Gas Turbine Inlet Anti-Icing With Shielded Swirl Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engine inlet anti-icing systems face challenges with airflow efficiency, thermal stresses, asymmetric heating, localized hot spots, complex geometries, and high cost, which can lead to reduced performance and operational issues.
Innovation Solution
A shielded swirl inlet anti-icing system with a flow deflector and thermal stress reduction configuration, utilizing a flow deflector and annular shield within an anti-icing chamber to direct pressurized air tangentially, reducing thermal stresses and ensuring uniform heating without complex geometries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional anti-icing systems are used, then ice formation is prevented, but airflow efficiency is adversely impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-icing chamber is segmented into multiple sections with distributed heating elements, allowing localized heating control that prevents ice formation while minimizing disruption to overall airflow patterns through the engine inlet
Solution Approach 2:
A flow deflector is introduced as an intermediary component that redirects airflow to work in conjunction with the heating elements, optimizing both the anti-icing effectiveness and airflow efficiency by coordinating the interaction between thermal and fluid dynamic elements
2Reliability
If high heating power is applied to prevent ice, then anti-icing effectiveness is improved, but thermal stresses and localized hot spots increase
Solution Approach 1:
Heating elements are strategically positioned and sized to provide localized heating precisely where ice formation is most likely to occur, rather than applying uniform heating across the entire inlet lip, thereby reducing overall thermal stress while maintaining anti-icing effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies heating only to the extent necessary to prevent ice formation on critical surfaces, using sensors and control logic to modulate heating power, avoiding excessive heating that would create thermal stresses and hot spots
3Reliability
If complex geometries are used to improve anti-icing performance, then heating uniformity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension to the heating strategy by implementing controllable, modulate heating elements that can be activated selectively and sequentially, achieving uniform heating distribution without requiring complex geometric configurations
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 system maintains airflow efficiency, reduces thermal stresses and uneven heating, and is less complex and cost-effective, while providing effective anti-icing protection to the inlet lip.
Implementation Method 1
The flow deflector has an inner surface, an outer surface, a closed end, and an open end. At least a portion of the inner surface is spaced apart from the aft wall opening and, together with the aft wall, defines a flow channel that extends between the closed end and the open end and in a direction that is tangential to the aft wall opening.
Implementation Method 2
The anti-ice air supply duct is coupled to the aft wall opening and is configured to receive a flow of pressurized air and to direct the flow of pressurized air into the aft wall opening
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine inlet anti-ice system includes a nacelle having an inlet lip, an anti-ice air supply duct, and a flow deflector. The inlet lip has an annular anti-icing chamber formed therein that is defined by an inner surface of the inlet lip and an aft wall that has an aft wall opening formed therein. The anti-ice air supply duct is configured to direct a flow of pressurized air into the aft wall opening. The flow deflector is coupled to the aft wall and extends over the aft wall opening. The flow deflector has an inner surface, an outer surface, a closed end, and an open end. The flow deflector and aft wall define a flow channel that extends between the closed end and the open end and in a direction that is tangential to the aft wall opening.