Additively Manufactured Turbine Vane 1 with In-Wall Cooling Design

Siemens Energy has developed a V64.3 turbine inlet guide vane with in-wall cooling enabled by 3D printing. This new component is part of a modular up-grade package which improves operational economics and addresses environmental impacts. This specific part was validated in a cogeneration power plant in Dresden, Germany.

This component had several development goals including improved economics, future of GT operation with a focus on life cycle costs, spare part availability, operational flexibility, NOx emissions and maintaining or improving power and efficiency. Additive manufacturing decreased the complexity of the part family BOM (reducing “Hidden Factory” costs), shortened spare part purchasing lead times and simplified hardware refurbishment reducing total life cycle costs. Regarding performance, internal vane cooling air was reduced by 25 percent with no compromises to component integrity and service life. The redesign significantly reduced NOx emissions as well as unlocked a previously untapped capability of increased gas turbine power – keeping efficiency within allowable NOx emission requirements (depending on operational regime).

Introducing AM technology into an existing commercially operational GT required risk mitigation. AM replicas of the conventional design vane are installed in a rainbow test configuration in the GT in Dresden Germany. These vanes have been in operation since July 2019 in a V64.3 gas turbine. Siemens Energy has been in close collaboration with the customer from the beginning of this project. Validation of the new vane DFAM design has been in commercial operation since August 2021. Major aspects of the project and first validation results of the new design will be presented.