back through the internal cooling channels, allowing repeated use of the same cooling fluid and maximizing its heat transfer capacity throughout the blade structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system maintains continuous cooling action by recirculating the cooling flow back into the blade. Instead of a single-pass ejection, the cooling air continuously circulates through the internal channels, ensuring sustained heat transfer capability and prolonged effective cooling action throughout the blade operation.
2Device complexity
If cooling flow is ejected at the trailing edge, then the cooling circuit is simple, but the heat transfer efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling circuit is segmented into multiple functional zones: internal cooling channels within the blade body, trailing edge openings for flow extraction and reInjection, and external flow paths. This segmentation allows the cooling system to maintain relatively simple internal structure while achieving enhanced heat transfer efficiency through the trailing edge recirculation mechanism.
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 approach enhances heat transfer efficiency and extends the lifespan of turbomachinery components by effectively reusing cooling fluid, reducing heat loss, and improving the operational temperature range of gas turbine systems.
Implementation Method 1
Cooling air, provided by, for example, a compressor of a gas turbine system, may be passed through the internal cooling channels to cool the turbine blades
Implementation Method 2
trailing edge cooling circuits with features that collect cooling flow and redirect that flow back toward other regions of the blade
Data Source
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AI summary
A turbomachine blade (2) according to various embodiments includes: a body (6) having: a leading edge (16); a trailing edge (18); a suction side (10) extending between the leading edge (16) and the trailing edge (18); a pressure side (8), opposing the suction side (10); a root (12); and a tip (14) opposing the root (12); and a trailing edge cooling circuit (30) contained within the body (6), the trailing edge cooling circuit (30) including: a first section (32) extending from the root (12) toward the tip (14) along the pressure side (8); a second section (34) extending from the first section (32) toward the trailing edge (18); and a third section (36) extending from the trailing edge (18) along the suction side (10), wherein the trailing edge cooling circuit (30) is configured to direct flow of a heat transfer fluid (60) from the first section (32) to the second section (34), and from the second section (34) to the third section (36), without releasing the heat transfer fluid (60) from the body (6) at the trailing edge (18).