Additive Turbine Platform Contours for Clock-Position Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional turbine components in gas turbine engines face limitations in cooling efficiency and uniformity due to fixed geometries and limited cooling channel designs, which affect the hot gas flow and lifespan of the components, especially as temperatures increase and geometries become more complex.
Innovation Solution
The method involves additive manufacturing to create customized turbine components with contoured hot gas path surfaces and advanced cooling features, such as film cooling holes and microchannels, that can be tailored to specific mounting locations within the engine, allowing for optimized fluid flow and cooling based on the clock position of the components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional discrete transition pieces are mounted at discrete clock positions, then the hot gas flow can be altered, but the cooling efficiency and uniformity remain limited due to fixed geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by customizing cooling channels and hot gas path surfaces according to specific mounting locations (clock positions). Each turbine component can have unique cooling features tailored to its location, allowing different parts of the component to have different cooling characteristics based on local thermal conditions and flow requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic adaptability by allowing turbine components to be customized for different mounting positions. The cooling channel geometries and hot gas path surfaces can be varied dynamically based on the clock position, transforming from fixed conventional designs to location-adaptive designs that optimize performance for each specific installation position.
2Ease of manufacture
If turbine components are designed with fixed geometries, then manufacturing is simplified, but cooling uniformity and flow efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements local quality by varying cooling channel geometries and hot gas path surfaces according to specific mounting locations. This allows each component to have customized cooling features tailored to its location, achieving location-specific optimization while maintaining manufacturability through systematic design approaches.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional turbine components are used, then manufacturing costs are lower, but component lifespan decreases due to limited cooling capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by customizing cooling channels and hot gas path surfaces according to specific mounting locations. This location-specific optimization enhances cooling efficiency and component lifespan while maintaining cost-effectiveness through targeted improvements rather than complete redesigns.
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 approach enhances the efficiency and uniformity of hot gas flow, increases the lifespan of turbine components, and reduces manufacturing costs by enabling the use of a single casting for multiple engines, while allowing for customization based on mounting location.
Implementation Method 1
additive manufacturing an article having a proximal face sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of an upper surface of a platform of a base component
Data Source
AI summary
At least one turbine component for a gas turbine includes a base component formed by casting and an article. The base component includes a platform. The article on the upper surface of the platform is formed by additive manufacturing. The article has a proximal face sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of the upper surface of the platform of the turbine component and a contoured distal face opposite the proximal face. The contoured distal face has a contour surface serving as at least a portion of a hot gas path surface of the turbine component. The contour surface is arranged and disposed to provide a controlled flow pattern of a working fluid across the contour surface based on a clock mounting location of the turbine component in a turbine.