V-Shaped Turbine Blade Tip for Lighter Shrouds and Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine blades, particularly shrouds, are heavy and costly due to the use of traditional materials, leading to inefficiencies under high mechanical centrifugal forces.
Innovation Solution
A turbine blade tip with a V-shaped design and integrated sealing fins, which are either machined or added via additive processes, reduces weight while maintaining structural integrity and sealing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional materials are used for shrouds, then structural integrity is maintained, but weight increases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is divided into multiple segments or sections along its length, allowing each segment to be optimized independently for weight reduction while maintaining overall structural integrity through controlled connections between segments
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the shroud are designed with varying thicknesses, material densities, or structural configurations tailored to local stress requirements, reducing weight in low-stress areas while maintaining strength where needed
2Weight of moving object
If lighter materials are used for shrouds, then weight is reduced, but material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The design changes geometric parameters such as thickness, cross-sectional area, or profile dimensions of the shroud to reduce weight while continuing to use cost-effective traditional materials, avoiding the need for expensive lightweight materials
3Reliability
If sealing fins are integrated into the blade tip, then sealing effectiveness improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing fins are integrated directly into the blade tip structure as a unified component rather than separate attachments, improving sealing effectiveness while streamlining manufacturing through single-piece construction or simplified assembly processes
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine blade having an aerofoil, wherein the aerofoil extends along a longitudinal axis, and having a blade tip, wherein, at the blade tip, a lower V limb of an element of V-shaped cross section extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis from a leading edge to a trailing edge, and having an upper V limb which has an outer surface, wherein the longitudinal axis is at an angle of 80° to 100°, in particular 90°, with respect to the outer surface. A method for producing such a turbine blade having a blade tip, in which method the blade tip is produced by removal of material from a wedge-shaped shroud.