Presenter: Karen A. Thole
The Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science welcomes Professor Karen A. Thole (Penn State) to deliver the MEMS Distinguished Seminar, "The Opportunities and Challenges Using Additive Manufacturing for Advancing Turbine Cooling"
ABSTRACT: To enhance the performance and longevity of gas turbine components, there is a pressing need for advancements in turbine blade cooling technologies. Engine manufacturers are increasingly leveraging additive manufacturing (AM) for this purpose, as it enables rapid iteration of component designs and the integration of complex internal cooling structures directly into the parts. Unlike traditional casting methods, AM offers a more cost-effective approach to prototyping turbine blades, significantly reducing the time and cost of development. However, AM faces challenges in accurately producing small-scale cooling features such as turbulators, pin fins, and film cooling holes, which are critical for blade cooling. This presentation explores the progress made in integrating novel cooling technologies into operational turbine components using AM. Additionally, the presentation will address the ongoing challenges of correlating the heat transfer performance of AM-produced blades with that of conventionally cast blades, providing insights into the current limitations and future opportunities for optimization.
BIO: Karen A. Thole is the Evan Pugh Professor and Director of the National Security Institute at The Pennsylvania State University. An internationally recognized expert in heat transfer, turbomachinery, and advanced manufacturing, her research has advanced the design of cooling technologies for gas turbine engines. Her innovations have been adopted by industry to improve aerodynamic performance, increase thermal efficiency, and extend component life. She has also pioneered the use of metal additive manufacturing to rapidly develop and evaluate next-generation turbine cooling concepts.
Prior to leading the National Security Institute, Thole served as the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan. Earlier, she was a Distinguished Professor and Head of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State, where she founded and directed the Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine (START) Lab, a world-class facility featuring a full-scale research turbine.
Thole is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of ASME, AIAA, and the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Contact
Spaulding, Amy
919-660-5310
amy.spaulding@duke.edu