Impingement Sleeve Baffle Layout for Turbine Cooling Flow Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing impingement sleeves for turbine components face challenges in efficiently controlling fluid flow and maintaining effective cooling coverage while avoiding plugging and reducing cooling hole count, which affects the ability to increase operating temperatures.

Innovation Solution

The impingement sleeve features a plurality of apertures and at least two baffles with varying geometries and orientations to distribute fluid flow, allowing for controlled pressure and cooling air distribution without modifying aperture sizes or counts, and is formed using additive manufacturing to enhance complexity and support structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If cooling hole size is reduced to control cooling flow, then cooling flow is decreased, but plugging occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling flowVSAvoidplugging resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the geometric parameters of cooling holes by forming tapered cooling holes with varying diameters along their length. The cooling holes have a larger diameter at the inner surface and a smaller diameter at the outer surface, which allows adequate flow control while preventing plugging by maintaining sufficient opening area throughout the hole length.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If cooling hole count is decreased to control cooling flow, then cooling flow is decreased, but effective coverage is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling flowVSAvoidcooling coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the diameter parameter of cooling holes to achieve flow control instead of changing the count. By varying the diameter of cooling holes based on their position and function, the patent maintains adequate coverage area while controlling total cooling flow through dimensional adjustments rather than numerical reductions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Temperature

If impingement sleeve is designed for increased operating temperatures, then temperature capability is improved, but cooling efficiency may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating temperature capabilityVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating cooling holes with different diameters at different locations (larger at inner surface, smaller at outer surface) and varying the number and distribution of cooling holes in different zones. This localized variation optimizes cooling efficiency for specific temperature zones while maintaining overall temperature capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes geometric parameters of cooling holes including diameter, length, and distribution to simultaneously achieve high temperature capability and maintained cooling efficiency. The tapered geometry and selective positioning allow the system to withstand higher temperatures while preserving adequate cooling performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3141699B1Impingement sleeve and method of forming an impingement sleeve
Publication Date: 2026.04.22 GENERAL ELECTRIC TECH GMBH
  • EP3141699B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3141699B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3141699B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An article 100 and method of forming an article 100 are provided. The article 100 includes a body portion 201 separating an inner region 203 and an outer region 205, an aperture 101 in the body portion 201, the aperture 101 fluidly connecting the inner region 203 and the outer region 205, and a baffle 103 extending along at least a portion of an inner surface 204 of the article 100, the baffle 103 dividing the inner region 203 into a plurality of sub-regions 211. The method of forming an article 100 includes forming a body portion 201 defining an inner region 203 and an outer region 205, forming an aperture 101 in the body portion 201, the aperture 101 fluidly connecting the inner region 203 to the outer region 205, and forming at least one baffle 103 extending along at least a portion of an inner surface 204 of the body portion 201, the at least one baffle 103 dividing the inner region 203 into a plurality of sub-regions 211. Also provided is a component 400 including a cooling article 100 disposed therein.