Gas Turbine Rotor Cooling Features for Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine rotor systems face challenges in maintaining a lightweight, high-efficiency design due to thermo-mechanical fatigue and heat management issues, particularly in high-pressure, high-temperature applications where the temperature exceeding metal limits necessitates cooling of HPC disks, but discrete blading hampers effective cooling given the limited surface area exposed to cooling air relative to the hot core gas flow.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating circumferentially extending cooling features, such as rings or vortices, on the rotor disks and webs to increase air velocity adjacent to the rotor, enhancing heat transfer from the rotor to the secondary cooling air flow path, thereby improving thermal management and reducing thermo-mechanical stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling features are added to increase heat transfer, then thermal management improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the rotor by adding circumferentially extending cooling rings and axially extending cooling fins. These parameter changes increase the surface area for heat transfer without fundamentally altering the basic rotor structure, thereby improving thermal management while controlling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into distinct features: circumferential cooling rings positioned at specific locations and axial cooling fins extending from the rotor surface. This segmentation allows each cooling feature to address specific thermal zones independently, improving overall heat transfer efficiency while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
2Temperature
If rotor surface area is increased for better cooling, then heat transfer improves, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling rings and fins are designed as thin-walled structures that provide extensive surface area for heat transfer while minimizing material usage. These thin-film cooling features increase the effective cooling surface area without proportionally increasing rotor weight, addressing the trade-off between heat transfer efficiency and weight.
3Temperature
If cooling air flow is increased, then heat transfer improves, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes both circumferential and axial dimensions for cooling features. The circumferential rings capture hot gas from the core flow path, while axial fins provide additional heat transfer surface area in the axial direction. This multi-dimensional cooling approach improves heat transfer effectiveness without requiring a proportional increase in cooling air flow, thereby reducing pressure loss.
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 proposed solution effectively increases heat transfer rates from the rotor to the cooling air flow, mitigating thermo-mechanical fatigue and maintaining a lightweight, efficient engine operation by optimizing cooling efficiency across the rotor components.
Implementation Method 1
each of the at least one cooling features is configured to increase a velocity of air adjacent the rotor when the rotor is rotating
Implementation Method 2
enhancing heat transfer from the rotor to the secondary cooling air flow path
Data Source
AI summary
A rotor for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of blades which extend from a rotor disk. One or more cooling features may be incorporated radially inboard from the rotor disk rim that operate to induce vortices adjacent to the disk rim and/or disk web. The vortices increase the local velocity in the secondary cooling air flow path and therefore increase the heat transfer rate from the rotor to the secondary cooling air flow path.