Turbine Blade Root Manifold with Compartmented Flow Metering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine blades in gas turbine engines operate in high-temperature environments and require effective cooling to maintain structural integrity, but existing cooling systems struggle to uniformly distribute and control cooling air flow to various passages, leading to asymmetric heat transfer and reduced lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A non-planar manifold is attached to the turbine blade root, featuring compartments with varying aperture sizes and configurations to meter and control the flow of cooling air into multiple cooling passages, ensuring uniform distribution and reducing asymmetric heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional cooling system is used, then the turbine blade can be cooled, but the cooling air flow is not uniformly distributed to various passages, leading to asymmetric heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold is divided into multiple compartments, each responsible for directing cooling air to specific cooling passages. This segmentation allows independent control and optimization of air flow to each passage, ensuring uniform distribution across all passages and preventing asymmetric heat transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
Each compartment in the manifold is designed with specific aperture sizes and configurations tailored to the requirements of its associated cooling passages. This local customization ensures that each passage receives the appropriate amount of cooling air, achieving uniform heat transfer distribution across the blade.
2Reliability
If cooling air flow is increased to improve cooling effectiveness, then heat transfer asymmetry is reduced, but the complexity of controlling flow distribution to multiple passages increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold is divided into multiple compartments, each responsible for directing cooling air to specific cooling passages. This segmentation allows independent control and optimization of air flow to each passage, ensuring uniform distribution across all passages and preventing asymmetric heat transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
Each compartment in the manifold is designed with specific aperture sizes and configurations tailored to the requirements of its associated cooling passages. This local customization ensures that each passage receives the appropriate amount of cooling air, achieving uniform heat transfer distribution across the blade.
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 manifold provides precise control over cooling air flow, enhancing the blade's thermal management by minimizing heat transfer asymmetry and improving the blade's lifespan and performance.
Implementation Method 1
the first compartment metering a non-zero first flow of cooling air to the first cooling passage through the first flow area, and a second compartment having a second flow area defined by a second aperture, the second aperture being formed at the outer wall and open to the second compartment, the second compartment metering a non-zero second flow of cooling air to the second cooling passage through the second flow area
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine blade includes a platform, a blade airfoil attached to one side of the platform, a blade root attached to the other side of the platform, a manifold attached to the blade root. The blade root defines a first cooling passage and a second cooling passage. The manifold includes an outer wall, a first compartment having a first flow area defined by a first aperture formed at the outer wall, and a second compartment having a second flow area defined by a second aperture formed at the outer wall. The first compartment meters a non-zero first flow of cooling air to the first cooling passage through the first flow area. The second compartment meters a non-zero second flow of cooling air to the second cooling passage through the second flow area that is different than the first flow area.