Gas Turbine Nozzle Cooling Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing impingement cooling systems for gas turbine nozzle components are often costly and require complex castings or structural welding, which can be durable or expensive to produce and maintain, failing to meet cost and maintenance requirements effectively.
Innovation Solution
A cooling assembly for a gas turbine nozzle vane featuring an impingement plenum retained within a platform cavity using a retention plate and compliant seal gasket, eliminating the need for welding and complex sidewall cores, allowing for non-weldable materials and minimal radial space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional impingement cooling systems are used, then cooling effectiveness is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to complicated castings and structural welding
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into separate functional components: the nozzle body with integrated cooling channels and the separate impingement plate with cooling holes. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using simpler processes, avoiding the need for complex castings and reducing welding requirements while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The impingement plate is positioned within a cavity of the nozzle body, creating a nested structure where the cooling components are housed within the nozzle's internal volume. This nesting approach eliminates the need for external complex structures and reduces overall manufacturing complexity while preserving the cooling function.
2Strength
If traditional impingement cooling systems with welding are used, then structural integrity is achieved, but production and repair costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cooling system into separately manufacturable components that are mechanically assembled rather than welded, the invention reduces production and repair costs. The retention ring and impingement plate can be installed using simple mechanical retention features, eliminating expensive welding operations while maintaining structural integrity through proper mechanical retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the retention mechanism from welded joints to mechanical retention features such as retention rings and interference fits. This parameter change in the joining method reduces both production and repair costs while maintaining adequate structural integrity for the cooling application.
3Reliability
If complex sidewall cores are used in casting, then cooling structure integrity is achieved, but manufacturing difficulty and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling structure is segmented into the nozzle body and separate impingement plate components. This eliminates the need for complex sidewall cores in the casting process, as the impingement plate with its cooling holes can be manufactured separately using simpler processes and then assembled into the nozzle body.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex cooling structure is extracted from the casting process and implemented as a separate impingement plate component. This extraction eliminates the need for complicated castings with sidewall cores, allowing the cooling function to be achieved through a simpler assembly approach while maintaining structural integrity.
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 effective cooling for gas turbine nozzle components at high temperatures while meeting lifetime and maintenance requirements in a cost-effective and producible design, avoiding the use of welding and complex structures.
Implementation Method 1
Impingement cooling systems cool the components via an airflow so as to maintain adequate clearances between the components
Implementation Method 2
a compliant seal gasket in sealing engagement with the impingement cooling assembly and the platform cavity wall
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The present application provides an inner nozzle platform. The inner nozzle platform may include a platform cavity 140, an impingement plenum 170 positioned within the platform cavity 140, a retention plate positioned 190 on a first side 235 of the impingement plenum 170, and a compliant seal positioned on a second side of the impingement plenum 170.