Turbine Vane Platform Impingement Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooling schemes for gas turbine engines, particularly for components like turbine blades and vanes, face inefficiencies due to high-temperature leakage flow which affects convective heat transfer and cooling effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of dedicated impingement cooling features, including slot-shaped and angled openings in the engine components, which direct cooling air flows to reduce vortex components and increase the surface area for heat dissipation, thereby enhancing cooling efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional cooling schemes are used for turbine blades and vanes, then the cooling structure is simple, but cooling efficiency deteriorates due to hot fluid recirculation and vortex components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling structure simplicityVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is segmented into multiple functional zones: impingement cooling holes for direct cooling, slot-shaped openings for flow control, and angled openings for directional cooling. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally, improving overall cooling efficiency while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different cooling features are applied to different locations on the turbine vane platform. Impingement cooling holes are positioned where direct cooling is needed, slot-shaped openings are placed to control vortex flow, and angled openings are oriented toward specific high-temperature zones. This local differentiation optimizes cooling efficiency in each critical area without requiring complete redesign of the entire cooling structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If cooling air volume is increased to improve cooling efficiency, then cooling effectiveness improves, but energy loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidcooling air energy loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system converts the harmful hot leakage flow that causes vortex formation into a beneficial cooling resource. The slot-shaped openings and angled openings are designed to redirect this hot flow into controlled cooling streams that impinge on the vane platform, transforming energy that would otherwise be wasted into effective cooling action

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling system changes the parameters of the cooling air through staged acceleration and directional control. Cooling air is accelerated through the slot-shaped openings and redirected at specific angles by the angled openings, optimizing its cooling capability. This parameter optimization allows effective cooling with reduced air volume compared to conventional systems

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

This approach improves cooling efficiency by reducing hot fluid recirculation and increasing the volume of cooling air reaching the high-temperature components, leading to better thermal insulation and reduced component wear.

Implementation Method 1

dedicated impingement cooling features, including slot-shaped and angled openings in the engine components, which direct cooling air flows to reduce vortex components and increase the surface area for heat dissipation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced Convection: Forced Convection

Implementation Method 2

improves cooling efficiency by reducing hot fluid recirculation and increasing the volume of cooling air reaching the high-temperature components, leading to better thermal insulation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat Transfer: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3521571B1Impingement cooling of the platform of turbine vanes
Publication Date: 2021.06.09 RTX CORP
  • EP3521571B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3521571B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3521571B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An exemplary gas turbine engine includes a turbine section positioned about an engine central longitudinal axis (A). The turbine section includes a component (161) with a platform (163) providing a lip (170), a rail (172) extending radially from the platform (163) and at an axial location spaced from an outer axial extension of the lip (170). An inner face (174) of the rail (172) and a surface of the platform (163) at least partially provide a cavity (178). At least one opening (180) extends from the inner face (174) to an outer face (182) of the rail (172) opposite the inner face (174) to provide fluid communication from the cavity (178) to the lip (170).