Impingement Insert With Elastic Seal for Turbomachine Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
High temperatures and mechanical vibrations in gas turbines cause deformation of airfoil walls, increasing the distance between impingement holes and the target surface, leading to decreased efficiency of impingement cooling in turbomachine components.
Innovation Solution
An impingement insert with a flexible mechanical seal and elastic parts that maintain a consistent distance between contact points, ensuring impingement jets effectively target the airfoil surface by deforming to compensate for thermal expansion and vibrations, thus maintaining the desired separation between the impingement holes and the airfoil surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the airfoil is subjected to high temperatures during operation, then the operational life and efficiency of the gas turbine are improved through internal cooling, but the airfoil wall deforms or bulges causing increased distance between impingement holes and target surface, thereby decreasing impingement cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The impingement insert is designed with a compliant body that can dynamically adjust its position in response to thermal expansion and mechanical vibrations of the airfoil. The insert includes a compliant portion that allows movement of the impingement holes relative to the airfoil surface, maintaining optimal spacing despite dimensional changes in the airfoil structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert changes its physical parameters (position, orientation, spacing) in response to thermal and mechanical conditions. The compliant body allows the impingement holes to move adaptively, changing their distance from the target surface to compensate for airfoil deformation caused by high temperatures and vibrations.
2Reliability
If the distance between impingement holes and target surface increases due to thermal expansion and vibrations, then the airfoil can accommodate thermal stress, but the impingement cooling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The compliant body enables the impingement insert to dynamically track the moving airfoil surface, maintaining effective cooling despite the airfoil's thermal deformation. The insert moves with the airfoil rather than remaining fixed, ensuring continuous optimal cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert automatically compensates for airfoil deformation through its compliant design without requiring external control systems. The mechanical compliance allows the insert to self-adjust its position relative to the airfoil surface, maintaining cooling efficiency autonomously.
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 solution ensures consistent and efficient impingement cooling by maintaining the optimal distance between impingement holes and the airfoil surface, even under conditions of thermal expansion and mechanical stress, thereby enhancing the cooling efficiency and structural integrity of turbomachine components.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic part connected to the first and the second body parts, which, when being deformed under influence of an external force, is configured to apply a force on the first and/or the second body parts in a direction of increasing a separation between the first contact part and the second contact part
Implementation Method 2
the impingement jets eject cooling air from the flow channel in form of impingement jets that are directed towards the inner surface of the airfoil for impingement cooling
Implementation Method 3
impingement cooling of an inner surface of the airfoil, for example by using impingement inserts in the cooling channels
Data Source
AI summary
An impingement insert for an airfoil of a turbomachine component is provided. The insert includes first and second body parts, each having inner and outer surfaces; and first and second contact parts provided on the outer surfaces of the first and the second body parts. The insert includes a flexible mechanical seal part between the body parts. A flow channel for cooling air is defined by the seal part and the inner surfaces of the body parts. One or both of the body parts include impingement holes. The insert has an elastic part connected to the body parts. When the elastic part is subjected to deformation, the elastic part is configured to apply a force, on the first and/or the second body parts, in a direction of increasing a separation between the first contact part and the second contact part.