Turbomachine rotor blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10301943-B2
Application number	US-201715638547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a turbomachine. The rotor blade includes an airfoil defining a cooling passage and a tip shroud coupled to the airfoil. The tip shroud includes first and second walls that at least partially define a cooling core fluidly coupled to the cooling passage. The rotor blade also includes a plurality of ribs positioned within the cooling core and coupled to the first and second walls. The reinforcing structure includes a plurality of interconnected ribs having a first rib with a first orientation and a second rib with a second orientation. The first and second orientations are different in three spatial dimensions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor blade for a turbomachine, rotor blade comprising:
an airfoil defining a cooling passage;
a tip shroud coupled to the airfoil, the tip shroud including first and second walls that at least partially define a cooling core fluidly coupled to the cooling passage; and
a reinforcing structure positioned within the cooling core and coupled to the first and second walls, the reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of interconnected ribs including a first rib having a first orientation and a second rib having a second orientation, the first and second orientations being different in three spatial dimensions.

2. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of ribs extends from the first wall to the second wall.

3. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ribs are non-uniformly arranged within the cooling core.

4. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein a pair of the plurality of ribs intersect.

5. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ribs are uniformly arranged within the cooling core.

6. The rotor blade of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of ribs are arranged to form a lattice structure within the cooling core.

7. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing structure defines a plurality of spaces between the plurality of ribs through which a coolant flows.

8. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the cooling core comprises a first cooling cavity and a second cooling cavity and the reinforcing structure comprises a first portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the first cooling cavity and second portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the second cooling cavity, the first portion of the reinforcing structure comprising a different number of ribs than the second portion of the reinforcing structure.

9. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the cooling core comprises a first cooling cavity and a second cooling cavity and the reinforcing structure comprises a first portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the first cooling cavity and second portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the second cooling cavity, the first portion of the reinforcing structure having a different arrangement than the second portion of the reinforcing structure.

10. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the cooling core comprises a first cooling cavity and a second cooling cavity and the reinforcing structure comprises a first portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the first cooling cavity and second portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the second cooling cavity, the first portion of the reinforcing structure having a same arrangement than the second portion of the reinforcing structure.

11. A turbomachine, comprising:
a turbine section including one or more rotor blades, each rotor blade comprising:
an airfoil defining a cooling passage;
a tip shroud coupled to the airfoil, the tip shroud including first and second walls that at least partially define a cooling core fluidly coupled to the cooling passage; and
a reinforcing structure positioned within the cooling core and coupled to the first and second walls, the reinforcing structure comprising a plurality of interconnected ribs including a first rib having a first orientation and a second rib having a second orientation, the first and second orientations being different in three spatial dimensions.

12. The turbomachine of claim 11 , wherein one of the plurality of ribs extends from the first wall to the second wall.

13. The turbomachine of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of ribs are non-uniformly arranged within the cooling core.

14. The turbomachine of claim 11 , wherein a pair of the plurality of ribs intersect.

15. The turbomachine of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of ribs are uniformly arranged within the cooling core.

16. The turbomachine of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of ribs are arranged to form a lattice structure within the cooling core.

17. The turbomachine of claim 11 , wherein the reinforcing structure defines a plurality of spaces between the plurality of ribs through which a coolant flows.

18. The turbomachine of claim 11 , wherein the cooling core comprises a first cooling cavity and a second cooling cavity and the reinforcing structure comprises a first portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the first cooling cavity and second portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the second cooling cavity, the first portion of the reinforcing structure comprising a different number of ribs than the second portion of the reinforcing structure.

19. The turbomachine of claim 11 , wherein the cooling core comprises a first cooling cavity and a second cooling cavity and the reinforcing structure comprises a first portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the first cooling cavity and second portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the second cooling cavity, the first portion of the reinforcing structure having a different arrangement than the second portion of the reinforcing structure.

20. The turbomachine of claim 11 , wherein the cooling core comprises a first cooling cavity and a second cooling cavity and the reinforcing structure comprises a first portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the first cooling cavity and second portion of the reinforcing structure positioned within the second cooling cavity, the first portion of the reinforcing structure having a same arrangement than the second portion of the reinforcing structure.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Brittingham Robert Alan

Classifications

• F05D2240/301

  Cross-sectional characteristics · CPC title

• F01D5/147 Primary

  Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades (F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18) · CPC title

• F05D2260/22141

  using fins or ribs · CPC title

• F01D5/187

  Convection cooling · CPC title

• F05D2250/20

  Three-dimensional · CPC title