Axially Segmented Impeller for Foreign Object Damage Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbomachinery impellers made from titanium or aluminum are prone to durability issues due to foreign object damage from ice particles or other debris, which existing designs fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The impeller design incorporates a nose section made of durable ferrous steel alloy for withstanding foreign object impingement and a tail section made of lightweight non-ferrous alloys like aluminum or titanium, with a coupling that aligns vane sections and maintains an axial gap for thermal expansion, ensuring structural integrity and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the impeller is made from titanium or aluminum for strength-to-weight reasons, then the weight is reduced, but the durability deteriorates due to foreign object damage
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller is divided into two distinct sections: a nose section made of durable ferrous steel alloy that contacts foreign objects first, and a tail section made of lightweight non-ferrous material for weight efficiency. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different materials are applied to different parts of the impeller based on local requirements. The nose section uses high-strength ferrous alloy for durability where foreign object contact occurs, while the tail section uses lightweight non-ferrous material where weight is critical. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing each region for its primary function.
2Ease of manufacture
If the impeller uses a single material for the entire structure, then the manufacturing is simplified, but the ability to withstand foreign object damage while maintaining strength-to-weight properties deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller is segmented into a nose section and a tail section that can be manufactured separately using optimal materials for each function, then joined together. This segmentation enables the use of ferrous alloy for durability in the nose section and non-ferrous alloy for weight efficiency in the tail section, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and performance optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The impeller uses a composite construction combining ferrous steel alloy and non-ferrous alloy materials. This composite approach allows the nose section to provide durability against foreign objects while the tail section maintains strength-to-weight properties, overcoming the limitations of single-material designs.
3Strength
If the nose section and tail section are joined without an axial gap, then the structural integrity is improved, but the thermal expansion compatibility deteriorates due to different materials
Solution Approach 1:
An axial gap is intentionally designed between the nose section and tail section to accommodate thermal expansion differences between ferrous and non-ferrous materials. This gap prevents thermal stress and deformation during operation, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and thermal expansion compatibility by providing expansion space while maintaining overall structural strength through the coupling mechanism.
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 enhances the durability and operational reliability of turbomachinery impellers by protecting against foreign object damage while maintaining strength-to-weight properties, effectively addressing the durability concerns in harsh environments.
Implementation Method 1
The coupling establishes an axial gap between the radial nose section interface plane and the radial tail section interface plane that is sufficient to allow for the difference in thermal expansion of the nose section and the tail section
Data Source
AI summary
An impeller with an axial inlet in relation to an impeller axis for pressurizing a fluid has: a nose section that has a nose section central hub and multiple nose vane sections, each nose vane section extending from a leading edge to a generally radial nose section interface plane; a tail section that has a tail section central hub and multiple tail vane sections, each tail vane section extending from a generally radial tail section interface plane to a vane tip; a coupling that joins the nose section central hub to the tail section central hub and aligns each one of the nose vane sections with a corresponding one of the tail vane sections with an axial gap between the radial nose section interface plane and the radial tail section interface plane.