Oxidation-Activated Cooling Flow for Turbine Component Breaches
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine components, such as turbine blades and shrouds, experience oxidation and thermal fatigue due to high-temperature gas flows, leading to thermal barrier coating (TBC) spallation and reduced operational life, with existing cooling systems inadequate in managing breaches caused by TBC spallation.
Innovation Solution
A flow regulating system with a pressure-actuated switch and pneumatic circuit embedded in the high-temperature gas path surface of turbine components, which detects breaches and automatically increases the cooling fluid flow to impede or arrest oxidation by supplying supplemental cooling fluid to the affected areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thermal barrier coating is applied to protect components from high temperatures, then component life is extended and damage is prevented, but the coating may spall and expose underlying surfaces to oxidation and thermal fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a supplemental flow of cooling fluid that activates upon detection of TBC spallation. The system preemptively prepares cooling pathways and monitoring mechanisms (pressure sensors, flow regulators) that immediately respond when coating failure occurs, cushioning the underlying metal surface from oxidative damage before it can propagate significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a supplemental cooling fluid flow as a mediator between the hot gas environment and the exposed metal surface. This intermediary cooling flow acts as a protective barrier that reduces the temperature of oxidized surfaces and limits further oxidation damage after TBC spallation.
2Reliability
If the cooling fluid flow is increased to protect breached areas, then oxidation is impeded, but the system complexity increases with additional flow regulation components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing a system where the cooling fluid flow automatically regulates itself based on detected conditions. Pressure sensors monitor the cooling fluid pressure, and flow regulators automatically adjust the supplemental flow rate without external intervention. This self-regulating mechanism responds to TBC spallation events by detecting pressure changes and autonomously increasing cooling flow to breached areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by using pressure sensors to continuously monitor the cooling fluid pressure and feed this information to flow regulators. When TBC spallation occurs, the pressure change is detected and fed back to the flow regulation system, which automatically adjusts the supplemental cooling flow rate to maintain optimal protection of the exposed metal surface.
3Reliability
If monitoring systems are installed to detect breaches, then oxidation can be arrested timely, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system applies self-service by utilizing the existing cooling fluid pressure as a diagnostic parameter. Pressure sensors embedded in the cooling fluid pathways automatically detect TBC spallation events through pressure changes without requiring separate inspection systems. The system monitors its own operational parameters to detect coating failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies universality by making the cooling fluid system serve multiple functions: it provides thermal protection to the metal surface, acts as a diagnostic medium for detecting TBC spallation through pressure monitoring, and automatically regulates flow to protect breached areas. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate monitoring and protection systems.
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
Effectively impedes or arrests oxidation at breached areas, extending the operational life of turbine components by maintaining effective cooling even after TBC spallation, thereby enhancing the performance and reliability of gas turbine systems.
Implementation Method 1
A flow regulating system with a pressure-actuated switch and pneumatic circuit embedded in the high-temperature gas path surface of turbine components, which detects breaches and automatically increases the cooling fluid flow
Implementation Method 2
Cooling (e.g., convection cooling, impingement cooling, etc.) is often provided by directing a flow of a cooling fluid through internal passages formed in the components of the gas turbine system
Implementation Method 3
supplemental flow or an increased flow of cooling fluid impeding or arresting oxidation in the vicinity of the breach in the component
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A flow regulating system (200) for increasing a flow of cooling fluid (140, 202) supplied to a cooling system of a component of a gas turbine system (10) is provided. The flow regulating system (200) includes: a pneumatic circuit (206) embedded within a section of the component, the pneumatic circuit (206) including a set of interconnected pneumatic passages (208); and a pressure-actuated switch (204, 304) fluidly coupled to the pneumatic circuit (206). The pressure-actuated switch (204, 304) is activated in response to a formation of a breach in the section of the component and an exposure of at least one of the pneumatic passages (208) of the pneumatic circuit (206) embedded in the section of the component. The activation of the pressure-actuated switch (204, 304) increases the flow of cooling fluid (140, 202) supplied to the cooling system of the component.