Additively Manufactured Impingement Structure for Gas Turbine Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for controlling temperature in gas turbine engine components often require complex plumbing and multi-part assemblies, leading to inefficiencies and increased risk of leaks or component failures.

Innovation Solution

An additively manufactured component with an impingement structure, featuring an outer wall, inner wall, and impingement wall, where a fluid distribution passageway and impingement gap are defined, and a plurality of impingement holes provide fluid communication between these elements, allowing for localized heating or cooling of components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If conventional plumbing systems are used to route heated or cooled air to control component temperatures, then temperature control can be achieved, but the system complexity increases and the likelihood of leaks or component failures increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent temperature controlVSAvoidplumbing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates multiple temperature control zones and fluid distribution pathways into a single monolithic component structure. The component includes an outer wall, inner wall, and impingement wall with embedded fluid distribution passageways that deliver heated or cooled air to different surfaces simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate plumbing systems for each zone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The fluid distribution passageways are nested within the walls of the component structure. The passageways are formed inside the outer wall, inner wall, and impingement wall, allowing fluid delivery channels to be embedded within the structural walls themselves, thereby integrating the plumbing function into the component's structural form.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Temperature

If conventional multi-part assemblies with plumbing are used for temperature control, then temperature regulation is possible, but the reliability decreases due to increased leaks and component failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent temperature controlVSAvoidsystem reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functional elements (structural walls, fluid distribution channels, and temperature control surfaces) into a single monolithic component. This integration eliminates multiple connection points and joints where leaks could occur, thereby improving system reliability while maintaining temperature control functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Temperature

If conventional plumbing systems are used to deliver heating or cooling air, then temperature control can be achieved, but assembly complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocalized temperature controlVSAvoidassembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid distribution passageways are nested within the walls during the manufacturing process, allowing the component to be produced as a single integrated piece with embedded channels. This approach simplifies assembly since no separate plumbing components need to be installed after manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes additive manufacturing parameters and processes to create complex internal geometries and embedded passageways that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with conventional manufacturing methods. This enables the production of integrated structures with optimized fluid distribution pathways.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 solution enables efficient temperature control of gas turbine engine components by integrating fluid passageways and impingement structures within a single monolithic component, reducing assembly complexity and the likelihood of leaks, while improving operational efficiency and reliability.

Implementation Method 1

A plurality of impingement holes are defined in the impingement wall, the impingement holes providing fluid communication between the fluid distribution passageway and the impingement gap

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow through impingement holes:

Data Source

PatentUS11242767B2Additively manufactured component including an impingement structure

Publication Date: 2022.02.08 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO

AI summary

An additively manufactured impingement structure for a component is provided. The control structure includes an outer wall, an inner wall, and an impingement wall positioned between the outer wall and the inner wall. A fluid distribution passageway is defined between the inner wall and the impingement wall and an impingement gap is defined between the impingement wall and the outer wall. A plurality of impingement holes are defined in the impingement wall to provide fluid communication between the fluid distribution passageway and the impingement gap. A flow of cooling or heating fluid may be supplied to the fluid distribution passageway which distributes the flow and impinges it through the impingement holes onto the outer wall to cool or heat the outer wall, respectively.