Gas Turbine Core Assemblies for Cooling Circuit Merging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Gas turbine engine components, such as turbine blades and vanes, face challenges in managing high thermal loads due to their exposure to extreme temperatures, requiring effective cooling circuits that are not adequately addressed by existing technologies.

Innovation Solution

The development of core assemblies and core bodies with refractory metal cores that form complex cooling circuits within gas turbine engine components, allowing for multiple branches to extend from a trunk and merge at different locations to provide efficient cooling air discharge on various surfaces, thereby enhancing convective and conductive heat transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional cooling circuits are used in turbine components, then the components can be manufactured with simpler structures, but the cooling effectiveness is insufficient to handle high thermal loads

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidcooling circuit complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling circuit is divided into multiple separate passages (first cooling passage, second cooling passage, third cooling passage) that can be independently designed and positioned. Each passage serves a specific cooling function at different locations within the component, allowing optimized heat removal from high-thermal-load regions while maintaining manageable circuit complexity through modular segmentation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling circuit extends into the third dimension by positioning passages at different depths and locations within the component thickness. The first cooling passage is positioned at a first location and the second cooling passage at a second location, creating multi-dimensional cooling pathways that increase cooling effectiveness without proportionally increasing planar complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If cooling passages are positioned closer to the surface for better heat transfer, then convective cooling improves, but the structural integrity of the component may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat transfer efficiencyVSAvoidcomponent structural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Different regions of the component are provided with different cooling passage configurations based on local thermal load requirements. The first cooling passage is positioned at a first location optimized for heat transfer, while the second cooling passage is positioned at a second location optimized for heat transfer, with each positioning tailored to the specific thermal conditions of that region while maintaining overall structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple cooling circuits are implemented to cool different regions, then thermal management coverage improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal management coverageVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple cooling passages are merged into a single integrated cooling system that shares common features such as the first cooling passage, second cooling passage, and third cooling passage. The passages are designed to work together as a coordinated system, allowing thermal management of multiple regions through a unified approach that reduces manufacturing complexity compared to completely separate cooling systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This solution effectively manages high thermal loads by providing multiple cooling exits on different surfaces of the components, improving heat transfer efficiency and reducing the complexity of cooling systems, thus enhancing the durability and performance of gas turbine engine components.

Implementation Method 1

cooling circuits to be placed just under the surface of the airfoil through which cooling air flows and is expelled into the gaspath

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

enhancing convective and conductive heat transfer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS10323569B2Core assemblies and gas turbine engine components formed therefrom

Publication Date: 2019.06.18 RTX CORP

AI summary

Core assemblies and methods for manufacturing components of gas turbine engines include a first core body having a first trunk configured to attach to a first location of a cavity core structure, a first branch extending from the first trunk and configured to form a first portion of a first cooling circuit, the first branch having a first joining surface, and a second core body having a second trunk configured to attach to a second location of a cavity core structure, a first branch of the second core body extending from the second trunk and configured to form a first portion of a second cooling circuit in the component. The first branches of the core bodies joined to form a junction. The junction defines a merger of the first cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit proximate to an exit of the first and second cooling circuits.