Integrated Strut-Vane Airfoil for Gas Turbine Engine Length Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas turbine engine designs with integrated strut and vane structures are complex and lack flexibility in adjusting the flow nozzle, leading to longer engine configurations and inefficiencies due to flow separation issues.
Innovation Solution
An integrated strut and turbine vane nozzle (ISV) design featuring concentric annular duct walls, radially extending struts and vanes forming airfoils with aligned leading edges, allowing for angular alignment and adjustable airfoil shapes to minimize aerodynamic losses and accommodate misalignments, with steps at the interface to manage tolerances and misfits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If struts are axially spaced from vanes to avoid flow separation, then flow separation problems are avoided, but engine length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the strut and vane into a single integrated strut-vane structure where the strut and vane are angularly aligned and form a unified airfoil. This merging eliminates the need for axial spacing between separate strut and vane components while maintaining flow attachment, thereby reducing engine length without sacrificing flow separation avoidance
2Length of moving object
If integrated strut-vane structures are manufactured using known techniques, then engine length is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases and flow adjustment flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated strut-vane structure is divided into multiple separable components including the strut portion, vane portion, and inter-vane passages that can be manufactured independently and then assembled. This segmentation reduces manufacturing complexity by allowing each component to be optimized and produced separately while maintaining the integrated aerodynamic performance
3Length of moving object
If integrated strut-vane structures are manufactured using known techniques, then engine length is reduced, but flexibility for adjusting vane nozzle flow is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adjustable elements within the integrated strut-vane structure that allow the vane nozzle flow characteristics to be modified. The structure includes features such as adjustable vanes or flow control mechanisms that can change the flow distribution while maintaining the compact integrated geometry, thereby providing flow adjustment flexibility without increasing engine length
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated strut and turbine vane nozzle (ISV) has inner and outer annular duct walls defining an annular flow passage therebetween. Circumferentially spaced-apart struts extend radially across the flow passage. Circumferentially spaced-apart vanes also extend radially across the flow passage and define a plurality of inter-vane passages. Each of the struts is integrated to an associated one of the vanes to form therewith an integrated strut-vane airfoil. The inter-vane passages on either side of the integrated strut-vane airfoil may be adjusted for aerodynamic considerations. The vanes may be made separately from the struts and manufactured such as to cater for potential misalignments between the parts.