Compressor Guide Vane Shroud Geometry for Secondary Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turbomachine designs face challenges in managing secondary flows such as channel vortices and turbulence, while also requiring complex and costly manufacturing processes for guide vane elements.
Innovation Solution
The guide vane element is designed with an extended shroud that projects inwardly and has a contoured inner surface, featuring ridges or depressions, to guide the flow more efficiently and reduce secondary flows, while being manufactured through additive processes for cost-effectiveness and simplicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the inner surface of the shroud is extended axially beyond the blade width to provide sidewall contouring, then flow guidance is improved and secondary flows are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud inner surface is extended in the axial dimension beyond the blade width, creating a three-dimensional contouring structure that extends into the flow path. This axial extension allows the formation of ridges and depressions that guide the flow, reducing secondary flows and turbomachine losses while maintaining a relatively simple single-piece structure
2Loss of energy
If complex sidewall contouring is implemented on the shroud inner surface, then flow conditions are improved, but manufacturing cost and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide vane element is designed as an integrated single-piece structure where the blade and shroud are manufactured together as one component. This merging of functions allows complex axial contouring features to be incorporated directly into the manufacturing process without requiring separate assembly steps, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity despite the sophisticated flow guidance geometry
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 design enhances flow guidance, reduces turbomachine losses, improves mechanical stability, and lowers manufacturing costs by minimizing secondary flows and turbulence, thus increasing efficiency and durability.
Implementation Method 1
the inner surface of the shroud has at least one radially inwardly projecting elevation... allows the flow to be influenced in such a way as to reduce secondary flows
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A guide vane element 10 for a compressor of a turbomachine comprises a blade 22 and a shroud 12 arranged at a radially outer end of the blade 22. The shroud 12 has a mounting section 14 on a radially outer side for connection to a housing 30 of the turbomachine. The shroud 12 has an inner surface 16 on a radially inner side, which, in a sectional view perpendicular to the circumferential direction U, has at least one radially inwardly projecting elevation. The inner surface 16 of the shroud 12 has a greater axial extent than the axial width of the blade 22. A turbomachine, in particular a gas turbine for an aircraft engine, comprises at least the guide vane element 10.