Shell Housing Heat Exchanger for Gas Turbine Air Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbines face challenges in efficiently cooling air supplied from the compressor to the turbine, leading to potential damage from high temperatures and reduced efficiency due to the lack of effective cooling mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A printed-board-type heat exchanger is integrated onto the outer surface of a shell housing in the gas turbine, utilizing a coolant to cool air passing through an air channel, with a flow guide and air discharge ports to direct cooled air to the turbine, enhancing cooling efficiency and reducing temperature within the shell housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air is cooled using a heat exchanger in the gas turbine, then the temperature of air supplied to the turbine is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to the need for additional cooling components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the heat exchanger directly into the shell housing structure, merging the cooling function with the existing housing. The heat exchanger is formed as part of the shell housing itself, eliminating the need for separate, standalone cooling components and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective air cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The shell housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural containment and simultaneously acts as part of the heat exchange system. The heat exchanger channels are formed within the shell housing, allowing the housing to perform both structural and thermal management functions, thereby reducing the number of separate components needed
2Reliability
If a heat exchanger is integrated into the shell housing, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is designed with segmented channels formed within the shell housing, allowing for modular manufacturing. The channels are created as distinct regions within the housing structure that can be formed using standard manufacturing techniques, making the integrated design more manufacturable while maintaining cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the material properties and geometric configuration of the shell housing to achieve effective heat exchange. By optimizing the channel dimensions, material thermal conductivity, and flow path geometry within the housing, the design achieves high cooling efficiency through parameter optimization rather than complex structural additions
3Speed
If the flow guide is spaced apart from the inner surface of the shell housing, then air flow is improved, but the volume of the shell housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow guide utilizes the vertical dimension by extending downward from the heat exchanger outlet toward the bottom surface of the shell housing. This vertical arrangement allows the flow guide to be spaced apart from the inner surface while maintaining compact horizontal footprint, improving air flow without significantly increasing the overall housing volume
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 solution effectively cools air supplied to the turbine, reducing the risk of damage from high temperatures and improving the overall efficiency of the gas turbine by integrating a compact and efficient heat exchange system that can be easily assembled and maintained.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger coupled to an outer surface of the shell housing and configured to cool air passing through an air channel of the heat exchanger using a coolant passing through a coolant channel
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchange apparatus cools air supplied from a compressor to a turbine and includes a shell housing; a heat exchanger coupled to an outer surface of the shell housing and configured to cool air passing through an air channel of the heat exchanger using a coolant passing through a coolant channel; a flow guide installed in the shell housing and connected to the air channel of the heat exchanger in order to pass the cooled air into the shell housing, the flow guide having a distal end spaced apart from an inner surface of the shell housing; and at least one air discharge port installed through a sidewall of the shell housing to communicate with the air channel via the flow guide. The heat exchanger is a printed board type including a first plate and a second plate and is formed by alternately stacking the first and second plates.