Retrofit Wire Screen Filter for Turbine Vane Cooling Passages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current particle separators or collectors in turbine systems are integral parts of the turbine vane or blade and cannot be retrofitted to older components or customized for specific vanes or blades, leading to inefficiencies in particle removal and potential clogging of cooling passages.
Innovation Solution
A wire screen filter with a mounting member and screen frame that supports a wire screen in a manner incapable of having a horizontal surface, allowing for effective particle separation without significant pressure drop, and can be retrofitted to existing turbine vanes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If current particle separators or collectors are used as integral parts of turbine vane or blade, then particle removal function is provided, but they cannot be retrofitted to older components or customized for specific vanes or blades
Solution Approach 1:
The particle separator is divided into multiple modular components: a frame structure, a particle-collecting screen, and a mounting bracket. This segmentation allows the separator to be assembled from discrete parts that can be retrofitted to existing turbine vanes or blades without requiring integral manufacturing, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining functional integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The particle separator is extracted from the integral structure of the turbine vane or blade and designed as a separate, removable component. This extraction enables the separator to be independently installed, removed, or replaced on existing components, providing retrofittability and customization options without modifying the base turbine vane or blade structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If particle separators are made as integral parts of turbine vane or blade, then they are fixed in position, but they cannot be retrofitted or customized
Solution Approach 1:
The particle separator is extracted from the integral manufacturing process and designed as a separate assembly that can be manufactured independently and then installed on existing turbine vanes or blades. This approach maintains manufacturing simplicity for each component while enabling retrofittability through independent assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
A mounting bracket serves as an intermediary component between the particle separator and the turbine vane or blade. This mediator enables easy installation and removal without requiring integral manufacturing, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while providing retrofittability and customization capabilities.
3Reliability
If wire screen filter is designed with horizontal surfaces, then it is easier to manufacture, but particles can accumulate on horizontal surfaces causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The wire screen is configured with a curved or angled surface rather than a horizontal surface. This curvature prevents particles from accumulating on the screen surface, as particles are directed along the slope toward the collection area. The curved design maintains manufacturing feasibility while significantly improving clogging resistance and reliability.
4Ease of repair
If particle separators are integral to turbine vane or blade, then they are permanently installed, but they cannot be removed or replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The particle separator is segmented into distinct components including a frame, screen, and mounting bracket that can be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation enables easy maintenance and repair without requiring replacement of the entire turbine vane or blade assembly, improving ease of repair while the modular design keeps assembly complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The particle separator is extracted as a removable component from the turbine vane or blade structure. This extraction allows the separator to be easily removed, inspected, cleaned, or replaced without damaging or modifying the base turbine components, significantly improving ease of repair and maintenance while using straightforward mounting mechanisms.
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 filter effectively separates particles from the gas flow, preventing clogging of cooling circuits and enhancing the reliability and durability of turbine vanes while minimizing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
a wire screen filter with a mounting member and screen frame that supports a wire screen in a manner incapable of having a horizontal surface, allowing for effective particle separation
Data Source
AI summary
A filter for an airfoil of a vane of a turbomachine is disclosed. The filter includes a mounting member for mounting to an endwall of the vane. The mounting member has a first flow exit opening defined therethrough for fluid communication with a cooling circuit of the airfoil. A screen frame is coupled to the mounting member to support a wire screen around the first flow exit opening, and a first wire screen is positioned over the screen frame. The screen frame has an exterior shape supporting the wire screen in a manner incapable of having a horizontal surface regardless of a circumferential position of the airfoil around an axis of the turbomachine. A related turbine vane and turbine system are also provided.