Turbine Rotor Blade Platform Cooling via Segmented Impingement Insert

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional platform cooling designs for turbine rotor blades face challenges such as inadequate sealing, limited coolant control, inefficient coolant usage, high manufacturing costs, and lack of flexibility, leading to inadequate cooling and reduced engine efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A platform cooling arrangement featuring a removable impingement insert with impingement apertures, which separates the platform into radially stacked plenums and connects to high and low-pressure coolant regions within the interior cooling passage, enhancing coolant distribution and heat exchange across the platform region.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional platform cooling designs are used, then the platform region is cooled, but inadequate sealing and limited coolant control result in inefficient coolant usage and reduced cooling effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidinefficient coolant usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The platform is segmented into multiple cooling zones using radially stacked plenums separated by an impingement insert. This segmentation allows independent coolant flow control in different regions, improving cooling effectiveness while reducing waste by directing coolant only where needed rather than using a single undifferentiated cooling chamber.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the platform receive differentiated coolant treatment through the plenum structure. The impingement insert creates localized high-velocity coolant jets at specific hot spots while other regions receive gentler cooling, optimizing coolant usage efficiency and cooling effectiveness by matching cooling intensity to local thermal demands.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If conventional platform cooling designs are used, then cooling is provided, but high manufacturing costs and lack of flexibility are incurred

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost and flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The impingement insert is designed as a removable component that can be extracted and replaced without replacing the entire platform or cooling structure. This dynamic configuration allows the cooling system to be adapted, reconfigured, or upgraded independently, providing manufacturing flexibility and cost savings while maintaining reliable cooling performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

By separating the impingement insert as a distinct removable component from the platform structure, the design enables independent manufacturing and replacement of the cooling insert. This segmentation reduces manufacturing costs by allowing specialized production of only the insert component while maintaining overall cooling system reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Temperature

If the platform is cooled with compressed air or coolant, then thermal stresses are reduced, but inadequate sealing and geometry challenges lead to poor coolant distribution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplatform temperature controlVSAvoidcoolant distribution efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The impingement insert acts as an intermediary component between the coolant supply and the platform surface. It receives coolant from the plenums and redistributes it through controlled flow paths and impingement holes, ensuring efficient coolant distribution across the platform surface while maintaining effective sealing, thereby improving both temperature control and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 provides efficient, flexible, and cost-effective cooling of the platform region, improving durability and engine efficiency by effectively managing coolant flow and reducing thermal stresses, while allowing for easy reconfiguration or retrofitting of cooling arrangements.

Implementation Method 1

a removably-engaged impingement insert that separates the platform into two radially stacked plenums... the impingement insert comprises a plurality of impingement apertures

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImpingement cooling: Convection

Implementation Method 2

enhancing coolant distribution and heat exchange across the platform region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 3

a high-pressure connector that connects the first plenum to the high-pressure coolant region of the interior cooling passage; and a low-pressure connector that connects the second plenum to the low-pressure coolant region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS8684664B2Apparatus and methods for cooling platform regions of turbine rotor blades

Publication Date: 2014.04.01 GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECH LLC

AI summary

A platform cooling configuration in a turbine rotor blade that includes platform slot formed through at least one of the pressure side slashface and the suction side slashface; a removably-engaged impingement insert that separates the platform into two radially stacked plenums, a first plenum that resides inboard of a second plenum; a high-pressure connector that connects the first plenum to the high-pressure coolant region of the interior cooling passage; a low-pressure connector that connects the second plenum to the low-pressure coolant region of the interior cooling passage.