Inter-compressor Flow Divider Profiling for Gas Turbine Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
In gas turbine engines, existing designs face challenges in minimizing flow disturbances while providing structural support and air/oil services across the gas path, as large struts can create restrictions in airflow, leading to undesirable flow disruptions.
Innovation Solution
The inter-compressor case incorporates a combination of full length and truncated flow separators with tailored trailing edges, positioned adjacent to struts, to ensure that the cross-sectional area of gas flow channels adjacent to struts is not less than or equal to those without struts, thereby reducing flow disruptions and enhancing aerodynamic efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If large struts are used to provide structural support and route air/oil services, then structural support and service routing are improved, but flow disturbances and restrictions in the gas path worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The flow separators are selectively positioned adjacent to struts only where needed to mitigate flow disturbances, while maintaining structural integrity. The separators have varying lengths (full length and truncated) tailored to local flow conditions near struts, allowing targeted flow management without compromising overall structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
Flow separators are introduced as intermediary elements between the struts and the gas flow. These separators act as mediators that redirect and smooth the gas flow around the struts, reducing flow disturbances while allowing the struts to maintain their structural support function without modification.
2Productivity
If flow separators are positioned adjacent to struts with truncated trailing edges, then flow restrictions are reduced and aerodynamic efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple separator types
Solution Approach 1:
The flow separator array is segmented into two types: full length flow separators and truncated flow separators. The truncated separators are specifically positioned adjacent to struts with shortened trailing edges, while full length separators are used in other positions. This segmentation allows optimization of flow channels near struts without requiring complete redesign of all separators.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow separators exhibit asymmetric characteristics with truncated trailing edges on one side adjacent to struts, while maintaining full length on the opposite side. This asymmetric design creates uniform cross-sectional flow channels specifically where needed near struts, improving aerodynamic efficiency without symmetric complexity throughout the entire separator array.
Data Source
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AI summary
An inter-compressor case (5) for a gas turbine engine comprises: an outer casing (11) and an inner casing radially spaced apart relative to a longitudinal axis (20); a gas path extending from a plurality of radial inlets (13) arranged in a circumferentially spaced apart array around the outer casing (11) to an annular outlet (14) defined by an axially extending downstream portion of the outer casing (11) and an axially extending downstream portion of the inner casing; a plurality of struts having a gas path surface extending across the gas path between the outer casing (11) and the inner casing; and a plurality of flow separators extending from the adjacent radial inlets (13). The flow separators have trailing edges disposed upstream of the annular outlet (14) and include a plurality of full length flow separators and a plurality of truncated flow separators.