Turbine airfoils with micro cooling features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10329924-B2
Application number	US-201615214799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A blade used in a gas turbine engine includes a pair of pedestals and an airfoil coupled between the pedestals. The airfoil includes cooling features to cool the airfoil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airfoil for use in a gas turbine engine and having a pressure side and a suction side, the airfoil comprising
a spar formed to define a cooling air plenum adapted to receive a flow of cooling air, and
a skin coupled to an exterior surface of the spar and positioned to at least partially cover the spar along the pressure side and the suction side,
wherein at least one axially extending groove is formed in the exterior surface of the spar on the pressure side that defines at least one cooling passageway between the spar and the skin, at least one inlet port is formed in the spar adjacent a trailing edge of the spar, the at least one inlet port is in fluid communication with the cooling air plenum and the at least one cooling passageway to pass the flow of cooling air into the at least one cooling passageway from the cooling air plenum, at least one outlet port is formed through the skin on the pressure side and axially forward of the at least one inlet port, the at least one outlet port is configured to pass the flow of cooling air from the at least one cooling passageway to an exterior of the airfoil, and at least one turbulator is positioned within the at least one cooling passageway,
at least a second, axially extending groove formed in the exterior surface of a tail section of the spar and defining at least one second cooling passageway between the spar and skin
at least a second inlet port is formed in the spar and in fluid communication with the cooling air plenum and the at least one second cooling passageway to pass a second portion of the flow of cooling air into the at least one second cooling passageway from the cooling air plenum,
a radially extending separator wall is defined between the at least one cooling passageway and the at least one second cooling passageway and configured to separate the flow of cooling air within the at least one cooling passageway from the second portion of the flow of cooling air within the at least one second cooling passageway, and at least one outlet slot is defined between the spar and the skin and configured to pass the second portion of the flow of cooling air from the at least one second cooling passageway to an exterior of the airfoil.

2. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the at least one axially extending groove includes a plurality of axially extending grooves formed in the exterior surface of the spar on the pressure side and radially spaced apart from one another to define a plurality of stand-offs therebetween, wherein the plurality of axially extending grooves define a plurality of cooling passageways between the spar and the skin, and wherein the at least one inlet port includes a plurality of inlet ports formed in the spar adjacent a trailing edge of the spar.

3. The airfoil of claim 2 , wherein the skin is bonded to at least the plurality of stand-offs such that the flow of cooling air in one cooling passageway is separated from the flow of cooling air in an adjacent cooling passageway.

4. The airfoil of claim 3 , wherein a height of each cooling passageway is defined between the spar and the skin and a width of each cooling passageway is defined between adjacent stand-offs.

5. The airfoil of claim 4 , wherein each cooling passageway has a constant height and constant width along a length of the cooling passageway.

6. The airfoil of claim 4 , wherein at least some cooling passageways have a variable height and variable width along a length of the cooling passageways.

7. The airfoil of claim 2 , wherein each cooling passageway has a single inlet port associated therewith.

8. The airfoil of claim 2 , wherein the at least one outlet port includes a plurality of outlet ports formed through the skin on the pressure side and axially forward of the inlet ports.

9. The airfoil of claim 8 , wherein the outlet ports are positioned axially aft of a leading edge of the airfoil.

10. The airfoil of claim 2 , wherein each cooling passageway has at least two inlet ports associated therewith.

11. The airfoil of claim 2 , wherein each cooling passageway has at least two outlet ports associated therewith.

12. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling passageway includes a plurality of inlet ports and a plurality of turbulators positioned between the plurality of inlet ports.

13. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling passageway includes a plurality of inlet ports positioned toward an aft end of the airfoil and a plurality of turbulators positioned toward a fore end of the airfoil.

14. An airfoil for use in a gas turbine engine and having a pressure side and a suction side, the airfoil comprising
a spar formed to define a cooling air plenum adapted to receive a flow of cooling air, and
a skin coupled to an exterior surface of the spar and positioned to at least partially cover the spar along the pressure side and the suction side,
wherein at least one axially extending groove is formed in the exterior surface of the spar on the suction side that defines at least one cooling passageway between the spar and the skin, at least one inlet port is formed in the spar adjacent a trailing edge of the spar, the at least one inlet port is in fluid communication with the cooling air plenum and the at least one cooling passageway to pass the flow of cooling air into the at least one cooling passageway from the cooling air plenum, at least one outlet port is formed through the skin on the suction side and axially forward of the at least one inlet port, the at least one outlet port is configured to pass the flow of cooling air from the at least one cooling passageway to an exterior of the airfoil, and at least one turbulator is positioned within the at least one cooling passageway,
at least a second, axially extending groove formed in the exterior surface of a tail section of the spar and defining at least one second cooling passageway between the spar and skin
at least a second inlet port is formed in the spar and in fluid communication with the cooling air plenum and the at least one second cooling passageway to pass a second portion of the flow of cooling air into the at least one second cooling passageway from the cooling air plenum,
a radially extending separator wall is defined between the at least one cooling passageway and the at least one second cooling passageway and configured to separate the flow of cooling air within the at least one cooling passageway from the second portion of the flow of cooling air within the at least one second cooling passageway, and at least one outlet slot is defined between the spar and the skin and configured to pass the second portion of the flow of cooling air from the at least one second cooling passageway to an exterior of the airfoil.

15. The airfoil of claim 14 , wherein the at least one axially extending groove includes a plurality of axially extending grooves formed in the exterior surface of the spar on the suction side and radially spaced apart from one another to define a plurality of stand-offs therebetween, wherein the plurality of axially extending grooves define a plurality of cooling passageways between the spar and the skin, and wherein the at least one inlet port includes a plurality of inlet ports formed in the spar adjacent a trailing edge of the spar.

16. The airfoil of claim 15 , wherein the skin is bonded to at least the plurality of stand-offs such that the flow of cooling air in one cooling passageway is separated from the flow of cooling air in an adjacent cooling passageway.

17. The airfoil of claim 15 , wherein each cooling passageway

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp
• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Barker Brett J
• Rhodes Jeffrey F

Classifications

• F01D5/147

  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

• F05D2260/2212

  by creating turbulence · CPC title

• F05D2260/202

  by film cooling · CPC title

• F01D5/189 Primary

  the insert having a tubular cross-section, e.g. airfoil shape · CPC title

• F01D9/041

  using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence) · CPC title