Combustor Heat Shield Panel Cooling Hole Layout for Uniform Film Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbine engine combustor designs face challenges in effectively managing heat protection due to inadequate cooling mechanisms, particularly in the distribution and orientation of cooling holes within heat shield panels, which can lead to inefficient thermal protection and potential damage from combustion gases.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a heat shield panel with a specific arrangement of holes extending along axial and circumferential orientations, utilizing a common vector component for hole formation during the casting process, and subsequent drilling techniques such as electrical discharge machining or laser drilling to create multiple holes simultaneously, ensuring comprehensive cooling air distribution across the panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling holes are added to the heat shield panel, then thermal protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield panel incorporates multiple cooling holes distributed across its surface, transforming the solid panel into a porous structure that allows cooling air to pass through. This porous configuration enables thermal protection by creating a cooling film on the hot side while managing heat transfer through the panel material.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling holes are arranged in multiple groups with different orientations (first group in first orientation, second group in second orientation). This segmentation of the cooling function into multiple directional groups ensures comprehensive thermal protection across different surfaces of the panel while maintaining manufacturability through systematic arrangement.
2Temperature
If multiple cooling holes are distributed across the panel, then cooling air distribution is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling holes are formed during the casting process itself, rather than being added as a separate post-processing step. This preliminary action integrates hole formation into the primary manufacturing process, ensuring precise distribution and orientation of holes while reducing the need for additional manufacturing operations and associated precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The holes are configured with specific parameters including multiple orientations (first orientation and second orientation), different positions (first position and second position), and potentially different sizes. These parameter variations are systematically arranged to optimize cooling air distribution across the panel surface while maintaining manufacturability through the integrated casting approach.
3Productivity
If holes are formed during casting, then manufacturing time is reduced, but casting process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The formation of cooling holes is merged with the casting process itself. Instead of forming holes as a separate operation after casting, the hole formation is integrated into the mold cavity design, allowing holes to be created automatically during the casting process. This merging eliminates additional manufacturing steps and reduces overall production time.
Solution Approach 2:
The casting process serves multiple functions simultaneously: it forms the panel structure, creates the cooling holes with precise distribution and orientation, and establishes the thermal protection system. This multi-functionality of the casting process improves productivity by consolidating multiple manufacturing objectives into a single operation.
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 configuration provides enhanced thermal protection by ensuring a uniform cooling air film across the hot side of the heat shield panel, effectively mitigating the risk of damage from combustion gases and improving the overall efficiency of heat management within the combustor.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of holes provides a path for cooling air to flow through the heat shield panel. The first portion of the cooling air flow exits through the first surface to form a uniform cooling air film on the hot side of the heat shield panel.
Implementation Method 2
subsequent drilling techniques such as electrical discharge machining or laser drilling to create multiple holes simultaneously
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A heat shield panel (200; 300; 400; 600) for a gas turbine engine combustor (56) is disclosed. The heat shield panel (200; 300; 400; 600) includes a hot side (230; 630) defining a first surface having an outer perimeter, a cold side (232; 632) defining a second surface spaced from the first surface and a plurality of holes (240; 340; 440; 640), each hole (258; 658) including a central axis (256; 356; 456; 656) having vector components defined by a common vector.