Gas Turbine Vane Cooling via Expandable Baffle Seal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbine engine turbine vane cooling techniques result in complex inner structures that compromise cooling effectiveness due to multiple cooling schemes and heat transfer inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A method of communicating cooling airflow through a gas turbine engine's airfoil, utilizing a serpentine circuit with a baffle that expands to create an effective seal under higher pressure and temperature conditions, allowing for efficient pass-thru airflow to cool radially inboard structures while maintaining lower temperatures within the pass-thru passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If multiple cooling schemes are used to cool turbine vanes, then cooling coverage is improved, but inner vane structure complexity increases and heat transfer efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cooling functions into a single integrated pass-thru passage that delivers cooling air to both the airfoil surfaces and radially inboard components. This merging eliminates the need for separate cooling schemes and complex internal structures, while maintaining comprehensive cooling coverage through the unified passage design
Solution Approach 2:
The pass-thru passage serves multiple cooling functions simultaneously: it cools the airfoil leading edge, pressure side, and suction side surfaces while also providing cooling to radially inboard components. This multi-functional approach replaces multiple specialized cooling passages with a single universal cooling path
2Temperature
If cooling air is passed through complex inner structures, then cooling coverage is improved, but heat transfer from airfoil walls to cooling air increases, reducing cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from the complex inner vane structures and relocates it to a simplified pass-thru passage. By removing the complex intermediate structures that caused excessive heat transfer, the cooling air maintains its temperature gradient and cooling effectiveness while still reaching all required surfaces
3Temperature
If higher pressure is accommodated in pass-thru passage, then cooling effectiveness under high pressure conditions is improved, but structural strength requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the pass-thru passage by accommodating higher pressure differential between the passage interior and exterior. This parameter change enables effective cooling under high pressure conditions while the passage design maintains structural integrity through optimized geometry and material selection
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 enhances cooling effectiveness by maintaining lower temperatures and accommodating higher pressures within the pass-thru passage, improving heat transfer efficiency and simplifying the inner vane structure, thereby optimizing the cooling process.
Implementation Method 1
the baffle expands, thereby providing an effective seal between the baffle and the ribs
Implementation Method 2
Among the various cooling techniques are convection, impingement, film cooling as well as radiation within and through the airfoil wall surfaces
Implementation Method 3
Among the various cooling techniques are convection, impingement, film cooling as well as radiation within and through the airfoil wall surfaces
Implementation Method 4
improving heat transfer efficiency and simplifying the inner vane structure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A vane structure includes an airfoil section with a first inner airfoil wall surface and a second inner airfoil wall surface. A baffle is mounted within the airfoil section between the first inner airfoil wall surface and the second inner airfoil wall surface.