A Digital Engineering Analysis of an Additively-Manufactured Turbine Vane

Additive manufacturing (AM) has transformed the ability to accelerate gas turbine component research and development at a fraction of the cost and time associated with conventional manufacturing. However, whereas prior works have assessed manufacturing variability in cast turbine airfoils, limited data are available to understand the impact of as-built deviations in AM turbine parts. As metal additive airfoils are becoming more prevalent in research turbine architectures, it is increasingly important to understand the effects of potential hardware deviations specific to additively-manufactured parts. With this goal in mind, the current study utilizes a digital engineering approach to evaluate the aerodynamic impact of surface deviations on a high-pressure turbine vane design created for research purposes. Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes-based computational fluid dynamics studies derived from structured light scans of as-built turbine vanes are used to quantify performance relative to design-intent geometries. Further computational analyses compare results from individual serialized parts with an average vane doublet geometry serving as a surrogate for the entire wheel. Particular emphasis in the study focuses on external surface defects caused by internal cooling features that are inherent through additive manufacturing and how these features can impact the vane performance. Ultimately, this study identifies specific regions of the vane that are subject to increased sensitivity, which benefits future designers intending to use AM as a tool for turbine research and development.