Gas Turbine Blade Isothermal Expansion With Variable Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines experience temperature variations during expansion through turbine stages, which affect efficiency and performance.
Innovation Solution
An isothermal expansion system is implemented in the turbine stage using flame stabilizers and fluid injectors to vary axial positions of combustion, controlling heat release across turbine blades to maintain constant temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional turbine expansion is used, then the turbine structure is simple, but temperature variations occur during expansion reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine stage is segmented into multiple functional zones with flame stabilizers positioned at different axial locations. Each segment handles a portion of the combustion process, allowing distributed heat release that maintains more uniform temperature throughout the expansion process, thereby reducing energy losses while keeping the overall structure manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically controls combustion positions along the turbine blades using adjustable flame stabilizers. By varying the axial positions of combustion zones in real-time, the system adapts to different operating conditions and maintains isothermal expansion, improving energy efficiency without requiring a completely complex static structure
2Temperature
If isothermal expansion system with flame stabilizers is implemented, then temperature variations are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Flame stabilizers are strategically positioned at specific axial locations along the turbine blades where local combustion control is most effective. Each stabilizer addresses temperature variations in its specific zone, creating locally optimized combustion regions that collectively achieve uniform temperature distribution across the entire turbine stage
Solution Approach 2:
Flame stabilizers act as intermediary elements between the combustion gas flow and the turbine blades. These stabilizers mediate the heat transfer process by controlling where and how combustion occurs, thereby regulating temperature uniformity without requiring direct modification of the blade structure itself
3Productivity
If combustion positions are varied axially, then isothermal expansion is achieved, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flame stabilizers are designed to automatically position and control combustion zones based on the local flow conditions and temperature distribution within the turbine stage. This self-regulating mechanism varies combustion positions axially to maintain isothermal expansion without requiring complex external control systems, thereby improving productivity while limiting control complexity
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
The system achieves isothermal expansion, reducing temperature variations and enhancing efficiency and performance across varying operating conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of flame stabilizers configured to vary axial positions of combustion within a turbine stage expansion of the turbine stage to reduce temperature variations over the turbine stage expansion
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a gas turbine having a turbine shaft disposed along a rotational axis, a turbine casing disposed circumferentially about the turbine shaft, a combustion gas path disposed between the turbine shaft and the turbine casing, and a turbine stage disposed in the combustion gas path. The turbine stage includes a plurality of turbine vanes disposed upstream from a plurality of turbine blades. The gas turbine includes an isothermal expansion system coupled to the turbine stage, wherein the isothermal expansion system is configured to vary axial positions of combustion within the turbine stage to reduce temperature variations over the turbine stage.