Venturi Drainage Device for Gas Turbine Exhaust Fluid Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fluid pooling in the exhaust ducts of aircraft propulsion systems leads to issues like corrosion, material incompatibility, mold and fungus growth, and sensor malfunctions due to geometry-related fluid collection.
Innovation Solution
A venturi drainage device is integrated into the exhaust system of a gas turbine engine, featuring a first portion with an inlet and a nozzle of reduced diameter, and a second portion with an ejector diffuser and an outlet, creating a gap that allows for fluid drainage through a venturi effect during flight conditions and passive drainage when the engine is not operating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the exhaust duct has a geometry that directs exhaust flow, then exhaust flow efficiency is improved, but fluid pooling occurs in low spots
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust duct is segmented into multiple sections with varying geometries. A first section has a first geometry that directs exhaust flow, while a second section has a second geometry that prevents fluid pooling. This segmentation allows each section to optimize for its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the exhaust duct are given different local geometries tailored to their specific functions. The first section has a geometry optimized for directing exhaust flow, while the second section has a geometry specifically designed to prevent fluid pooling in low spots, allowing each location to have the quality needed for its purpose.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a drainage device is added to prevent fluid pooling, then fluid drainage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust duct serves multiple functions: it directs exhaust flow in its first section and prevents fluid pooling in its second section. By integrating the anti-pooling geometry directly into the duct structure, the system achieves fluid drainage capability without adding separate drainage devices, thereby maintaining simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust duct's own geometry is designed to prevent fluid pooling through its second section. The duct structure itself provides the drainage function through its geometric design, eliminating the need for additional active drainage components and allowing the system to serve its own drainage needs passively.
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
The venturi drainage device effectively prevents fluid accumulation by utilizing ambient air entrainment during engine operation to convert pressure energy into velocity energy, creating a low-pressure zone that draws in ambient air and combines with exhaust flow, and allows for passive drainage when the engine is off, thus mitigating corrosion and other issues associated with fluid pooling.
Implementation Method 1
a suction flow of ambient air is entrained through the passage and into the ejector diffusor by a venturi effect to combine with the exhaust flow
Implementation Method 2
the ejector diffusor creates a venturi effect that converts pressure energy of the exhaust flow to velocity energy to create a low pressure zone that draws the suction flow into the second portion
Data Source
AI summary
An exhaust system of a gas turbine engine includes an exhaust duct, and a venturi drainage device that drains fluid collected in the exhaust duct. The venturi drainage device includes an inlet in fluid communication with the exhaust duct. The venturi drainage device operates in an entrain mode when a flight condition occurs during operating of the gas turbine engine and operates in a drain mode when the gas turbine engine is not operating to drain the fluid from the exhaust duct.