Airfoil edge cooling channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450873-B2
Application number	US-201715664996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2017
Priority date	Jul 31, 2017
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

An airfoil cooling system may be provided. An airfoil may have a pressure side and a suction side that are separated by a leading edge. The leading edge may pass through a stagnation point of the airfoil. A spar may have an outer surface comprising standoffs. The standoffs may define a cooling channel that extends across the leading edge on the outer surface of the spar, from the pressure side to the suction side. The cooling channel may have a first portion and a second portion defined by the standoffs. The first portion may be located closer to a base or a tip of the airfoil than the second portion. The spar may further comprise an inlet on the pressure side or the suction side. The inlet may be configured to convey a cooling fluid from a passageway located inside of the spar to the cooling channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blade or a stator for use in a gas turbine engine, the blade or the stator comprising:
an airfoil having a first side and a second side that are separated by a leading edge, the leading edge passing through a stagnation point of the airfoil, the airfoil comprising:
a cover sheet; and
a spar having an outer surface, the spar comprising a plurality of standoffs configured to receive the cover sheet, wherein two of the standoffs define a cooling channel that extends across the leading edge on the outer surface of the spar, from the first side to the second side, the cooling channel having a first portion defined by the two of the standoffs and a second portion defined by the two of the standoffs, the first portion offset from the second portion in a spanwise direction, the spar further comprising an inlet on the first side, the inlet configured to convey a cooling fluid from a passageway located inside of the spar to the cooling channel, wherein the cooling channel is configured to convey the cooling fluid from the inlet, across the leading edge, and toward an outlet on the second side, wherein the outlet is at least partially defined by the cover sheet.

2. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the first side comprises a pressure side of the airfoil and the second side comprises a suction side of the airfoil.

3. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the cooling channel is on the first side of the spar and the second portion of the cooling channel is on the second side of the spar.

4. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel curves along the two of the standoffs and is positioned to convey the cooling fluid in the spanwise direction.

5. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the two of the standoffs define a first curve of the cooling channel and a second curve of the cooling channel, wherein the first curve of the cooling channel is configured to convey the cooling fluid toward a first end of the airfoil and the second curve of the cooling channel is configured to convey the cooling fluid toward a second end of the airfoil, the first end of the airfoil is opposite of the second end of the airfoil.

6. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel is defined by a first set of opposing sides of the standoffs and a second set of opposing sides of the standoffs, wherein the first set of opposing sides extend along a first spanwise direction and the second set of opposing sides extend along a second spanwise direction opposite the first spanwise direction.

7. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the standoffs include a protrusion that extends into the cooling channel.

8. An airfoil cooling system, the airfoil cooling system comprising:
a spar configured to form part of an airfoil, the airfoil having a pressure side and a suction side that are separated by a leading edge, the leading edge passing through a stagnation point of the airfoil, the spar having an outer surface comprising a plurality of standoffs, wherein two of the standoffs define a cooling channel that extends along the outer surface of the spar and across the leading edge, from the pressure side to the suction side, wherein at least one of the standoffs includes a protrusion that extends into the cooling channel, the spar further comprising an inlet on the pressure side or the suction side, the inlet configured to convey a cooling fluid from a plenum located inside of the spar to the cooling channel.

9. The airfoil cooling system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the standoffs defines a pocket that is recessed into the at least one of the standoffs.

10. The airfoil cooling system of claim 9 , wherein a portion of the inlet is defined on the outer surface of the spar within a portion of the pocket.

11. The airfoil cooling system of claim 9 , wherein the pocket is at least partially defined by the protrusion.

12. The airfoil cooling system of claim 8 , wherein the cooling channel curves along a spanwise direction.

13. The airfoil cooling system of claim 8 , wherein the cooling channel undulates between opposing sides of the standoffs.

14. The airfoil cooling system of claim 8 , wherein the cooling channel comprises a first cooling channel and the two of the standoffs comprise a first pair of the standoffs, the airfoil cooling system further comprising a cover sheet that defines a first outlet on the pressure side of the airfoil and a second outlet on the suction side of the airfoil, wherein a second cooling channel is defined between a second pair of the standoffs, the second cooling channel offset from the first cooling channel in a spanwise direction, wherein the first cooling channel is configured to convey cooling fluid toward the first outlet and the second cooling channel is configured to convey the cooling fluid toward the second outlet.

15. An airfoil cooling system, the airfoil cooling system comprising:
a spar configured to form part of an airfoil, the airfoil having a pressure side and a suction side that are separated by a leading edge, the leading edge passing through a stagnation point of the airfoil, the spar having an outer surface comprising a plurality of standoffs, wherein two of the standoffs define a cooling channel that extends across the leading edge on the outer surface of the spar, from the pressure side to the suction side, the cooling channel having a first portion defined by the standoffs and a second portion defined by the standoffs, the first portion located closer to a base or a tip of the airfoil than the second portion, the spar further comprising an inlet on the pressure side or the suction side, the inlet configured to convey a cooling fluid from a passageway located inside of the spar to the cooling channel.

16. The airfoil cooling system of claim 15 , further comprising a cover sheet, wherein the cover sheet defines at least a portion an outlet that receives cooling fluid from the cooling channel, wherein the outlet is configured to provide film cooling to an outer surface of the cover sheet.

17. The airfoil cooling system of claim 16 , wherein the inlet is included on the pressure side of the airfoil and the outlet is included on the suction side of the airfoil.

18. The airfoil cooling system of claim 15 , wherein the cooling channel is further defined by a dam, wherein the inlet is positioned adjacent to the dam.

19. The airfoil cooling system of claim 15 , wherein the cooling channel is further defined by a pocket that is recessed into at least one of the standoffs.

20. The airfoil cooling system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the standoffs includes a protrusion that extends into the cooling channel.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Barker Brett
• Varney Bruce
• Shoemaker Brian
• Bulgrin Charles

Classifications

• F05D2260/201

  by impingement of a fluid · CPC title

• F05D2250/184

  sinusoidal · CPC title

• F01D9/042

  fixing blades to stators (fixing stator-rings in the casing or to each other F01D25/246) · CPC title

• F05D2240/303

  related to the leading edge of a rotor blade · CPC title

• F05D2240/121

  related to the leading edge of a stator vane · CPC title