Gas Turbine Cooling Passages with Shaped Edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling schemes for gas turbine engine components, such as blades and vanes, face challenges in effectively managing heat due to the complexity of heat transfer and coolant flow within the cooling passages, which affects the efficiency and durability of these components.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates cooling passages with varying widths and surface features, including waveform and grooved surfaces, arranged to define converging regions and internal features like pedestals, optimizing the flow and heat transfer characteristics by varying the profile and distribution of surface features along the length of the passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling passages with uniform cross-section are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the cooling efficiency and heat transfer capabilities are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling passage features non-uniform cross-sectional area along its length, with varying width between the first and second walls. This creates regions of different flow characteristics - narrower sections for enhanced heat transfer and wider sections for coolant distribution, optimizing cooling efficiency at different locations within the component
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a simple linear cooling passage to a three-dimensional complex geometry by introducing variable cross-sectional area, surface features on the walls, and internal features. This dimensional complexity enables enhanced heat transfer surfaces and optimized coolant flow paths
2Temperature
If simple cooling passages without surface features are used, then the manufacturing process is straightforward, but the heat transfer surface area and cooling effectiveness are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling passage walls are segmented with multiple surface features including protrusions and recesses. These segmented features increase the effective heat transfer surface area and create turbulence in the coolant flow, enhancing cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The surface features include curved and contoured geometries on the first and second walls of the cooling passage. These curved surfaces enhance heat transfer by promoting turbulent flow and increasing the effective heat transfer area compared to flat surfaces
3Temperature
If uniform width cooling passages are used, then the coolant flow is simple to control, but the flow distribution and cooling uniformity across the component are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling passage width varies continuously or discontinuously along its length, changing the flow parameters of the coolant. This parameter variation optimizes velocity and pressure distribution, ensuring uniform cooling across different regions of the component while managing heat transfer effectiveness
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 cooling efficiency and heat transfer capabilities, improving the thermal management of gas turbine engine components and extending their operational lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
cooling passages with varying widths and surface features... optimizing the flow and heat transfer characteristics
Implementation Method 2
surface features, including waveform and grooved surfaces, arranged to define converging regions and internal features like pedestals, optimizing the flow and heat transfer characteristics
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a plurality of blade outer air seals and a plurality of airfoils, at least one of seals and airfoils including at least one cooling passage. The cooling passage includes a first wall and an opposed second wall bounding the cooling passage, a surface contour of the first wall having a plurality of first surface features and a surface contour of the second wall having a plurality of second surface features. The first surface features and the second surface features are arranged such that a width of the cooling passage varies along a length of the cooling passage defined by the first surface features and the second surface features. The first surface features have a first profile, and the second surface features have a second, different profile. A casting core for forming cooling passages in an aircraft component is also disclosed.