Voluted Hook-Shaped Angel-Wing Flow Discourager Against Hot Gas Ingress

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hot gas ingress into disk cavities between rotor and stator assemblies in gas turbine engines is detrimental to durability due to uneven pressure fields, leading to high temperatures.

Innovation Solution

A voluted hook-shaped flow discourager integrated into the stator platform redirects hot gas ingress, creating a recirculation zone to guide the gas back into the main flow path, using a cross-sectional profile approximating the Fibonacci spiral.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If rotor and stator assemblies are positioned close to each other to maximize power density, then productivity is improved, but hot gas ingress into the disk cavity increases causing temperature extremes that reduce reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower densityVSAvoidturbine durability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A flow discourager structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the rotor and stator assemblies. This flow discourager redirects hot gas flow away from the disk cavity, preventing direct ingress while allowing the rotor and stator to remain in close proximity for high power density operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The harmful hot gas ingress is extracted or removed from the disk cavity environment by using the flow discourager to redirect the gas flow into alternative paths, effectively separating the hot gas from the sensitive rotor-stator interface region.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If a flow discourager is added to prevent hot gas ingress, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveturbine durabilityVSAvoidstator assembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flow discourager is merged with the stator platform structure, integrating the flow control function into the existing stator assembly geometry. This combination approach adds the necessary flow redirection capability while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Effectively prevents hot gas intrusion into disk cavities, maintaining turbine durability by redirecting the gas and reducing temperature extremes.

Implementation Method 1

A voluted hook-shaped flow discourager integrated into the stator platform redirects hot gas ingress, creating a recirculation zone to guide the gas back into the main flow path

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid dynamics:

Data Source

PatentEP4191026B1Voluted hook-shaped angel-wing flow discourager

Publication Date: 2025.10.22 SOLAR TURBINES INC

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AI summary

In the turbine (140) of a gas turbine engine (100), disk cavities exist between rotor and stator assemblies. These disk cavities enable hot gas from the hot gas flow path to ingress between the rotor and stator assemblies with detrimental effects to the durability of the turbine (140). Thus, a flow discourager (300) is disclosed that can be integrated into the platform (220) of a stator assembly (144) that is downstream from a rotor assembly (142). The flow discourager (300) comprises a continuous external surface (330) that defines a recirculation zone (230B) within a disk cavity that is aft to a rotor assembly (142) to circulate the hot gas back out into the hot gas flow path.