Gas Turbine Cooling Passages With Overlapping Diffusers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooling schemes for gas turbine engine components, such as blades and vanes, are inefficient in distributing diffused cooling flow to effectively manage extreme heat, leading to thermal stress and potential degradation.

Innovation Solution

A cooling arrangement featuring overlapping diffusers and cooling passages that converge into a common outlet, with specific pitch ratios and non-orthogonal axes, to enhance film cooling augmentation and reduce thermal gradients.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If discrete diffusion cooling holes are used to communicate diffused cooling flow to adjacent portions of the blades or vanes, then cooling is provided to the components, but the distribution of cooling flow is inefficient leading to thermal stress and potential degradation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal management efficiencyVSAvoidcomponent durability

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is segmented into multiple diffusers with multiple cooling passages each, allowing distributed and targeted cooling flow delivery to different portions of the component surface, improving thermal management efficiency and reducing thermal stress concentrations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from discrete point-source cooling holes to a two-dimensional array of cooling passages organized in diffusers, enabling broader and more uniform cooling coverage across the component surface, thereby improving thermal stress distribution and component reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Temperature

If multiple diffusers with multiple cooling passages are arranged with specific pitch ratios and overlapping configurations, then uniform and targeted cooling distribution is achieved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling flow distribution uniformityVSAvoiddiffuser and passage arrangement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple diffusers with multiple cooling passages are merged into an integrated assembly where adjacent diffusers overlap and share common outlets, achieving uniform cooling distribution while managing complexity through systematic arrangement rather than isolated components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the component surface receive customized cooling through locally optimized diffuser configurations, with pitch ratios and offsets tailored to specific thermal requirements of different areas, achieving targeted cooling distribution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Temperature

If cooling passages are configured with non-orthogonal axes and offset inlet ports, then thermal gradients are reduced and cooling effectiveness is enhanced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal gradient reductionVSAvoidpassage axis alignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling passages are deliberately configured with non-orthogonal axes and offset inlet ports rather than symmetric orthogonal arrangements, optimizing thermal gradient reduction and cooling effectiveness while establishing clear geometric definitions that guide manufacturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The invention specifies particular parameter ranges including pitch ratios between 0.10 and 0.30 and non-orthogonal passage axis angles, transforming the manufacturing challenge into a controlled parameter optimization problem with defined targets and tolerances

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 provides enhanced thermal management by ensuring uniform and targeted cooling distribution, reducing thermal stress and enhancing the durability of engine components.

Implementation Method 1

Each of the plurality of cooling passages is coupled to a respective diffuser... each diffuser conveys diffused cooling flow from the cooling passages to the external wall surface

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 2

reducing thermal gradients... enhances the durability of engine components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

diffused cooling flow... film cooling augmentation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3954867B1Cooling arrangement including overlapping diffusers

Publication Date: 2026.01.28 RTX CORP

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AI summary

A gas turbine engine component (260) according to an example of the present disclosure includes a wall (276) extending in a thickness direction between first and second wall surfaces (276F,276S). The first wall surface bounds an internal cavity. The wall includes a plurality of cooling passages (270). Each of the cooling passages extend in a first direction between an inlet port (270PI) and an outlet port (270PO) coupled to a respective diffuser (270D), and the inlet port coupled to the internal cavity along the first wall surface. Sidewalls of adjacent diffusers are conjoined to establish a common diffuser region interconnecting the diffusers (270D) and a common outlet (274) along the second wall surface. A method of cooling a gas turbine engine component is also disclosed.