Turbomachine Vane Rib Retention for Weight Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reduction in disk diameter and vane wall thickness in turbomachine impellers leads to unstable support of vanes due to low thickness walls, causing potential swinging during mounting or operation, and results in reduced robustness due to overstress areas.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a rib at the lower end of the pole of the vane, which extends towards the side wall, allowing the vane to be supported on a portion other than the chamfer, thereby preventing swinging and enhancing holding stability while maintaining low wall thickness for weight reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the wall thickness of the vane pole is reduced to decrease weight, then the weight of the vane is reduced, but the vane becomes unstable and may swing during mounting or operation
Solution Approach 1:
The pole of the vane is segmented into multiple functional zones: an upper portion with reduced thickness for weight reduction, and a lower portion with increased thickness (forming a rib) for stable support. This segmentation allows different parts of the same component to have different thicknesses, optimizing both weight and stability requirements in different regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pole structure implements local quality by having non-uniform thickness distribution: the upper part has thinner walls for weight reduction while the lower part has a thicker rib for stability. This local variation in geometric properties allows the component to simultaneously satisfy conflicting requirements of light weight and stable support.
2Weight of moving object
If the disk diameter is reduced to decrease weight, then the weight of the impeller is reduced, but the support area for the vanes is reduced causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The pole is segmented vertically into different thickness zones, with the lower portion having increased thickness to compensate for the reduced disk diameter. This segmentation allows the overall impeller weight to be reduced through smaller disk diameter while the local reinforcement at the support location maintains stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing wall thickness uniformly in all directions (which would add weight), the reinforcement is applied specifically in the vertical dimension at the lower portion of the pole where support is needed. This dimensional targeting allows stability improvement without proportionate weight increase.
3Weight of moving object
If the wall thickness is reduced throughout the pole height, then weight is reduced, but the robustness decreases due to overstress areas
Solution Approach 1:
The pole is segmented into stress-critical lower portion and less critical upper portion. The lower portion has increased thickness with rib formation to handle stresses from mounting and operation, while the upper portion maintains reduced thickness for weight reduction. This segmentation targets strength reinforcement only where stresses occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The pole structure implements local quality by having non-uniform thickness distribution: the lower part has thicker walls with ribs for stress resistance and robustness, while the upper part has thinner walls for weight reduction. This local variation in geometric properties allows the component to simultaneously satisfy conflicting requirements of light weight and high strength where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A turbomachine vane for cooperating with a vane retention disk including a plurality of peripheral teeth, the vane including a shank including a neck and a bulb for cooperating with a socket of the disk so as to radially hold the shank in the socket, the socket being a space bounded by two successive teeth of the disk, a pole on top of the neck, including two side walls facing the active surface side of the vane and two side walls facing the passive surface side of the vane, each wall having a rib at a lower end of the pole, the rib extending in the direction of the side wall facing the wall and providing a function of holding the vane when the vane is retained in the disk.