Characterization of Laser Additive Manufacturing-Fabricated Porous Superalloys for Turbine Components

Author(s):  
Brandon Ealy ◽  
Luisana Calderon ◽  
Wenping Wang ◽  
Ranier Valentin ◽  
Ilya Mingareev ◽  
...  

The limits of gas turbine technology are heavily influenced by materials and manufacturing capabilities. Lately, incremental performance gains responsible for increasing the allowable turbine inlet temperature (TIT) have been made mainly through innovations in cooling technology, specifically convective cooling schemes. Laser additive manufacturing (LAM) is a promising manufacturing technology that uses lasers to selectively melt powders of metal in a layer-by-layer process to directly manufacture components, paving the way to manufacture designs that are not possible with conventional casting methods. This study investigates manufacturing qualities seen in LAM methods and its ability to successfully produce complex features found in turbine blades. A leading edge segment of a turbine blade, containing both internal and external cooling features, along with an engineered-porous structure is fabricated by laser additive manufacturing of superalloy powders. Through a nondestructive approach, the presented geometry is analyzed against the departure of the design by utilizing X-ray computed tomography (CT). Variance distribution between the design and manufactured leading edge segment are carried out for both internal impingement and external transpiration hole diameters. Flow testing is performed in order to characterize the uniformity of porous regions and flow characteristics across the entire article for various pressure ratios (PR). Discharge coefficients of internal impingement arrays and engineered-porous structures are quantified. The analysis yields quantitative data on the build quality of the LAM process, providing insight as to whether or not it is a viable option for direct manufacture of microfeatures in current turbine blade production.

Author(s):  
Brandon Ealy ◽  
Luisana Calderon ◽  
Wenping Wang ◽  
Jay Kapat ◽  
Ilya Mingareev ◽  
...  

The limits of gas turbine technology are heavily influenced by materials and manufacturing capabilities. Inconel alloys remain the material of choice for most hot gas path components in gas turbines, however recent increases in turbine inlet temperature (TIT) are associated with the development of advanced convective cooling methods and ceramic thermal barrier coatings (TBC). Increasing cycle efficiency and cycle specific work are the primary drivers for increasing TIT. Lately, incremental performance gains responsible for increasing the allowable TIT have been made mainly through innovations in cooling technology, specifically convective cooling schemes. An emerging manufacturing technology may further facilitate the increase of allowable maximum TIT, thereby impacting cycle efficiency capabilities. Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM) is a promising manufacturing technology that uses lasers to selectively melt powders of metal in a layer-by-layer process to directly manufacture components, paving the way to manufacture designs that are not possible with conventional casting methods. This study investigates manufacturing qualities seen in LAM methods and its ability to successfully produce complex features found in turbine blades. A leading edge segment of a turbine blade, containing both internal and external cooling features, along with an engineered-porous structure is fabricated by laser additive manufacturing of superalloy powders. Various cooling features were incorporated in the design, consisting of internal impingement cooling, internal lattice structures, and external showerhead or transpiration cooling. The internal structure was designed as a lattice of intersecting cylinders in order to mimic that of a porous material. Variance distribution between the design and manufactured leading edge segment are carried out for both internal impingement and external transpiration hole diameters. Through a non-destructive approach, the presented geometry is further analyzed against the departure of the design by utilizing x-ray computed tomography (CT). Employing this non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method, a more thorough analysis of the quality of manufacture is established by revealing the internal structures of the porous region and internal impingement array. Flow testing was performed in order to characterize the uniformity of porous regions and flow characteristics across the entire article for various pressure ratios (PR). Discharge coefficient of internal impingement arrays and porous structure are quantified. The analysis yields quantitative data on the build quality of the LAM process, providing insight as to whether or not it is a viable option for manufacture of micro-features in current turbine blade production.


Author(s):  
P. J. Disimile ◽  
D. M. Paule

The primary objective of this paper is to present the results of research into the effects of periodic excitation upon the local heat transfer characteristics of a turbine blade cooled by an impinging jet of air. A curved plate (used to simulate the inner leading edge of a turbine blade) was subjected to a two-dimensional jet flow field (Re = 10,000) with a superimposed periodic acoustic disturbance. When compared to the naturally disturbed flow, the excited flow field was found to reduce the local Nusselt number and cool the blade less efficiently (by as much as ten percent in the extreme cases). The results of the study appear to indicate that harmonic disturbances present a serious controlling factor in the quest for optimization of turbine blade cooling techniques. By isolating dominant frequencies in gas turbine engines and working to suppress them, the authors believe it possible to make significant contributions towards the desired increase in turbine inlet temperature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 403-416
Author(s):  
Chirag Sharma ◽  
Siddhant Kumar ◽  
Aanya Singh ◽  
Kartik R. Bhat Hire ◽  
Vedant Karnatak ◽  
...  

Developments in the gas turbine technology have caused widespread usage of the Turbomachines for power generation. With increase in the power demand and a drop in the availability of fuel, usage of turbines with higher efficiencies has become imperative. This is only possible with an increase in the turbine inlet temperature (TIT) of the gas. However, the higher limit of TIT is governed by the metallurgical boundary conditions set by the material used to manufacture the turbine blades. Hence, turbine blade cooling helps in drastically controlling the blade temperature of the turbine and allows a higher turbine inlet temperature. The blade could be cooled from the leading edge, from the entire surface of the blade or from the trailing edge. The various methods of blade cooling from leading edge and its comparative study were reviewed and summarized along with their advantages and disadvantages.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 7637-7647
Author(s):  
E. Hosseini

One way to achieve high performance in the gas turbine is to increase the inlet temperature of the turbine. Different cooling techniques have been carried out in order to protect the turbine blades which have been exposed to such high temperatures. Film cooling as an essential cooling method needs to be enhanced to meet the challenging demand. The purpose of the present research is to analyze the film cooling performance over a NACA 0012 gas turbine blade using six different injection holes with and without opening angles, separately through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). 2D Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are implemented to consider the heat transfer and flow characteristics by using CFD code Ansys Fluent v16. The flow is considered as steady, turbulent, and incompressible. The RANS equation is solved with the finite-volume method for obtaining solutions. The simulation results revealed that the k-ω SST turbulence model is suitable for simulating the flow characteristics and analyzing the performance of film cooling over the blade. Also, the opening angle has a significant effect on increasing the cooling efficiency for the upper blade surface. The highest value of cooling efficiency is obtained by the injection hole with an opening angle of 15° and height of D. In this configuration, the coolant injected from hole provides better cooling coverage for the entire blade which increases the cooling effectiveness.


2006 ◽  
Vol 326-328 ◽  
pp. 1161-1164
Author(s):  
Kwang Su Kim ◽  
Youn Jea Kim

In order to protect turbine blades from high temperature, film cooling can be applied to gas turbine engine system since it can prevent corrosion and facture of material. To enhance the film cooling performance in the vicinity of the turbine blade leading edge, flow characteristics of the film-cooled turbine blade have been investigated using a cylindrical body model. Mainstream Reynolds number based on the cylinder diameter was 1.01×105 and the mainstream turbulence intensities were about 0.2%. CO2 was used as coolant to simulate the effect of coolant-tomainstream density ratio. The effect of coolant flow rates was studied for various blowing ratios of 0.5, 0.8, 1.1 and 1.4, respectively. Results show that the blowing ratio has a strong effect on film cooling effectiveness and the coolant trajectory is sensitive to the blowing ratio.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Z. Hao ◽  
X. Yang ◽  
Z. Feng

Abstract Particulate deposits in aero-engine turbines change the profile of blades, increase the blade surface roughness and block internal cooling channels and film cooling holes, which generally leads to the degradation of aerodynamic and cooling performance. To reveal particle deposition effects in the turbine, unsteady simulations were performed by investigating the migration patterns and deposition characteristics of the particle contaminant in a one-stage, high-pressure turbine of an aero-engine. Two typical operating conditions of the aero-engine, i.e. high-temperature take-off and economic cruise, were discussed, and the effects of particle size on the migration and deposition of fly-ash particles were demonstrated. A critical velocity model was applied to predict particle deposition. Comparisons between the stator and rotor were made by presenting the concentration and trajectory of the particles and the resulting deposition patterns on the aerofoil surfaces. Results show that the migration and deposition of the particles in the stator passage is dominated by the flow characteristics of fluid and the property of particles. In the subsequential rotor passage, in addition to these factors, particles are also affected by the stator–rotor interaction and the interference between rotors. With higher inlet temperature and larger diameter of the particle, the quantity of deposits increases and the deposition is distributed mainly on the Pressure Side (PS) and the Leading Edge (LE) of the aerofoil.


Author(s):  
C. R. Hedlund ◽  
P. M. Ligrani ◽  
H.-K. Moon ◽  
B. Glezer

Heat transfer and fluid mechanics results are given for a swirl chamber whose geometry models an internal passage used to cool the leading edge of a turbine blade. The Reynolds numbers investigated, based on inlet duct characteristics, include values which are the same as in the application (18000–19400). The ratio of absolute air temperature between the inlet and wall of the swirl chamber ranges from 0.62 to 0.86 for the heat transfer measurements. Spatial variations of surface Nusselt numbers along swirl chamber surfaces are measured using infrared thermography in conjunction with thermocouples, energy balances, digital image processing, and in situ calibration procedures. The structure and streamwise development of arrays of Görtler vortex pairs, which develop along concave surfaces, are apparent from flow visualizations. Overall swirl chamber structure is also described from time-averaged surveys of the circumferential component of velocity, total pressure, static pressure, and the circumferential component of vorticity. Important variations of surface Nusselt numbers and time-averaged flow characteristics are present due to arrays of Görtler vortex pairs, especially near each of the two inlets, where Nusselt numbers are highest. Nusselt numbers then decrease and become more spatially uniform along the interior surface of the chamber as the flows advect away from each inlet.


2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (06) ◽  
pp. 415-419
Author(s):  
M. Hillebrecht ◽  
V. Uhlenwinkel ◽  
A. von Hehl ◽  
H. Zapf ◽  
B. Schob

Mithilfe laserbasierter generativer Fertigungsverfahren (Laser Additive Manufacturing – LAM) ist es möglich, potentiell komplexe Bauteilgeometrien variantenreich herzustellen. Damit kann Gewicht eingespart werden und Funktionen sind integrierbar. In Kombination mit Automatisierungs- und innovativer Lasertechnik in der Schweiß- und Schneidapplikation lässt sich dieser Prozess wirtschaftlich nutzen. Durch pulverbettbasierte Lasergenerierverfahren können metallische Bauteile schichtweise aufgebaut werden, jedoch ist die Auswahl der Werkstoffe limitiert. Im Forschungsprojekt StaVari (Additive Fertigungsprozesse für komplexe Produkte in variantenreicher und hochfunktionaler Stahlbauweisen) vereinen sich die neuesten Erkenntnisse in Material-, Laser-, Füge- und Automatisierungstechnik, um modernen Anforderungen der Automobilbranche in der Massenfertigung sowie bei der Medizintechnik in der Kleinserie gerecht zu werden.   Laser Additive Manufacturing LAM has the potential to generate complex geometries. Through this weight reduction, functional integration and multi-variant production is possible. In combination with automation and innovative laser technology applicated in welding and cutting, this process can be used economically. With powderbed based laser additive manufacturing metal parts can be built up layer by layer. However selection of available metals is limited. In the project StaVari latest findings in material-, laser-, joining and automation technology are joint by qualified partners to meet modern automotive demands in mass production and medicine technology for small batch series.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Pinelli ◽  
Andrea Amedei ◽  
Enrico Meli ◽  
Federico Vanti ◽  
Benedetta Romani ◽  
...  

Abstract The need for high performances is pushing the complexity of mechanical design at very high levels, especially for turbomachinery components. Structural topology optimization methods together with additive manufacturing techniques for high resistant alloys are considered very promising tools, but their potentialities have not been deeply investigated yet for critical rotating components like new-generation turbine blades. This research work proposes a methodology for the design, the optimization and the additive manufacturing of extremely stressed turbomachinery components like turbine blade-rows. The presented procedure pays particular attention to important aspects of the problems as fluid-structure interactions and fatigue of materials, going beyond the standard structural optimization approaches found in the literature. The numerical procedure shows robustness and efficiency, making the proposed methodology a good tool for rapid design and prototyping, and for reducing the design costs and the time-to-market typical of these mechanical elements. The procedure has been applied to a low-pressure turbine rotor to improve the aeromechanical behavior while keeping the aerodynamic performance. From the original geometry, mode-shapes, forcing functions and aerodynamic damping have been numerically evaluated and are used as input data for the following topological optimization. Finally, the optimized geometry has been verified in order to confirm the improved aeromechanical design. After the structural topology optimization, the final geometries provided by the procedure have been then properly rendered to make them suitable for additive manufacturing. Some prototypes of the new optimized turbine blade have been manufactured to be tested in terms of fatigue.


Author(s):  
Andrea Amedei ◽  
Enrico Meli ◽  
Andrea Rindi ◽  
Benedetta Romani ◽  
Lorenzo Pinelli ◽  
...  

Abstract The need for high performances is pushing the complexity of mechanical design at very high levels, especially for turbomachinery components. In this field, structural topology optimization methods together with additive manufacturing techniques for high resistant alloys are considered very promising tools, but their potentialities have not been deeply investigated yet for critical rotating components like new-generation turbine blades. In this framework, this research work proposes a methodology for the design, the optimization and the additive manufacturing of extremely stressed turbomachinery components like turbine blade-rows. The presented procedure pays particular attention to important aspects of the problems as fluid-structure interactions (forced response and flutter phenomena) and fatigue of materials, going beyond the standard structural optimization approaches found in the literature. The new design strategy enables a substantial reduction of the component mass, limiting the maximum stress and improving the vibrational behaviour of the system in terms of eigenfrequencies, modal shapes and fatigue life. Furthermore, the numerical procedure shows robustness and efficiency, making the proposed methodology a good tool for rapid design and prototyping, and for reducing the design costs and the time-to-market typical of this kind of mechanical elements. The procedure has been applied to a low-pressure turbine rotor to improve the aeromechanical behavior while keeping the aerodynamic performance. From the original geometry, mode-shapes, forcing functions (due to rotor/stator interactions) and aerodynamic damping have been numerically evaluated and are used as input data for the following topological optimization. Finally, the optimized geometry has been verified in order to confirm the improved aeromechanical design. After the structural topology optimization, the final geometries provided by the procedure have been then properly rendered to make them suitable for additive manufacturing. Some prototypes of the new optimized turbine blade have been manufactured from aluminum to be tested mechanically and in terms of fatigue.


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