Swirl Housing Intake With Twisted Vanes for Annular Exhaust Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbines face challenges in transitioning non-annular hot exhaust gas flows to an annular configuration while minimizing aerodynamic losses, weight, and manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A gas turbine intake with a swirl housing featuring a tangential inlet, annular outlet, and twisted vanes that redirect circumferential gas flow to axial orientation, optimizing the transition and reducing aerodynamic losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If exhaust gas flow is transitioned from non-annular to annular configuration, then turbine efficiency is improved, but aerodynamic losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs curved stream surfaces and annular flow paths to transition exhaust gas from non-annular to annular configuration. The curved geometry of the intake housing and internal flow paths guides the gas smoothly into the annular pattern required by the turbine, improving efficiency while managing aerodynamic losses through optimized curvature.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transforms the exhaust gas flow from a lower-dimensional or non-annular configuration into a three-dimensional annular flow pattern that matches the turbine's required input geometry. This dimensional transformation occurs through the specially designed intake housing that redistributes the flow across the annular cross-section.
2Ease of operation
If complex flow transition components are added, then flow orientation is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intake housing performs multiple functions simultaneously: it conditions the exhaust gas flow, transitions it to annular configuration, and directs it to the turbine inlet. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby optimizing flow orientation without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal flow paths and guide structures are nested within the intake housing, creating a compact integrated system. The annular flow path is contained within the housing structure, and guide vanes are positioned within the flow path, achieving optimized flow orientation with minimized external 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
The solution effectively transforms linear exhaust gas flow into an annular stream for efficient energy transfer in the gas turbine, enhancing performance and reducing losses.
Implementation Method 1
each vane having a twisted and flat body having a length extending from a leading end to a trailing end, the leading end being oriented mainly circumferentially and axially at the swirl path, the trailing end being oriented mainly axially and radially at the annular outlet
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A gas turbine intake (16) has a swirl housing (42) having a tangential inlet (58) fluidly connecting an exhaust conduit, an annular outlet (52) defined around a central axis (36) and fluidly connecting a turbine gas path (34), a swirl path (44) extending circumferentially around the central axis (36) from the tangential inlet (58), and a plurality of vanes (56) located in the swirl housing (42), the vanes (56) circumferentially interspaced from one another relative the central axis (36), each vane (56) having a twisted and flat body having a length extending from a leading end (60) to a trailing end (62), the leading end (60) being oriented mainly circumferentially and axially at the swirl path (44), the trailing end (62) being oriented mainly axially and radially at the annular outlet (52), the twisted and flat body twisting between the leading end (60) and the trailing end (62) around the central axis (36), around a radial axis (70) perpendicular to the central axis (36), and around a tangential axis (68) perpendicular to both the central axis (36) and the radial axis (70).