Stationary Blade Endwall Cooling Circuit with Segmented Passages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stationary blades in turbomachines face challenges in effectively cooling airfoils and endwalls in extreme temperature settings, which affects their durability and efficiency, and existing cooling structures do not adequately manage temperature and pressure variations in cooling fluids.
Innovation Solution
A cooling structure for stationary blades that includes a chamber within the endwall with upstream and downstream regions, connected by passages to wheel and shroud spaces, allowing for controlled cooling fluid flow and temperature management, with portions of the fluid bypassing these passages to reach other components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If cooling fluid is circulated through passages in the endwall to cool the airfoil and endwalls, then the durability of the stationary blade is improved, but the amount of cooling air required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by creating multiple cooling passages (first passage, second passage, third passage) with different flow paths and temperature characteristics. The cooling fluid is divided into multiple portions that traverse different paths through the endwall, allowing optimization of cooling efficiency while reducing total cooling air requirement. The temperature of cooling fluid varies across different passages, enabling precise thermal management of different regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent passages (first passage connecting upstream region to wheel space, second passage connecting downstream region to wheel space, third passage for bypass flow). Each passage handles a specific portion of the cooling fluid with specific temperature characteristics, allowing targeted cooling of different regions of the stationary blade while optimizing overall cooling efficiency.
2Temperature
If cooling passages are added to manage temperature variations, then temperature control precision is improved, but the structural complexity of the endwall increases
Solution Approach 1:
The endwall structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the stationary blade, contains cooling passages for thermal management, and directs cooling fluid through multiple pathways. The chamber within the endwall serves both as a structural element and as a fluid distribution manifold, integrating cooling functionality into the existing structural framework without requiring separate dedicated cooling components.
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 solution enables fine-tuning of cooling temperatures and pressures, reducing the amount of cooling air needed, minimizing heat wastage, and enhancing turbomachine efficiency and durability by effectively managing thermal energy transfer within the turbomachine.
Implementation Method 1
the cooling fluid absorbs heat from the endwall
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cooling structure for a stationary blade. The cooling structure can include: an airfoil having a cooling circuit therein; an endwall coupled to a radial end of the airfoil; a chamber positioned within the endwall for receiving a cooling fluid from the cooling circuit, wherein the cooling fluid absorbs heat from the endwall, and a temperature of the cooling fluid in an upstream region is lower than a temperature of the cooling fluid in a downstream region; a first passage within the endwall fluidly connecting the upstream region of the chamber to a wheel space positioned between the endwall and the turbine wheel; and a second passage within the endwall fluidly connecting the downstream region of the chamber to the wheel space.