Composite Shell for Turbine Vane Geometry Modification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic turbines face significant efficiency losses due to flow misalignment of water with stay vanes, which requires substantial time and costs to correct, involving heavy parts and safety concerns in confined spaces.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method using a composite material shell with a polymer casting to modify the geometry of stay vanes, allowing for attachment to existing turbines without dismantling, using a shell assembly with a fiber and polymeric material, and injecting a polymer casting to correct flow misalignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional methods are used to correct flow misalignment of stay vanes, then the misalignment can be corrected, but substantial time and costs are required, and heavy parts must be manipulated in confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional heavy metal to composite material, which fundamentally alters the weight characteristic. This enables the correction process to be performed with lighter materials, reducing manipulation difficulty and installation time while maintaining the geometric correction capability for flow misalignment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials consisting of a shell and core with different material properties. The shell provides structural integrity while the core provides bulk, creating a lightweight yet strong correction component that can be easily installed in confined spaces without sacrificing correction precision
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional methods are used to correct flow misalignment of stay vanes, then the misalignment can be corrected, but substantial time and costs are required, and safety and handling issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the material parameter from heavy metal to composite material, the weight is significantly reduced. This improves ease of operation by making the correction components easier to handle, transport, and install in confined turbine spaces, while eliminating safety concerns associated with heavy part manipulation
Solution Approach 2:
The correction device is segmented into a shell and core structure, allowing for modular assembly and handling. This segmentation enables easier manipulation during installation and maintenance operations compared to monolithic heavy metal corrections
3Strength
If heavy metal components are used for stay vane correction, then structural strength is provided, but safety and handling issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure combines a shell and core materials that together provide the necessary structural strength while significantly reducing weight. The shell provides structural integrity and the core provides bulk support, achieving strength requirements without the handling difficulties of heavy metal components
Solution Approach 2:
Changing from metal to composite material parameters fundamentally alters the strength-to-weight ratio. The composite material achieves comparable structural strength through optimized material composition and structure, enabling easier handling while maintaining the mechanical strength required for turbine operation
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is provided for modifying the geometry of at least one part of a turbine, which can include a shell assembly that includes an outer shell that is shaped to modify the shape of a pre-existing element of a turbine. The outer shell of the shell assembly can be composed of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material and can at least partially define an inner cavity. The outer shell can be bonded to a structure to modify the geometrical shape of that structure. Thereafter, a polymer casting can be injected into the inner cavity via at least one injection port attached to the shell assembly. In some embodiments, one or more stiffeners and/or a core can be positioned within the inner cavity to help improve the bonding of the polymer casting to the shell and/or improve a structural property of the apparatus.