Variable Cross-Section Cooling Passages for Turbine Blade Outer Air Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing blade outer air seal (BOAS) components in gas turbine engines face challenges in efficiently transferring thermal energy due to the fragility and complexity of manufacturing thinner, smaller cooling passages, which are necessary for effective thermal management but can be prone to defects and damage during manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A core assembly for fabricating an air-cooled BOAS with tailored cross-sectional areas and shapes, featuring variable passage cross-sections that are thicker in susceptible areas to improve manufacturability and robustness while maintaining efficient thermal transfer, using a sacrificial core that can be over-molded with metal alloy and removed once the BOAS is formed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If smaller cooling passages are used to improve thermal transfer efficiency, then thermal energy transfer efficiency is improved, but the core cross-section becomes thinner and more fragile
Solution Approach 1:
The core assembly incorporates variable thickness sections where the core material is thicker in susceptible areas (such as at the ends of passages or in regions prone to damage) and thinner in areas where thermal transfer efficiency is prioritized. This local variation in quality allows the core to maintain structural reliability in critical regions while still achieving efficient thermal transfer in the cooling passages.
2Use of energy by moving object
If thinner core cross-sections are used to create smaller cooling passages, then thermal transfer efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The core assembly is segmented into multiple sections with different thickness characteristics. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized independently - some sections can be thinner for thermal efficiency while others are thicker for manufacturability. The segmented design also facilitates easier assembly and handling during the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the core assembly have locally optimized thickness to balance thermal performance and manufacturability. Thinner sections are placed where maximum thermal transfer is needed, while thicker sections are positioned in areas that are more susceptible to manufacturing defects or require additional structural support during fabrication.
3Use of energy by moving object
If uniform thin core cross-sections are used throughout, then thermal transfer is maximized, but the core becomes prone to defects and damage during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The core assembly features non-uniform thickness distribution with strategically placed thicker sections in areas prone to manufacturing defects. These reinforced sections provide additional structural integrity during the manufacturing process, particularly in regions that undergo molding, handling, or assembly operations, while maintaining thin sections in areas where thermal transfer efficiency is the primary concern.
Data Source
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AI summary
A core assembly (72) for fabricating an air cooled engine component (62) for a gas turbine engine includes an end portion (80A,B) for defining passages (70) within a side of an engine component (62). The end portion (80A, B) defines a first cross-section. A middle portion (82) is spaced apart from the end portion (80A, B) and defines passages through a middle part (76) of the engine component (62). The middle portion (82) defines a second cross-section. One of the first cross-section and the second cross-section includes a first height greater than a second height.