Impingement Plate Cross-Flow Structure for Gas Turbine Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing impingement cooling systems in gas turbine engines face inefficiencies due to high cross-flow air velocity, which can 'blow away' impingement jets, reducing cooling effectiveness, especially when impingement hole depths are small.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an impingement plate with an increased cross-flow structure that forms a larger cross-flow area and volume by incorporating channels and cavities, where the cross-flow structure height is greater than the impingement hole height, allowing for lower velocity air flow and improved cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If impingement cooling systems are used with small impingement hole depths, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cooling effectiveness deteriorates due to high cross-flow velocity blowing away impingement jets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cross-flow structure with increased height (cross-flow structure height greater than impingement hole height) that adds a vertical dimension to the cooling system. This third dimension creates additional cross-flow area and volume, allowing the system to maintain effective cooling without increasing impingement hole depth, thus resolving the contradiction between simplified device structure and reliable cooling performance
2Reliability
If cross-flow area is increased to reduce cross-flow velocity, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity and structural size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-flow structure is segmented into multiple discrete cross-flow elements distributed across the impingement plate surface. Each element creates localized cross-flow cavities that collectively increase the total cross-flow area and volume, reducing cross-flow velocity to prevent jet blowaway while maintaining a manageable structural configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-flow structure is designed to nest within the existing impingement cooling system geometry. The cross-flow elements are positioned between the impingement plate and the component surface, utilizing the available space efficiently to increase cross-flow area without significantly increasing the overall device envelope or 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
This design enhances impingement cooling efficiency by reducing cross-flow velocity, preventing impingement jets from being blown away, and thus improving the overall cooling performance of gas turbine engine components.
Implementation Method 1
Impingement is an effective, widely used type of cooling system that is employed in jet propulsion type systems (e.g., gas turbine engines)
Implementation Method 2
the cross-flow structure height is greater than the impingement hole height, allowing for lower velocity air flow and improved cooling efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
Impingement assemblies including an impingement plate (420) having an increased cross-flow structure (436) that forms an increased cross-flow area between the impingement plate (422) and an impingement surface (422) when the impingement plate (420) is installed proximate to the impingement surface (422). The increased cross-flow structure has a first portion (438) having at least one impingement hole (424) passing through the first portion (438), the first portion being separated from the impingement surface (422) by an impingement hole height (X), a second portion (440) separated from the first portion (438) by a separation distance (Y) and separated from the impingement surface (422) by a cross-flow structure height (Z), and a third portion (442) extending between the first portion (438) and the second portion (440). The first portion (438), the second portion (440), and the third portion (442) define at least one cross-flow cavity (434) between the impingement plate (420) and the impingement surface (422), and the cross-flow structure height (Z) is greater than the impingement hole height (X).