Orifice Plate Segmentation for Gas Turbine Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engines face challenges in maintaining optimal fluid pressure and radial clearance between rotating blades and the blade outer air seal, which affects cooling efficiency and operational performance due to limitations in the design of conventional orifice plates.
Innovation Solution
A fluid flow assembly featuring an orifice plate with multiple radially equidistant orifices, each set aligned with and in fluid communication with a plenum, providing a cumulative cross-sectional area equivalent to a single larger orifice, thus reducing the orifice plate's dimensions while maintaining fluid pressure and enhancing cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single large orifice is used in the orifice plate, then the fluid pressure control is simpler, but the orifice plate dimensions become larger and cooling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single large orifice into multiple smaller orifices arranged in an array. This segmentation allows the orifice plate to maintain the required cumulative cross-sectional area for fluid pressure control while reducing the overall plate dimensions and improving cooling efficiency through distributed flow distribution.
2Device complexity
If a single large orifice is used in the orifice plate, then the structure is simpler, but the cooling efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fluid flow into multiple streams through an array of orifices, distributing the cooling fluid more effectively across the target area. This segmentation enhances cooling efficiency by eliminating dead zones and ensuring uniform temperature distribution, while the orifice plate structure remains relatively simple.
3Temperature
If multiple orifices are used in the orifice plate, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the parameters of the multiple orifices, including their size, spacing, and arrangement pattern, to achieve the desired cumulative cross-sectional area. By carefully selecting these parameters, the design maintains manufacturing feasibility while achieving improved cooling efficiency through distributed flow distribution.
4Measurement precision
If multiple orifices are used in the orifice plate, then the fluid pressure control accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple orifices to distribute fluid flow more uniformly, which improves pressure control accuracy across different regions of the plenum. While the orifice array configuration adds some complexity, the overall design remains manageable through systematic arrangement and standard manufacturing techniques.
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
This design improves the cooling effect by maintaining higher fluid pressure in the plenums, reduces the orifice plate's dimensions, and increases the accuracy and reproducibility of fluid pressure control, enhancing the overall performance and efficiency of the gas turbine engine.
Implementation Method 1
The pressure of the air on the radially outward surface of the BOAS is conventionally controlled and supplied via an orifice in an upstream support wall of a gas turbine engine
Implementation Method 2
designed to have a specific fluid pressure on a radially outward surface of the BOAS in order to maintain a desired cooling effect
Implementation Method 3
maintain a desired cooling effect
Data Source
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AI summary
A fluid flow assembly (105) may include an orifice plate (112) having a set of orifices (114) and a plenum (124) defined by a blade outer air seal (120). The set of orifices (114) may be aligned with and in fluid communication with the plenum (124). A gas turbine engine (20) may include a vane outer support (110) having an orifice plate (112), wherein the orifice plate (112) includes a plurality of sets of orifices (114). The gas turbine engine (20) may also include a blade outer air seal (120) defining a plurality of plenum (124). Each set of orifices of the plurality of sets of orifices (114) may be forward relative to and substantially axially aligned with a respective plenum (124A, 124B, 124C) of the plurality of plenum (124).