Gas Turbine Platform Cooling via Prioritized Fluid Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine components face challenges in effectively prioritizing cooling at hotter surfaces before cooling cooler surfaces, leading to inefficient heat management and potential thermal distress.
Innovation Solution
A gas turbine engine component design featuring a cover plate with strategically positioned cooling entrances that direct cooling fluid to hotter surfaces before reaching cooler surfaces, utilizing internal cores and platform cooling passages to enhance heat transfer and prioritize cooling at high-temperature locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling fluid is distributed uniformly across the component surface, then all areas receive equal cooling, but hotter surfaces remain under-cooled while cooler surfaces become over-cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the density and distribution of cooling holes across different regions of the component surface. Areas with higher temperature concentrations (such as leading edges or regions near heat sources) are equipped with higher densities of cooling holes, while cooler regions have lower densities. This non-uniform distribution ensures that cooling effort is concentrated where thermal stress is highest, improving reliability without wasting cooling fluid on already-cool areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by strategically pre-positioning cooling holes in locations that will experience the highest temperatures during operation. The design anticipates thermal patterns and places cooling capacity in advance at critical locations before thermal distress occurs, preventing hot spots from developing rather than reacting to them after they form.
2Temperature
If cooling holes are concentrated at leading edges only, then leading edge cooling is maximized, but other hot spots on the component surface remain under-cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the component surface into multiple thermal zones, each with its own cooling hole pattern optimized for that region's thermal characteristics. Rather than treating the entire surface uniformly or focusing on only the leading edge, the cooling system is segmented into zones (such as leading edge zone, mid-section zone, trailing edge zone) with varying hole densities and arrangements, ensuring comprehensive thermal management across all hot spots.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by tailoring the cooling hole characteristics (density, size, orientation) to the specific thermal requirements of each component region. Areas with higher heat flux receive more intensive cooling, while regions with lower thermal loads receive proportionally less cooling, optimizing overall thermal management efficiency and reliability.
3Temperature
If cooling fluid flow rate is increased, then cooling effectiveness at hot spots improves, but energy consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing higher cooling fluid flow rates specifically to regions with the highest temperature concentrations, while maintaining lower flow rates in cooler regions. This localized flow distribution maximizes cooling effectiveness at critical hot spots without unnecessarily increasing overall energy consumption, as cooling effort is precisely matched to thermal demand in each region.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by applying intensive cooling (higher flow rate, higher hole density) only to the extent necessary for each specific region's thermal requirements. Rather than uniformly over-cooling the entire component, the system applies cooling effort partially and proportionally to actual thermal needs, reducing wasted energy while maintaining adequate cooling at all locations.
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 design effectively prioritizes cooling at high-temperature surfaces, improving thermal management and extending the lifespan of components by ensuring that the hottest areas are cooled first, thereby reducing thermal stress and enhancing overall engine performance.
Implementation Method 1
direct cooling fluid F through a plurality of cooling entrances 84 formed in the cover plate 74 to a prioritized location P1 of the platform 62
Data Source
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AI summary
A component for a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a platform having a non-gas path surface and a gas path surface, a cover plate positioned relative to the non-gas path surface and a cooling passage that extends between the cover plate and the non-gas path surface. At least one cooling entrance is formed through the cover plate and configured to bias the flow of a cooling fluid toward a prioritized location of the non-gas path surface.