Gas Turbine Compressor Anti-Vortex Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines face challenges in managing thermal loads due to increasing compressor exit discharge temperatures, which approach the limits of material capabilities, leading to potential thermal-mechanical fatigue and efficiency limitations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves extracting gas path air from a static flow path and introducing it into bore areas of compressor or turbine components, using anti-vortex tubes to increase air pressure and cool seals and rotor components, thereby reducing thermal gradients and fatigue risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If compressor exit discharge temperatures are increased to improve performance and efficiency, then power output and fuel efficiency are improved, but thermal-mechanical fatigue and material capability limits are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts hot air from the core flow path downstream of the compressor and redirects it through separate flow paths to cool critical components. This extraction of thermal energy from the main flow allows the compressor to operate at higher discharge temperatures while preventing excessive heat accumulation in specific areas, thereby resolving the contradiction between power output and thermal-mechanical fatigue
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cooled air as an intermediary substance that flows through seal cavities and component bores to act as a thermal buffer. This intermediary cooled air absorbs excess heat from critical components exposed to high-temperature core flow, enabling the system to maintain higher overall compressor temperatures without exceeding material thermal limits, thus improving power output while maintaining reliability
2Use of energy by moving object
If compressor exit discharge temperatures are increased to improve efficiency, then fuel efficiency is improved, but material capability limits are approached
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts thermal energy from the core flow path and redirects it through controlled cooling paths to critical components. This extraction allows the main compressor to operate at higher temperatures for improved fuel efficiency while preventing individual components from exceeding their material temperature limits through targeted cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies cooling selectively to specific components and regions that are most susceptible to thermal damage, rather than cooling the entire system uniformly. By providing localized cooling to critical areas through separate flow paths and seal cavities, the system can maintain high overall temperatures for efficiency while protecting specific components from exceeding their temperature limits
3Reliability
If cooling air is introduced into bore areas and seal flow spaces, then thermal gradients and fatigue risks are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the cooling system so that the same extracted air flow serves multiple functions: it cools seal cavities, cools component bores, and maintains pressure balances across different stages. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated cooling systems for each component, thereby improving fatigue resistance while limiting the increase in overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes air that is already present in the system (extracted from the core flow path) for cooling purposes, rather than introducing entirely separate cooling systems. The extracted air self-regulates its flow through pressure differentials and geometric constraints, reducing the need for active control mechanisms and simplifying the overall cooling system while still providing effective thermal management
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 effectively cools critical components, reducing thermal-mechanical fatigue and enhancing the operational efficiency of gas turbine engines by managing thermal loads and maintaining performance within material limits.
Implementation Method 1
using anti-vortex tubes to increase air pressure
Implementation Method 2
cool seals and rotor components, thereby reducing thermal gradients and fatigue risks
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A gas turbine engine (20) is disclosed. The gas turbine engine (20) includes a first rotor (R6) supporting a first plurality of circumferentially spaced rotor blades (212; 312) and a second rotor (R7) disposed axially downstream of the first rotor (R6) and supporting a second plurality of circumferentially spaced rotor blades (212; 312), a first bore cavity (232) between the first rotor (R6) and the second rotor (R7), a first fluid passageway configured to provide cooled air to the first bore cavity and a first anti-vortex component positioned proximate the first bore cavity and configured to increase pressure of the cooled air as the cooled air traverses radially outward from the first bore cavity (232).