Temperature responsive laminated porous metal panel

• US 4,751,962 A
• Filed: 02/10/1986
• Issued: 06/21/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Vivace, Robert T., Havekost, Scott L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ostrager, Allen M.
• Application Number:
  US06/827,943
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 60/528, 60/754-757, 62/383, 236/93 R, 165/40
• US Class Current: 165/300
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/184 Blade walls being made of perforated sheet laminae
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/002 Wall structures F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence

Abstract

A laminated porous metal panel for high temperature gas turbine applications wherein the porosity is locally variable with temperature for optimum coolant flow under all conditions. Panel porosity automatically varies to maintain a relatively constant metal temperature regardless of surrounding temperatures and pressures. The panel includes an inner lamina exposed to hot gas, an outer lamina exposed to pressurized coolant, and a center lamina bonded therebetween. Passages within the panel direct coolant from inlet pores in the outer lamina to exhaust pores in the inner lamina. The center lamina is fabricated from first and second metal sheets having different coefficients of thermal expansion. Planar fields are defined on the center lamina inboard of the exhaust pores and constitute flexible diaphragams which deflect with temperature changes in the center lamina. Flow modulating pedestals are formed on the planar fields and cooperate with the inner lamina in defining flow orifices at the exhaust pores the cross sectional areas of which vary when the diaphragms deflect with temperature changes.

Claims

1. A laminated porous metal panel comprising:

a first lamina having a plurality of inlet pores therein,

a second lamina having a plurality of exhaust pores therein,

a third lamina having a plurality of intermediate pores therein,

said third lamina being disposed between said first and said second lamina and bonded to each,

means on said first and said second and said third laminae defining a plurality of coolant flow passages across said panel from said inlet pores through said intermediate pores to said exhaust pores,

flow modulating means on said panel disposed between said inlet and said exhaust pores and movable between a design position establishing a design coolant flow rate between said inlet and said exhaust pores and a plurality of porosity increasing and porosity decreasing positions corresponding to increased and decreased coolant flow rate relative to said design coolant flow rate, and

temperature responsive control means on said panel connected to said flow modulating means and operative to position said flow modulating means in said design position at a design temperature of said second lamina and to move said flow modulating means between said plurality of porosity increasing and said porosity decreasing positions in accordance with temperature excursions of said second lamina above and below said design temperature.

2. A laminated porous metal panel comprising:

a first lamina having a plurality of inlet pores therein,

a second lamina having a plurality of exhaust pores therein,

a third lamina having a plurality of intermediate pores therein,

said third lamina being disposed between said first and said second lamina and bonded to each,

means on said first and said second and said third laminae defining a plurality of coolant flow passages across said panel from said inlet pores through said intermediate pores to said exhaust pores,

a plurality of individual coolant flow modulating means on said panel disposed inboard of individual ones of one of said exhaust pores and said inlet pores,

means mounting each of said individual coolant flow modulating means on said third lamina for movement between a design position establishing a design coolant flow rate through said corresponding one of said exhaust pores and said inlet pores and a plurality of porosity increasing and porosity decreasing control positions corresponding to increased and decreased coolant flow rates through said corresponding one of said exhaust pores and said inlet pores relative to said design coolant flow rate, and

temperature responsive control means on said panel connected to each of said individual flow modulating means and operative to position each of said individual flow modulating means in said design position at a design temperature of said third lamina and to move each of said individual flow modulating means independently of all of the other of said individual flow modulating means between said plurality of porosity increasing and said porosity decreasing positions in accordance with temperature excursions of a localized area of said third lamina adjacent said individual flow modulating means above and below said design temperature.

3. The laminated porous metal panel recited in claim 2 wherein:

each of said individual coolant flow modulating means is a raised pedestal on said third lamina disposed inboard of said corresponding one of said exhaust pores and said inlet pores.

4. The laminated porous metal panel recited in claim 3 wherein:

said means mounting each of said individual flow modulating means on said third lamina is a flexible diaphragm portion of said third lamina to which a corresponding one of said raised pedestals is rigidly attached.

5. The laminated porous metal panel recited in claim 4 wherein:

said third lamina is a bi-metal member fabricated from a pair of metal sheets having unequal coefficients of thermal expansion so that each of said flexible diaphragm portions of said third lamina constitutes said temperature responsive control means connected to each of said individual flow modulating means.

6. A laminated porous metal panel comprising:

a first lamina having a plurality of inlet pores therein,

means on said first lamina defining a plurality of raised projections arrayed in a regular pattern on one surface of said first lamina,

a second lamina having a plurality of exhaust pores therein,

a bi-metal third lamina fabricated from a first metal sheet and a second metal sheet having different coefficients of thermal expansion,

means on said third lamina defining a plurality of intermediate pores therein,

means on said third lamina defining a plurality of raised projections arrayed in a regular pattern on one surface of said third lamina,

said third lamina being disposed between and diffusion bonded to said first and said second laminae with said first lamina raised projections engaging said third lamina and said third lamina raised projections engaging said second lamina so that a plurality of tortuous coolant flow paths are defined from said inlet pores to said intermediate pores and from said intermediate pores to said exhaust pores,

said first and said third laminae raised projections being positionally aligned to provide structural load paths across said panel,

means on said first lamina defining a first planar field in said regular array of raised projections thereon,

means on said third lamina defining a second planar field in said regular array of raised projections thereon located in positional alignment with one of said exhaust pores and in positional alignment with said first planar field so that said second planar field constitutes a flexible bi-metal diaphragm located inboard of said one exhaust pore,

said bi-metal flexible diaphragm deflecting through a plurality of control positions relative to said second lamina in response to local temperature changes in said third lamina at said flexible diaphragm, and

means integral with said third lamina defining a flow modulating pedestal on said one surface of said third lamina in said second planar field adjacent said one exhaust pore so that said pedestal cooperates with said second lamina in defining an annular orifice between said intermediate pores and said one exhaust pore,

said pedestal being moved by said bi-metal flexible diaphragm relative to said second lamina in porosity increasing and porosity decreasing directions corresponding to deflection of said diaphragm through said control positions whereby the flow area of said annular orifice varies with changes in temperature of said third lamina at said second planar field.