Gas Turbine Vane Cooling Flow Split Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas turbine engine components face challenges in controlling exit temperatures and pressures of cooling flows, especially when cooling flows are supplied 100% from either cooling cavities or direct sources, leading to difficulties in balancing heat loads across airfoil bodies.
Innovation Solution
A turbine assembly with a platform cavity cooled by a platform flow, featuring a platform-fed through cavity and a direct-fed through cavity that meet at an outlet to form an outgoing through flow, which also includes a platform-fed serpentine cavity separated by a divider, allowing for balanced heat load distribution by mixing flows from different sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If cooling flow is supplied 100% from platform cooling passages, then platform cooling is simplified, but exit temperature and pressure control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling flow supply system is segmented into multiple independent sources: platform cooling passages and direct feed sources. Each source can be independently controlled to provide cooling flow to different cavities, allowing flexible combination ratios to achieve precise exit temperature and pressure control while maintaining manageable system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If cooling flow is supplied 100% from direct feed source, then temperature control is simplified, but heat load balancing across airfoil bodies becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the airfoil body receive cooling flow with different qualities (temperature, pressure, flow rate) tailored to local heat load requirements. The system divides the airfoil into multiple cavities (platform-fed through cavity, direct-fed through cavity, serpentine cavity) that can be independently supplied from appropriate sources to match local thermal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the ratio of cooling flow from platform passages versus direct feed sources based on operating conditions and heat load distribution. This dynamic flexibility allows optimal heat load balancing across different airfoil regions while maintaining simplified temperature control through coordinated flow management.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cooling sources are combined, then heat load balancing is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cooling sources (platform cooling passages and direct feed sources) are merged to supply cooling flow to various airfoil cavities. The system combines these sources in different ratios depending on the cavity requirements, achieving superior heat load balancing while managing complexity through integrated flow paths and coordinated control of the combined sources.
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
Enables flexible control of through flow exit temperature, allowing the system to absorb heat loads effectively by mixing cooling flows from different sources, thereby maintaining optimal component temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a platform cavity cooled by a platform flow
Implementation Method 2
a direct-fed through cavity cooled by a direct-fed through flow
Implementation Method 3
a blade may be disposed aft of the vane and be cooled by the outgoing through flow
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A turbine assembly comprises a platform defining a platform cavity (125) cooled by a platform flow with a vane (90) extending from the platform. A platform-fed through cavity (126) is defined by the vane (90) and cooled by a first portion of the platform flow. A direct-fed through flow cavity (124) is defined in the vane (90) and cooled by a direct-fed through flow. The direct-fed through flow cavity (124) and the platform-fed through cavity (126) meet at an outlet (139) to expel an outgoing through flow from the outlet (139). A platform-fed serpentine cavity (128) is defined in the vane (90) and separated from the platform-fed through cavity (126) by a divider (130). The platform-fed serpentine cavity (128) is cooled by a second portion of the platform flow.