Lattice-Cooled Turbomachine Component With Hollow Strut Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine components face high temperatures that exceed the material limits, necessitating cooling methods that reduce engine efficiency and component lifespan, with existing cooling techniques often inefficiently distributing cooling fluid and wasting resources.
Innovation Solution
A cooled machine component with a lattice structure that integrates hollow and solid struts, allowing cooling fluid to flow through a void space and be directed to both the exterior and interior surfaces of the struts, providing effective convection cooling and reducing temperature gradients within the component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cooling is implemented to protect components from high temperatures, then component reliability is improved, but engine efficiency deteriorates due to reduced working fluid available for power generation
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent channels (first cooling channel and second cooling channel) that can operate simultaneously or independently. Each channel serves specific regions of the component, allowing optimized cooling distribution without requiring excessive cooling fluid that would reduce engine efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling channels are directed to different locations on the component surface based on local heat exposure requirements. The first cooling channel cools a first region while the second cooling channel cools a second region, ensuring that cooling fluid is applied only where needed rather than uniformly across the entire component, thereby minimizing the impact on engine efficiency
2Temperature
If conventional cooling channels are used, then component cooling is achieved, but cooling fluid distribution is inefficient and resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple segmented channels (first cooling channel and second cooling channel) that independently distribute cooling fluid to different regions. This segmentation ensures efficient utilization of cooling fluid by directing it precisely to areas requiring cooling, preventing waste and improving overall cooling fluid distribution efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channels are designed to serve multiple functions: they cool different regions of the component, manage heat distribution, and optimize cooling fluid usage. The integrated design of multiple channels within a single component structure achieves comprehensive cooling while minimizing cooling fluid consumption
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
The lattice structure effectively cools gas turbine components by allowing cooling fluid to flow through both the exterior and interior surfaces of the struts, reducing temperatures and extending component lifespan while minimizing the amount of cooling fluid required, thus enhancing efficiency and reducing material costs.
Implementation Method 1
The lattice structure defines a region that is partly solid and partly hollow... allowing cooling fluid to flow through both the exterior and interior surfaces of the struts, providing effective convection cooling
Implementation Method 2
Each one of a subset of the plurality of hollow struts is arranged either perpendicular to the end face or with a maximum deviation from a perpendicular direction to the end face of 45°... providing effective convection cooling and reducing temperature gradients within the component
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Cooled machine component, particularly a turbomachine component, comprising a body (2) with at least one integrated cooling channel (40) for guiding a cooling fluid through an interior of the body, the cooling channel comprising a lattice structure (25) arranged as a void space (35) penetrated by a plurality of hollow struts (30') and optionally by a plurality of solid struts (30''). The lattice structure comprises at least one inlet (6) for providing the cooling fluid to be guided through the void space of the lattice structure, and comprises at least one outlet (4) for receiving the cooling fluid that has been guided through the void space of the lattice structure, the at least one outlet being fluidically connected to a hollow interior (32) of at least one of the plurality of hollow struts. A subset of the plurality of hollow struts provide a fluidic connection for cooling fluid from the at least one outlet of the void space of the lattice structure to a plurality of further downstream discharge ports (42). Walls of the body surrounding each of the plurality of further downstream discharge ports are physically connected to corresponding jackets (33) of the at least one of the plurality of hollow struts. Method for manufacturing such a cooled machine component via additive manufacturing techniques, particularly selective laser sintering or selective laser melting or electron beam melting.