Gas Turbine Particle Separator with Vortex-Blocking Splitter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines face wear and maintenance issues due to particles like dust and water entering the compressor, leading to reduced power output and shortened lifespan, as existing particle separation methods are inefficient in removing fine particles and are affected by wall-normal vortexes.
Innovation Solution
The air-inlet duct incorporates a splitter with radially extending apertures to block wall-normal vortex formation, separating air and particles into clean and dirty flows, with the dirty flow directed to a scavenge channel and the clean flow to the compressor, enhancing particle removal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If inertial particle separation is used with serpentine flow path, then particles are separated from air, but wall-normal vortexes cause particle recirculation and reduce separation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The air-inlet duct is segmented into multiple channels: a scavenge channel for dirty flow containing particles, an engine channel for clean flow, and a vortex channel. This segmentation allows particles to be directed to the scavenge channel while clean air proceeds to the engine channel, preventing particle recirculation caused by wall-normal vortexes.
Solution Approach 2:
A splitter is introduced as an intermediary component between the serpentine flow path and the engine channel. The splitter includes a vortex channel that intercepts and redirects wall-normal vortexes, preventing them from causing particle recirculation into the clean flow path.
2Productivity
If particles are allowed to enter the compressor, then the engine can operate, but compressor components experience wear and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The particle separator performs preliminary separation of particles from air before the air enters the compressor. By removing particles in advance through the scavenge channel and splitter mechanism, the compressor is protected from wear while maintaining normal engine operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Particles are extracted from the air flow before it reaches the compressor. The scavenge channel and splitter work together to extract and remove particles through dedicated pathways, preventing them from entering the compressor and causing wear.
3Reliability
If the air-inlet duct uses a simple straight flow path, then the structure is simple, but particles cannot be effectively separated from air
Solution Approach 1:
The air-inlet duct is divided into functionally distinct segments: a serpentine flow path for initial particle-air mixture intake, a scavenge channel for dirty flow, an engine channel for clean flow, and a vortex channel for managing wall-normal vortexes. This segmentation enables effective particle separation while maintaining a manageable structural complexity.
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 effectively reduces particle recirculation and wear by blocking wall-normal vortexes, improving the separation of particles, especially fine ones, and extending the engine's lifespan and maintenance intervals.
Implementation Method 1
Inertial particle separation uses the inertia of the particles to separate the particles from the air. As the air stream moves through the air-inlet duct, the air moves along a serpentine flow path and enters an engine channel of the air-inlet duct while the particles move along a generally linear travel path and enter a scavenge channel included in the air-inlet duct.
Implementation Method 2
The outer wall may be formed to include a plurality of apertures arranged to extend radially through the outer wall to block a wall-normal vortex from forming in the air-inlet passage ahead of the splitter
Data Source
AI summary
An air-inlet duct includes an outer wall, an inner wall, and a splitter. The splitter cooperates with the outer wall and the inner wall to establish a particle separator which separates particles entrained in an inlet flow moving through the air-inlet duct to provide a clean flow of air to a compressor section of a gas turbine engine.