Gas Turbine Platform Flow Turning Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engine airfoil cooling designs face inefficiencies due to hot sections where cooling is insufficient, leading to flow separations and recirculation, resulting in poor convective heat transfer and thermal mechanical fatigue.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of platform flow turning elements that direct and control cooling air flow into airfoil cavities, reducing pressure losses and flow separation by funneling air from opposing platform cavities into the airfoil, thereby enhancing convective cooling and heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling cavities are designed with conventional cooling flow patterns, then cooling is provided to airfoil bodies, but hot sections occur where cooling is insufficient leading to poor convective heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
A platform flow turning element is introduced as an intermediary component between the cooling air source and the airfoil cavity. This flow turning element redirects cooling air flow from the platform into the airfoil cavity, ensuring proper cooling distribution and eliminating hot sections while maintaining structural reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling air flow parameters (direction, velocity distribution, mass flow rate) are modified by the platform flow turning element. By changing the flow direction and distribution pattern, the system achieves uniform cooling across the airfoil surface, eliminating hot sections and improving thermal mechanical fatigue resistance
2Temperature
If cooling air flow is not properly controlled, then cooling is provided to airfoil, but flow separations and recirculation occur resulting in poor convective heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The platform flow turning element serves as a mediator that controls and conditions the cooling air flow before it enters the airfoil cavity. This intermediary structure eliminates flow separations and recirculation by ensuring smooth, controlled flow transition, thereby improving convective heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The flow turning element performs preliminary flow conditioning by directing and stabilizing the cooling air flow before it enters the airfoil cavity. This preliminary action prevents flow separations and recirculation from occurring in the first place, ensuring continuous effective convective heat transfer
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 solution improves cooling flow quality and convective heat transfer, maintaining high mass flow rates and velocities adjacent to airfoil surfaces, extending durability and thermal performance by minimizing adverse cooling flow characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
platform flow turning elements that direct and control cooling air flow into airfoil cavities, reducing pressure losses and flow separation
Implementation Method 2
enhancing convective cooling and heat transfer
Data Source
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AI summary
Components (300, 400) for gas turbine engines (20) are provided. The components include a platform (302, 402, 502, 602), the platform defining a platform cavity (310, 410a, 410b, 610) on a first side (644), an airfoil (306, 308, 406) extending from a second side (646) of the platform, wherein the airfoil comprises at least one airfoil cavity (418, 618) located within the airfoil, the at least one airfoil cavity fluidly connected to the platform cavity through an airfoil cavity inlet (312, 314, 412, 618a, 618b), and a platform flow turning element (316, 416, 516, 616) positioned on the first side of the platform, the platform flow turning element having a turning portion (420, 520, 620a, 620b) and a tapering portion (422, 522, 622), wherein the turning portion directs incoming air to turn from the platform cavity into the airfoil cavity and the tapering portion extends through the airfoil cavity inlet and into the airfoil cavity.