Inclined Ridge Abradable Surface for Turbine Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engines face challenges in maintaining efficient operation due to blade tip wear and leakage, which are exacerbated by manufacturing tolerances, thermal distortion, and operational variations, leading to compromised efficiency and potential engine damage.
Innovation Solution
The development of abradable surfaces with inclined ridges and grooves that redirect airflow and create progressive wear zones, allowing for reduced blade tip gaps while minimizing wear and leakage, and incorporating multi-layered wear zones with varying abradability to adapt to different operational modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If blade tip gap is reduced to improve efficiency, then energy loss decreases, but blade tip wear and leakage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The abradable surface is designed with non-uniform ridge heights creating distinct zones: higher ridges in wear-prone areas to provide protective elevation, and lower ridges in leakage-critical areas to minimize gap. This spatial variation in ridge height allows simultaneous optimization of wear resistance and leakage control in different locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous abradable surface is segmented into multiple ridges and grooves, dividing the surface into discrete functional units. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each ridge's height and position to address local requirements for wear protection and leakage reduction.
2Ease of manufacture
If uniform ridge height is used to simplify manufacturing, then ease of manufacture improves, but adaptability to different operational modes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different ridge heights are implemented in different zones to accommodate varying operational requirements. Higher ridges provide wear protection during high-load operations, while lower ridges optimize leakage control during normal operation, enabling the same surface to adapt to multiple operational modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The abradable surface is designed with progressive wear characteristics where higher ridges are gradually worn down during operation, dynamically adjusting the surface profile to transition from a wear-resistant configuration to a leakage-optimized configuration as the engine operates.
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 effectively reduces blade tip wear and leakage, maintaining efficient turbine operation by optimizing airflow and wear patterns, and enabling the same engine design to function in both standard and fast-start modes with improved longevity and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The first lateral wall faces upstream of and is inclined opposite an opposed turbine blade rotational direction, for resisting blade tip airflow leakage from a turbine blade higher pressure side to a lower pressure side through a blade tip gap by redirecting at least some of the leakage opposite the blade rotational direction.
Implementation Method 2
the inclined ridge tip profile provides a progressive wear zone that increases abradable surface area as the inclined ridge is abraded by the rotating blade tip
Data Source
AI summary
Turbine and compressor casing/housing abradable component embodiments for turbine engines, have abradable surfaces with ridges projecting from the abradable surface, separated by grooves. The ridges have one or both sidewalls inclined against the opposing turbine blade tip rotational direction for redirecting and/or dissipating blade tip gap leakage airflow energy. In some embodiments the ridge tip and/or groove base have inclined profiles for redirecting airflow leakage away from the blade tip gap. In some embodiments, the inclined ridge tip profile provides a progressive wear zone that increases abradable surface area as the inclined ridge is abraded by the rotating blade tip.