LP Turbine Vane Airfoil Profile for Flow Separation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The design of vane airfoils for single-stage low-pressure turbines in gas turbine engines faces challenges due to stringent requirements and flow separation issues, particularly when following a transonic high-pressure turbine stage and requiring significant gaspath flare angles, which limits work transfer and thrust capability.
Innovation Solution
A novel vane airfoil design defined by Cartesian coordinate values in Tables 1 and 2, with specific profiles and fillet radii, is implemented to manage 3D flow conditions and redirect flows axially, ensuring optimal performance by incorporating circumferential leans and axial shifts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a significant gaspath flare angle is provided to improve work output of the turbine, then work output is improved, but flow separation occurs which limits work transfer and thrust capability
Solution Approach 1:
The airfoil geometry parameters are optimized with specific coordinate values (X, Y, Z) defining the intermediate portion profile, and fillet radius parameters are adjusted to control flow attachment. These parameter changes allow the airfoil to handle the significant gaspath flare angle while preventing flow separation, thereby maintaining both high work output and avoiding flow separation harmful effects.
2Ease of operation
If the LP vane re-directs flow into being more parallel to the engine center line, then flow direction is improved for LP blade passage, but complex 3D flow conditions occur which are difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The airfoil design incorporates circumferential leans and axial shifts that create locally optimized flow control features. These local geometric modifications are designed to manage the complex 3D flow conditions by creating favorable pressure gradients and flow attachment characteristics in specific regions, enabling effective flow redirection while managing the complexity of 3D flow patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
A single stage low pressure turbine vane includes an airfoil having a profile substantially in accordance with at least an intermediate portion of the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 2. The X and Y values are distances, which when smoothly connected by an appropriate continuing curve, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape.