Tapered Plenum Baffle for Uniform Turbine Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional plenum designs in gas turbines lead to varying coolant flow velocities, resulting in inefficient coolant distribution to turbine stator blades, causing regional overheating and component deterioration.

Innovation Solution

A novel plenum configuration with a divider baffle that varies in height along its length, tapering from a greater height at the inlet to a lesser height at the outlet, and includes baffle ports to maintain constant coolant velocity, ensuring uniform coolant delivery to stator blades.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional plenum designs are used, then the structure is simple, but coolant flow velocity varies resulting in inefficient coolant distribution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoolant distribution efficiencyVSAvoidplenum structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The plenum is divided into multiple flow paths by dividing walls with varying heights, creating separate coolant flow channels. This segmentation allows different regions of the plenum to be controlled independently, ensuring uniform coolant velocity distribution to various stator blade rows while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The dividing walls are designed with varying heights at different locations along the plenum, creating local variations in flow path characteristics. This local quality adjustment ensures that coolant velocity is optimized for each specific region, delivering uniform cooling to different stator blade rows without requiring complete redesign of the entire plenum structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Duration of action of stationary object

If cooling effectiveness is increased to withstand high temperatures, then component durability improves, but operational stresses on hot-gas path components increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveturbine component durabilityVSAvoidmechanical and thermal loads on components

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

Coolant is delivered to stator blades through optimized flow paths that maintain constant velocity, providing preliminary cooling action before the blades are subjected to extreme thermal loads. This ensures that the blades are pre-cooled and better prepared to withstand operational stresses, extending their durability without requiring increased mechanical strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The plenum acts as an intermediary component that distributes coolant uniformly to multiple stator blade rows. By maintaining constant coolant velocity through its structured flow paths, it ensures efficient heat transfer from the blades to the coolant, reducing thermal loads on the blades without increasing mechanical stresses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If incremental advances in machine performance are achieved, then efficiency improves, but strain on hot-gas path components increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas turbine efficiencyVSAvoidoperational strain on components

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The plenum serves as an intermediary cooling system that distributes coolant uniformly to stator blades, enabling the turbine to operate at higher efficiencies while protecting the hot-gas path components from excessive thermal strains. The constant velocity flow paths ensure optimal cooling effectiveness without requiring increases in mechanical component strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 ensures consistent coolant flow and distribution, reducing regional overheating, increasing component durability, and enhancing engine efficiency by maintaining a balanced coolant delivery to stator blades.

Implementation Method 1

The divider baffle may be configured such that a height of the first compartment varies along the length of the plenum. The height of the first compartment may taper between a greater height at the first end of the plenum and a lesser height at the second end of the plenum.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow:

Data Source

PatentUS10774664B2Plenum for cooling turbine flowpath components and blades

Publication Date: 2020.09.15 GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECH LLC

AI summary

A gas turbine having an annular flowpath defined between concentric inner radial and outer radial boundaries. A plenum is positioned just outboard of the outer radial boundary that wraps circumferentially in spaced relation thereto. The height of the plenum is defined radially between a floor and ceiling. The plenum includes an inlet formed through the ceiling at a first end and spaced outlet ports formed through the floor. The plenum includes a divider baffle that spans the width of the plenum and extends between the first end and the second end of the plenum so to divide the plenum into radially stacked first and second compartments. The first compartment connects directly to the inlet, while the second compartment connects directly to the outlet ports. The height of the first compartment tapers between a greater height at the first end and a lesser height at the second end of the plenum.