Gas Turbine Squealer Tip Cooling With Segmented Internal Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine flow bodies, such as blades and vanes, face challenges in efficiently cooling the squealer tip with a reduced amount of cooling fluid while maintaining structural integrity and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid flow body design featuring an airfoil cast from a first metal material with an additively manufactured squealer tip made of a second metal material, incorporating multiple internal cooling cavities separated by additive walls, and a transition layer to reduce mechanical stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional cooling methods are used for the squealer tip, then cooling is provided, but the amount of cooling fluid required is high and cooling efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The squealer tip is divided into multiple segments with separate internal cooling cavities (first, second, and third cooling cavities) that are independently connected to the airfoil cavity through specific fluid passages. This segmentation allows targeted cooling of different regions, reducing overall cooling fluid consumption while maintaining effective cooling where most needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the squealer tip are provided with different cooling configurations - the first cooling cavity serves the first region, the second cooling cavity serves the second region, and the third cooling cavity serves the third region. This local differentiation optimizes cooling efficiency in each specific area while minimizing total cooling fluid requirements.
2Ease of manufacture
If the squealer tip is made as a single integrated structure, then manufacturing is simple, but cooling efficiency and stress distribution are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The squealer tip is constructed as an integrated structure containing multiple internally separated cooling cavities rather than as separate assembled parts. This segmentation within integration allows complex cooling pathways to be formed in a single manufacturing process (additive manufacturing), maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving superior cooling performance through multiple distributed cavities.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple cooling cavities are nested within the single squealer tip structure, with each cavity independently formed within the overall tip geometry. This nested configuration allows the complex multi-cavity structure to be manufactured as one integrated piece using additive manufacturing, combining structural integrity with enhanced cooling capabilities.
3Ease of manufacture
If the squealer tip is made from a single material, then manufacturing is straightforward, but mechanical stress distribution and thermal performance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The flow body is constructed as a composite structure with the airfoil made from a first material and the squealer tip made from a second material. This material differentiation allows optimization of each component for its specific functional requirements - the airfoil material for overall structural integrity and the tip material for enhanced thermal and mechanical performance under tip-specific conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different materials are used for different parts of the flow body - the airfoil uses a first material while the squealer tip uses a second material. This local material differentiation allows each region to be optimized for its specific operational conditions, with the tip material selected for superior thermal and mechanical properties where stresses are most intense.
4Device complexity
If cooling cavities are not separated, then the structure is simpler, but cooling fluid distribution and cooling efficiency are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cavities (first, second, and third cooling cavities) that are separated by internal walls within the squealer tip. Each cavity is independently connected to the airfoil cavity through specific fluid passages, enabling independent control and optimization of cooling fluid distribution to different regions of the tip.
Solution Approach 2:
Each cooling cavity is designed to serve a specific region of the squealer tip with dedicated fluid passages, creating localized cooling zones. This local differentiation ensures optimal cooling fluid distribution matched to the specific thermal conditions of each region, improving overall cooling efficiency.
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 enhances cooling efficiency by optimizing cooling fluid distribution, reducing mechanical stress, and increasing the lifespan of the squealer tip, thereby improving the overall performance of the gas turbine.
Implementation Method 1
building the squealer tip from the second metal material on the contact surface of the tip by means of an additive manufacturing process
Implementation Method 2
The cooling fluid, typically, is conducted to an interior cavity of an airfoil of the blade or vane and, from there, distributed to various cooling channels
Implementation Method 3
cool the blades or vanes by means of a cooling fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A flow body for a gas turbine includes an airfoil extending along a radial direction between a platform end and a tip which has a tip surface. The airfoil is formed of a first metal material and comprises an inner cavity for receiving a gaseous cooling fluid. The flow body further includes a squealer tip protruding from the tip surface of the tip and extending along a circumference of the tip so that the squealer tip at least partially surrounds the tip surface. The squealer tip is formed from a second metal material and includes a plurality of internal cooling cavities that are separated from each other within the squealer tip, wherein each of the internal cooling cavities is in fluid communication with the inner cavity via one or more fluid passages.