Leading Edge Cooling Ducts for Gas Turbine Fuel Injectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel injector devices in gas turbine engines face challenges in achieving effective and uniform cooling of leading edges in hot fluid flows while maintaining low coolant pressure drops, which is crucial for efficient operation and longevity.
Innovation Solution
An aerodynamically shaped body with integrated coolant supply plenums and cooling ducts that guide coolant flow along the leading edge, allowing for efficient cooling with minimal pressure drop, and an alternating arrangement of cooling ducts to ensure homogeneous cooling across the span extent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If impingement cooling is used for leading edge cooling, then effective cooling is achieved, but coolant pressure drop increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple cooling ducts (first cooling ducts and second cooling ducts) arranged alternately along the span extent. Each duct independently delivers coolant to specific regions of the leading edge, allowing distributed cooling that reduces the pressure drop compared to a single high-flow impingement system.
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling strategies are applied to different locations: first cooling ducts discharge coolant on one side of the camber line while second cooling ducts discharge on the opposite side. This localized alternating arrangement optimizes cooling effectiveness at each position while maintaining lower overall pressure requirements.
2Temperature
If coolant is discharged into the working fluid flow around the body, then cooling is provided, but coolant pressure must account for working fluid pressure plus pressure drop
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling ducts are integrated within the aerodynamic body structure itself, using the body walls as duct pathways. This integration allows coolant to be delivered close to the outer surface without requiring high pressure to overcome thick walls or complex external piping, reducing the overall pressure requirement.
3Stability of the object's composition
If cooling ducts are arranged to provide homogeneous cooling along the span extent, then uniform temperature distribution is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling ducts are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the camber line, with first cooling ducts discharging on one side and second cooling ducts discharging on the opposite side. This asymmetric alternating pattern achieves homogeneous cooling across the span extent while maintaining a relatively simple duct configuration that follows the aerodynamic body contours.
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 solution provides superior leading edge cooling with reduced coolant consumption and pressure requirements, enhancing turboengine efficiency by maintaining a consistent cooling effect along the leading edge, thus extending the lifespan and performance of the fuel injector devices.
Implementation Method 1
at least one first leading edge cooling duct extending from the inner surface to the outer surface and being in fluid communication with the coolant supply plenum through an inlet opening and opening out onto the outer surface through a discharge opening
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
Disclosed is an aerodynamically shaped body (1) for use in a hot fluid flow. The body (1) extends along a camber line (100) from a leading edge (11) to a trailing edge (12). The body comprises at least one coolant supply plenum (101) provided inside the body, wherein the coolant supply plenum is delimited by a body wall, wherein the body wall extends from a first side of the camber line (100) to a second side of the camber line (100) and extends over the leading edge (11), thereby providing a leading edge wall section. The wall further comprises an inner surface facing the coolant supply plenum (101) and an outer surface. At least one first leading edge cooling duct (20) extends from the inner surface to the outer surface and is in fluid communication with the coolant supply plenum (101) through an inlet opening (21) and opens out onto the outer surface through a discharge opening (22). The inlet opening (21) is provided on a first side of the camber line (100), the discharge opening (22) is provided on a second side of the camber line (100), and the leading edge cooling duct (20) is provided inside the wall and extending inside the wall from the first side of the camber line (100) to the second side of the camber line (100) and thereby crossing the camber line (100,) in a leading edge (11) region.