Gas Turbine Cooling Segment With Helical Twist Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling segments in gas turbines face challenges in increasing heat exchange area per unit area while maintaining structural rigidity, leading to insufficient cooling performance and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The cooling segment features a cooling flow path with first and second twist flow paths helically extending around a reference line, intersecting each other, which are manufactured using additive manufacturing to ensure structural rigidity and enhance heat exchange area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the cross-sectional area of the cooling flow path is increased to ensure heat exchange area, then cooling performance is improved, but structural rigidity of the cooling segment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling flow path transitions from a conventional linear configuration to a three-dimensional helical twist flow path that extends along the longitudinal axis while rotating around the reference line. This spatial transformation increases the heat exchange area without requiring an increase in cross-sectional area, thereby maintaining structural rigidity while improving cooling performance
Solution Approach 2:
The helical twist flow path is nested within the cooling segment body, with the flow path winding through the segment in a compact helical configuration. This nesting approach maximizes the heat exchange area within the available volume without increasing the external dimensions or compromising the structural integrity of the segment
2Temperature
If the heat exchange area per unit area is increased to improve cooling efficiency, then cooling performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling flow path employs a helical curved geometry that twists around the reference line, creating a smooth continuous curve rather than sharp angles or complex junctions. This curvature-based design increases the heat exchange area while maintaining manufacturing feasibility and avoiding excessive complexity in the flow path configuration
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 maximizes heat exchange area per unit area, improves cooling performance and efficiency, and reduces costs while enhancing stability and reliability of the cooling segment.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling flow path is provided in the cooling segment, and the cooling segment is cooled by means of a cooling medium (e.g., air) moving along the cooling flow path
Implementation Method 2
the cooling flow path including a first twist flow path helically extending around a preset reference line, and a second twist flow path helically extending around the reference line collectively with the first twist flow path
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
A cooling segment (11) includes a segment body (342) and a cooling flow path (344) provided in the segment body, so that a cooling medium is movable in the cooling flow path. The cooling flow path comprises a first twist flow path (344a) helically extending around a preset reference line, and a second twist flow path (344b) helically extending around the reference line collectively with the first twist flow path. A gas turbine (10) includes a compressor (100) configured to suck in and compress air; a combustor (200) configured to mix the air, which is compressed by the compressor, with fuel and combust an air-fuel mixture, and a turbine (300). The turbine includes a turbine casing (310), a turbine vane (330) provided on an inner surface of the turbine casing, a turbine blade (320) rotatably provided in the turbine casing, and the cooling segment (11) provided on the inner surface of the turbine casing and configured to be exposed to combustion gas discharged from the combustor.