Gas Turbine Nozzle Segment Flange Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine nozzle segments are heavy, leading to increased weight and potential stress issues without effective solutions for reducing weight while maintaining structural integrity and sealing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle segment design featuring a hollow cavity with stiffening features in the flange, which reduces weight by up to 3.5% without causing high stress areas, and includes purge openings to minimize cooling flow loss and prevent oxidation and corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a solid flange structure is used in the nozzle segment, then structural integrity and strength are maintained, but weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is segmented into a hollow cavity structure with internal stiffening ribs rather than a solid mass. This divides the flange into functional zones: the hollow cavity reduces weight, while the stiffening ribs maintain structural integrity. The segmentation allows the flange to achieve both weight reduction and strength retention simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffening ribs are strategically positioned within the hollow cavity to provide localized reinforcement where stress concentrations occur. This local quality approach ensures that material is placed only where structurally necessary, optimizing the strength-to-weight ratio of the flange structure.
2Weight of moving object
If weight reduction features are added to the flange, then manufacturing complexity increases, but weight decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow cavity and stiffening ribs are incorporated into the flange design during the initial manufacturing process rather than being added as post-processing features. This preliminary action integrates weight reduction and structural reinforcement into the base manufacturing step, avoiding additional complex assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange design utilizes parameter changes in the hollow cavity geometry and stiffening rib configuration to optimize weight reduction while maintaining manufacturability. By adjusting cavity dimensions and rib placements, the design achieves weight reduction targets without exceeding manufacturing capability thresholds.
3Reliability
If cooling flow is increased to prevent oxidation and corrosion, then protection efficiency improves, but energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The design converts the potential harm of cooling flow loss into a benefit by using purge openings to direct cooling air strategically. The purge openings capture cooling air that would otherwise be lost and redirect it to areas needing protection, transforming energy loss into protective coverage while improving oxidation and corrosion resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The purge openings act as intermediaries between the hollow cavity cooling system and the external environment. They mediate the flow of cooling air, controlling its discharge to provide protective coverage while minimizing unnecessary energy loss. This intermediary function optimizes the balance between protection efficiency and energy conservation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A nozzle segment (40) for a gas turbine engine includes a flange 54 which extends from a vane platform (42), the flange including a hollow cavity 68. The hollow cavity may include stiffening features such as ribs 74 or posts (82). The vane platform may be an outer vane platform (42), and the nozzle segment (40) may additionally comprise an inner vane platform (44) and a vane (52) which extends between said outer vane platform (42) and said inner vane platform (44).