Stator Rim Fluidic Dam for Turbine Hot Gas Ingestion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines face inefficiencies due to hot gas ingestion into the cavity between the turbine stator and rotor, which is exacerbated by unsteady interactions between mainstream and purge flows, leading to reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
A structure and method that utilize a rotor with an angel wing extending into a channel defined by a stator, where cooling air is supplied through a supply passage and injected into the channel via an aperture, forming a fluidic dam to separate the hot gas flow from the purge flow, thereby minimizing hot gas ingestion and reducing the need for purge flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If purge flow is introduced to combat hot gas ingestion, then hot gas leakage to upstream compressor areas is reduced, but unsteady interactions between mainstream and purge flows occur, reducing system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
A fluidic dam is introduced as an intermediary between the hot gas flow and purge flow. The fluidic dam, formed by injecting cooling air through an aperture in the stator rim into the channel, acts as a mediator that separates the two flows and prevents their unsteady interactions, thereby maintaining system efficiency while still combating hot gas ingestion
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful interaction between mainstream and purge flows is extracted or removed from the system by introducing the fluidic dam. The fluidic dam isolates the purge flow from the hot gas ingestion path, effectively taking out the source of unsteady interactions that reduce efficiency
2Productivity
If seals are disposed with compressor vanes to limit airflow leakage, then efficiency is improved, but hot gas can still ingest into the cavity between stator and rotor
Solution Approach 1:
The fluidic dam serves as an intermediary protective layer in the cavity between the stator and rotor. It mediates between the sealed compressor vanes and the hot gas flow, providing an additional barrier that prevents hot gas ingestion into the cavity while preserving the efficiency benefits of the seals
3Stability of the object's composition
If cooling air is injected into the channel to form a fluidic dam, then hot gas ingestion is minimized and flow stability is improved, but additional cooling air supply infrastructure is required
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling air supply system is designed with multi-functionality. The same cooling air that is already required for cooling the stator and rotor components is also utilized to form the fluidic dam in the channel. This universal use of cooling air achieves flow stabilization without requiring entirely separate infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The function of forming the fluidic dam is merged with the existing cooling air supply system. The cooling air passages and apertures are integrated into the stator and rotor structures that already require cooling, combining the fluidic dam function with the cooling function to avoid additional complexity
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 approach effectively reduces hot gas ingestion, stabilizes the interaction between mainstream and purge flows, and enhances turbine efficiency by minimizing the required purge flow, leading to improved performance and increased time-on-wing.
Implementation Method 1
A flow of cooling air fed from the supply passage to the aperture and into the channel forms a fluidic dam between the hot gas flow and the purge flow
Data Source
AI summary
A stator rim structure for a gas turbine engine comprises a stator having an end wall and a discourager defining a channel therebetween. The end wall is adjacent to a hot gas flow and the discourager is adjacent to a purge flow. A rotor has an angel wing extending into the channel. At least one supply passage is disposed within the stator and extends through the discourager and at least one aperture fluidly couples the supply passage with the channel. A flow of cooling air is fed from the supply passage into the aperture and into the channel to form a fluidic dam discouraging ingestion of the hot gas flow.