Axial Turbomachine Blade With Branches Resolving Rigidity Trade-Off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbomachine blades with branches suffer from reduced rigidity and mechanical strength, leading to potential damage from vibrations and flow disturbances, which complicates the distribution of forces and affects aerodynamic performance.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates radially extending branches with opposing ends, connected via a fixing support, forming overlapping rows that enhance mechanical strength and aerodynamic efficiency by distributing forces and reducing the load on central platforms, allowing for thinner airfoil profiles and optimized rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a blade with branches and a central platform is used to reduce the number of blades, then the blade count is reduced, but the rigidity and mechanical strength are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is segmented into multiple independent branches extending from both the leading edge and trailing edge of the airfoil. Each branch is positioned at different circumferential locations, creating a distributed structure that eliminates the need for a central platform while maintaining structural integrity through the airfoil itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The branching structure extends in the circumferential dimension from both leading and trailing edges, utilizing the airfoil's thickness dimension to position branches at different radial locations. This multi-dimensional arrangement distributes mechanical loads throughout the blade structure rather than concentrating them at a central platform.
2Device complexity
If branches are connected via a central platform, then the blade structure is simplified, but flow disturbances increase and mechanical strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The central platform is extracted and removed from the blade structure. Instead of connecting branches through a central platform, the branches are connected through the airfoil structure itself, with branches extending from both leading and trailing edges. This eliminates the flow disturbance caused by a central platform while maintaining structural connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The airfoil serves as an intermediary structure that connects the branches. Rather than using a central platform as the connecting element, the airfoil itself mediates the connection between branches extending from the leading edge and branches extending from the trailing edge, eliminating flow disturbances while maintaining structural integrity.
3Strength
If the platform is made thicker to increase mechanical strength, then the blade can support branch loads, but flow disturbance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The platform is completely extracted from the blade structure. The invention eliminates the platform concept entirely and instead uses the airfoil structure with branches extending from both leading and trailing edges to support and distribute branch loads, thereby avoiding the flow disturbance associated with thickened platforms.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a blade of an axial turbomachine comprising an airfoil which extends radially and a first set of branches or divisions, which radially extend a radial end of the airfoil, and a second set of branches which radially extend the other of the radial ends of the airfoil and which are offset over the circumference of the turbomachine. The branches extend axially along the entire length of the airfoil. The sets have different numbers of branches. The branches further occupy the channel of the turbomachine and further counteract debris in the event of intake.