Design Optimization of Gas Turbine

Blade Internal Cooling Channels

Narasimha R. Nagaiah and Christopher D. Geiger

Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
University of Central Florida
4000 Central Florida Blvd
Orlando, FL 32816-2993
USA

2013 IIE Industrial & Systems Engineering Research

Conference
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Outline
Background

Power Generation
Turbines for Power Generation
Motivation of Research Investigation
Proposed

Design Optimization Approach

Computational Study
Problem Formulation and Parameter Setting
Experimental Results
Summary

and Conclusions
Future Research Directions

Background
Power Generation
Global Energy Demand

ExxonMobil projects that global

energy demand will grow by 1.2%
annually, on average, between
2008 to 2035 - resulting in about a
30% increase from 2008 to 2035

Turbines for Power

Generation

Turbines, in general, are the

heart of almost all of the
world's electric power
generating systems.
(Source: National Energy
Technology Laboratory
(NETL))

Approximately 5000+
power plants in the world

Turbines are involved in

generation of about 98% of
all electricity added to US
Grid (IBISWorld Report 2009)

Background

Turbines are classified based

on the driving fluid
Steam, Gas, Water and Wind

Focus of this study: Gas

Turbines
Used for power generation
Also used for

transportation

Background
Their Working Principle and Critical Components of Gas Turbines
FUEL

Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT)

COMPRESSION

EXPANSION

COMBUSTION

3
GENERATOR

COMPRESSOR

TURBINE

Courtesy: Dr.Sommai Priprem, Khon Kaen University

EXHAUST

INTAKE

Courtesy:
http://www.turbocare.com/gas_turbine_parts.html

Figure: Gas turbine Critical Components

Courtesy: www.me.umn.edu

Figure: Vane or Nozzle

Figure: Blade

Background
Gas Turbine Internal Cooling System

Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT) has greatest influence on core

power and thermal efficiency
TIT reaches metal melting point temperatures (2200 F to
2600 F)
Hot gas path components are cooled by a small percentage of
compressed air that is extracted from the compressor by a
cooling supply system

Background
Blade Internal Cooling System Configuration
Focus

is rib-configured
internal cooling channels

Ribs

increase air flow

turbulence, thereby increasing
heat transfer

Ribs

decrease air flow

pressure, thereby decreasing
core power output

Therefore,

important to
balance cooling
effectiveness (heat
transfer) and cooling air
flow pressure

Figure :The schematic of a modern gas turbine blade with common cooling techniques [obtained from Han (2004)]

Motivation
Traditional

mechanical component design

optimization uses numerical simulation and
experimental methods to test new, pre-specified
designs
Potential designs are limited in number
Time and cost prohibitive to validate all possible designs

Blade

internal cooling channel design should

simultaneously satisfy two primary objectives:
Maximize the cooling effectiveness ( ) (or, heat transfer

coefficient (h))
Minimize the pressure drop (p) in the internal cooling
channel

Proposed Approach
Design Optimization of Gas Turbine Blade Internal Cooling Channels
Set of Input Data:{Periodic Segment
Dimensions, Boundary Conditions,
Objective Functions, Design Variables
and Initial Values, Optimizing Procedure
Control Parameters}

Yes

Terminatio
n Criteria
Met?
No

Perturb the Set of

Design Variable Values

Report Set
of Final
Design
Values

Generate Geometric
Model of the Periodic
Segment of the
Component Using
Design Values

Update the Set of

Candidate Design Values

Optimizer

Set of Design
Variable Values
and
Corresponding
Objective Function
Values

Generate Mesh of
Geometric Model
Enforce Boundary
Conditions and
Constraints
Solve Governing
Equations
Compute Objective
Function Values

Solution
Evaluation
(Simulator)

Proposed Approach
Optimization of Gas Turbine Blade Internal Cooling Channels
Set of Input Data:{Periodic Segment
Dimensions, Boundary Conditions,
Objective Functions, Design Variables
and Initial Values, Optimizing Procedure
Control Values}

Yes

Terminatio
n Criteria
Met?
No

Perturb the Set of

Design Variable Values

Report Set
of Final
Design
Values

Generate Geometric
Model of the Periodic
Segment of the
Component Using
Design Values

Update the Set of

Candidate Design
Variable Values

Optimizer

Set of Design
Variable Values
and
Corresponding
Objective Function
Values

Generate Mesh of
Geometric Model
Enforce Boundary
Conditions and
Constraints
Solve Governing
Equations
Compute Objective
Function Values

Solution
Evaluation
(Simulator)

Proposed Approach
Optimization of Gas Turbine Blade Internal Cooling
Channels
Set of Input Data:{Periodic Segment
Dimensions, Boundary Conditions,
Objective Functions, Design Variables
and Initial Values, Optimizing Procedure
Control Values}

Yes

Perturb the Set of Design

Variable Values

Report Set
of Final
Design
Values

Generate Geometric
Model of the Periodic
Segment of the
Component Using Design
Values

Terminatio
n Criteria
Met?

No

Update the Set of

Candidate Design
Variable Values

Optimizer

Non-dominated
Sorting Genetic
Algorithm II (NSGAII) MOEA is Used

Set of Design
Variable Values and
Corresponding
Objective Function
Values

From
Solution
Evaluation

Rank Solutions Based on

Objective Function Values

Generate Mesh of
Geometric Model
Enforce Boundary
Conditions and
Constraints
Solve Governing
Equations
Compute Objective
Function Values

Solution
Evaluation
(Simulator)

Select and Store Good Solutions

Based on Objective Function
Values
Perturb Set of Good Solutions to
Generate New Set of Candidate
Design Solutions (Design Variable
Values)

New Set of Candidate Design

Variable Values

To
Solution
Evaluatio
n

Computational Study
Problem Formulation
Gas

turbine blade rib-based

internal cooling channel
geometric model with a:
Length L,
Height H,
Pitch P,
Angle of Attack of the Rib ,

and
Rib Width e

Figure: Typical coolant channels in turbine blade and

internal rib arrangement (Han et al., 2000)

Objectives
Maximize Heat Transfer

Coefficient (h)
Minimize Pressure Drop (p)

Courtesy: http://kimerius.com

Figure: Sectional top view of blade

Computational Study
Problem Formulation - Design Variables (for Periodic
Segment)
Consider

a periodic
segment due:

Periodic Segment
L
R2
R5

Replicates throughout

channel
Save computational
time
Design

variables

Rib radii
R1, R2
Fillet radii

R6

H
R4

R3

R1

Rib
1
Fillet

R3

R3, R4, R5 and R6

R4
R1

Without Fillets

With Fillets

Computational Study
Parameter Setting CFD Simulation Parameters
Table 1: Design variables and value ranges
(Source: Han et al.)

Table: Mesh statistics

Number of Elements
Number of Boundary
Elements
Minimum Element Quality

Table 2: Initial subdomain conditions used for the COMSOL numerical

simulation

Table 3: Initial boundary conditions used for the CFD

simulation

Triangular: 5080
Quadrilateral:
388
Total:5468
460
0.8

Computational Study
Parameter Setting - Optimizer (MOEA) Parameters (via Pilot
Study)

Control Parameter
Population (Pop)
Generations (Genmax)
Crossover Probability (c)
Mutation Probability (m)
Total Number of
Combinations

Values
{10, 25, 50}
{100}
{80%, 90%, 95%}
{5%, 10%}
18

Population size (Pop)

= 50

Generations (Genmax) =100

Crossover (c) = 90%

Mutation Probability (m) =

10%

Computational Study
Results 2Objectives, 2 Design Variables

(a) Initial solutions

(b) After 25 gens

(c) After 50 gens

(d) After 100 gens

Computational Study
Interpretation of Results

Computational Study
Results 2Objectives,6 Design Variables
(a) Initial solutions

(b) After 25 gens

(c) After 50 gens

(d) After 100 gens

Summary and Conclusions

Investigation undertaken is an attempt to
bridge gap between multiobjective optimization
and numerical simulation to automate the
mechanical component design process
1.No researcher has tried to simultaneously
optimize two or more equally-weighted design
objectives for mechanical components
2.Proposed framework can reduce time and cost
requirements depending upon the nature of
the design under consideration

Future Research Directions

1. Reduce the computational effort: parallel
processing
2. Introduce other objectives, variables and features
to cooling optimization problem:
Increase the number design variables and
number of generations until the solution
converges
Increase the number objective functions
Optimize different rib configurations

Thank You!

Questions?