Gas Turbine Pre-swirl Assembly for Cooling Fluid Particle Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In gas turbine engines, cooling fluid used to prevent overheating of turbine blade components can become contaminated with particles, leading to blockages and reduced component lifespan due to inadequate particle separation and inefficient cooling fluid distribution.
Innovation Solution
A pre-swirl structure and particle separator system is implemented, where the pre-swirl structure enhances the tangential velocity of cooling fluid using swirl members, and a particle deflecting structure separates solid particles from the cooling fluid, ensuring effective distribution and preventing blockages by maintaining a swirl ratio and utilizing a Venturi effect for pressure drop and velocity increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling fluid is supplied to turbine blade components, then overheating is prevented, but particle contamination causes blockages and reduces component lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-swirl structure imparts tangential velocity to the cooling fluid before it enters the turbine blade cooling system. This preliminary action creates a centrifugal force field that enables subsequent particle separation, preventing particle-induced blockages before they occur in the cooling holes, thus extending component lifespan while maintaining effective cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-swirl structure and particle separator act as intermediary components between the cooling fluid supply and the turbine blade cooling system. These intermediaries remove harmful particles from the cooling fluid through centrifugal separation, allowing the cooling fluid to reach the turbine blades without particle contamination, thereby preventing blockages and extending component life.
2Reliability
If particle separator is added to remove particles, then component lifespan is extended, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-swirl structure and particle separator are integrated into a single unified assembly that is disposed about the shaft. The pre-swirl structure serves dual purposes: it imparts tangential velocity to the cooling fluid for effective cooling distribution and simultaneously creates the centrifugal force necessary for particle separation. This merging of functions reduces overall system complexity while extending component lifespan.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-swirl structure performs multiple functions within a single component: it pre-rotates the cooling fluid to improve cooling distribution efficiency, generates centrifugal force for particle separation, and directs the cooled and cleaned fluid into the turbine blade cooling system. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate particle separation devices, maintaining system simplicity while extending component life.
3Productivity
If swirl members are used to increase tangential velocity, then cooling efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The swirl members are designed with specific geometric parameters (blade angle, curvature radius, spacing) that can be optimized to achieve the desired tangential velocity while accommodating manufacturing tolerances. By carefully selecting these parameters, the system achieves effective cooling distribution and particle separation without requiring extremely tight manufacturing precision, thus improving cooling efficiency while maintaining manufacturability.
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
The system effectively increases the tangential velocity of cooling fluid, enhances particle separation, and prevents blockages, thereby extending component lifespan and improving cooling efficiency while maintaining engine efficiency and reducing the need for excessive cooling fluid temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
the cooling fluid exiting the flow passage outlet has a velocity component in a direction tangential to the circumferential direction, wherein a swirl ratio defined as the velocity component in the direction tangential to the circumferential direction of the cooling fluid to a velocity component of the shaft
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a Venturi effect for pressure drop and velocity increase
Implementation Method 3
a particle deflecting structure separates solid particles from the cooling fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine includes a pre-swirl structure. Inner and outer wall structures of the pre-swirl structure define a flow passage in which swirl members are located. The swirl members include a leading edge and a circumferentially offset trailing edge. Cooling fluid exits the flow passage with a velocity component in a direction tangential to the circumferential direction, wherein a swirl ratio defined as the velocity component in the direction tangential to the circumferential direction of the cooling fluid to a velocity component of a rotating shaft in the direction tangential to the circumferential direction is greater than one as the cooling fluid exits the flow passage outlet, and the swirl ratio is about one as the cooling fluid enters at least one bore formed in a blade disc structure. An annular cavity extends between the flow passage and the at least one bore formed in the blade disc structure.