Gas Turbine Transition Piece Cooling via Segmented Inlets

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Solution Overview

Problem

The cooling performance of a gas turbine's transition piece deteriorates due to high temperatures, especially at locations far from the cooling medium inlet, where the cooling medium's temperature rises and its effectiveness decreases.

Innovation Solution

A combustor design with a transition piece that includes a cooling medium introduction unit on its outer periphery, branching portions to direct cooler medium to midstream areas, and a thermal barrier layer to reduce heat conduction, ensuring efficient cooling performance across the transition piece.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the cooling medium is introduced only at one location on the transition piece, then the structure is simple, but the cooling performance deteriorates at locations far from the inlet

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling medium introduction structureVSAvoidcooling performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling medium introduction unit is divided into multiple independent cooling medium inlets positioned at different locations on the transition piece. This segmentation allows cooling medium to be introduced at multiple points, ensuring that even areas far from any single inlet receive adequate cooling, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and cooling performance reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Area of stationary object

If the cooling medium flows a long distance through the transition piece, then the cooling coverage is improved, but the cooling medium temperature rises and cooling performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling coverage areaVSAvoidcooling medium temperature

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing the cooling system into multiple inlets distributed across the transition piece, the flow path length from any inlet to the farthest cooling point is reduced. This segmentation prevents the cooling medium from traveling excessive distances, maintaining lower temperatures and sustained cooling performance across the entire cooling coverage area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling medium inlets are positioned in different spatial locations and orientations on the transition piece surface. This multi-dimensional arrangement ensures that cooling medium is introduced from various directions, reducing the maximum flow distance required to reach all areas while expanding the effective cooling coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If multiple cooling medium inlets are provided on the transition piece, then the cooling performance is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidcooling medium introduction structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling medium introduction unit is designed as an integrated multi-functional component that combines multiple cooling medium inlets, the cooling portion, and the branching portion into a single unified structure. This universal design allows the same component to perform multiple functions (introducing cooling medium at multiple locations, distributing it through branches, and cooling the transition piece), thereby improving cooling performance without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Prevents deterioration of cooling performance by maintaining low-temperature, high-efficiency cooling medium flow to high-temperature areas, extending the lifespan of the transition piece and improving gas turbine performance.

Implementation Method 1

the transition piece is cooled by a cooling medium when a gas turbine is running

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

a cooling portion provided on a portion ranging from the outlet of the transition piece to a predetermined position toward the inlet, connected to the cooling medium introduction unit so as to pass the cooling medium from the cooling medium introduction unit toward the inlet from the outlet

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS10634056B2Combustor and gas turbine

Publication Date: 2020.04.28 MITSUBISHI POWER LTD

AI summary

A combustor including: a transition piece having a cylindrical shape and including an inlet of combustion gas at one end and an outlet of the combustion gas at the other end and configured to allow the combustion gas flowing from the inlet to flow out from the outlet so as to introduce the combustion gas into a turbine; a cooling medium introduction unit introduced with the cooling medium and provided on an outer periphery portion in an outlet side of the transition piece; a cooling medium inlet configured to introduce the cooling medium into the cooling medium introduction unit; and a cooling portion, connected to the cooling medium introduction unit, provided on a portion from the outlet of the transition piece toward the inlet and configured to allow the cooling medium from the cooling medium introduction unit to pass through the outlet toward the inlet.