Turbine blade cooling - Design space exploration
The turbine rotor blades that power large aero-engines use advanced methods of cooling to meet demanding performance and life-cycle cost targets. The cooling system design process is centred upon human designers, and meeting engineering goals depends upon the application of heuristic knowledge, experience and insight. The design process is multi-disciplinary, multi-objective and based upon model simulations and predictions from many different modelling domains. The ability to produce innovative designs in shorter timescales and at reduced cost presents an unavoidable engineering challenge to the aero-engine business.
This project examines and reinterprets the currently constricted cooling system design process. Working with modelling and simulation tools from the industry, a means is being developed to enable the cooling system designer to undertake widespread, more appropriate exploration of the available design space in a more guided and controlled manner. Improving the design space exploration process will allow cooling system designers to identify better solutions for subsequent physical development, systems that provide a competitive edge to both the turbine blade and the overall operation of the aero-engine.
