Blade Outer Air Seal Filter for Cooling Channel Plugging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas turbine engine blade outer air seals (BOAS) in high-pressure turbine sections face issues with particulate plugging in small internal passageways due to secondary cooling airflow, with existing mitigation techniques being either ineffective or non-existent.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a filter within the impingement cavity of the BOAS, manufactured from a finely perforated Nickel alloy like INCONEL 625, which filters particulates from the secondary cooling airflow before they enter the annular cooling channels, with strategically oriented apertures to prevent larger particle passage and a particle entrapment feature to collect particulates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the annular cooling channels are reduced in size and increased in numbers to increase secondary cooling airflow efficiency, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the internal passageways become susceptible to particulate plugging
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is positioned upstream of the annular cooling channels to preemptively remove particulates from the secondary cooling airflow before the particles can enter and block the small internal passageways. This preliminary filtration action prevents the plugging problem while maintaining the efficient small-channel design.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter acts as an intermediary component between the secondary cooling airflow source and the annular cooling channels. It mediates the interaction by selectively allowing cool air to pass through while intercepting and removing harmful particulates, thus protecting the cooling channels without compromising the cooling efficiency.
2Reliability
If a filter is incorporated within the impingement cavity to remove particulates, then particulate plugging is mitigated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is integrated within the existing impingement cavity structure of the BOAS, merging the filtration function with the existing cooling air impingement geometry. This combination approach adds the necessary filtration capability while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity by utilizing existing structural space.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter employs a porous plate structure with strategically oriented apertures that allows airflow while trapping particulates. This porous material approach provides effective filtration without requiring complex mechanical structures, thus limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving reliable particulate removal.
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
Effectively mitigates plugging by filtering out particles, ensuring efficient airflow and reducing the risk of particulate entrapment in the cooling channels, thereby maintaining engine efficiency and performance.
Implementation Method 1
a filter located within the impingement cavity over the multitude of inlets to the annular cooling channels to filter particulate-laden secondary cooling airflow
Implementation Method 2
a particle entrapment feature to collect particulates
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A gas turbine engine component (54) has a filter (86) mounted adjacent an impingement cavity (80) to filter particles out of a secondary cooling airflow outboard of a cooling channel (84) in communication with the secondary cooling airflow.