Variable Geometry Turbine Shroud Plate Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of shroud plates and nozzle rings for variable geometry turbines is complex and costly due to the need for precise manufacturing tolerances and alignment of vanes slots, which complicates the manufacturing process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple co-axial or concentric plates to form the second wall member, where one plate defines openings that overlie those of another to create vane slots, allows for simpler and less expensive manufacturing by accommodating wider tolerances and enabling adjustable positioning of vanes slots to match specific vane configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a single shroud plate with precisely defined vane slots is used, then the alignment and functionality of vanes are ensured, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to fine tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud plate is segmented into multiple separate plates (first shroud plate, second shroud plate, etc.), each defining arrays of openings. These segments are assembled together to form the complete vane slots, distributing the manufacturing precision requirements across multiple simpler components rather than requiring one complex plate with all slots precisely defined
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple plates with arrays of openings are merged/assembled together to create the functional vane slots. The openings from different plates combine to form the complete slot structure, allowing each plate to be manufactured with wider tolerances while maintaining overall alignment precision through the assembly process
2Reliability
If fine tolerances are enforced for vane slot alignment, then turbine performance is optimized, but production costs and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into separate steps for each plate, allowing parallel production of multiple plates with wider individual tolerances. This increases manufacturing speed while the final assembly ensures consistent turbine performance through proper alignment of the segmented components
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple plates are prepared in advance with their respective arrays of openings before final assembly. This preliminary preparation of separate components with wider tolerances accelerates manufacturing, while the subsequent assembly process ensures the necessary alignment for optimized turbine performance
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom vane slot configurations are designed for specific turbine applications, then turbine efficiency is maximized, but the manufacturing cost increases due to specialized production requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The customizable vane slot configurations are achieved through segmentation, where different arrays of openings are defined on separate plates. This allows flexible design of custom slot patterns for specific turbine applications while keeping each individual plate's manufacturing relatively simple and standardized
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-plate structure with arrays of openings provides universal adaptability for different turbine applications. By configuring the openings on each plate according to specific application requirements, the same basic multi-plate structure can be adapted to various custom vane slot designs without requiring entirely specialized manufacturing processes
Data Source
AI summary
A variable geometry turbine comprises: a turbine wheel in a housing for rotation about a turbine axis; an annular inlet passage defined between respective radial inlet surfaces of first and second wall members, at least one of said first and second wall members being moveable along the turbine axis to vary the size of the inlet passage; an array of vanes extending across the inlet passage, said vanes being connected to said first wall member; a complementary array of vane slots defined by the second wall member, said vane slots configured to receive said vanes to accommodate relative movement between the first and second wall members; the second wall member comprising at least two axially adjacent co-axial plates, a first plate defining a first array of openings which overlie a second array of openings defined by a second plate so as to define said array of vane slots, said first plate being fixed to said second plate.