Turbine engine with a platform cooling circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10508548-B2
Application number	US-201715481628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2017
Priority date	Apr 7, 2017
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

An airfoil assembly for a turbine engine can comprise a platform having first and second opposing surfaces, an airfoil extending from the first surface, a base extending from the second surface, and a platform cooling circuit including a feed tube, a first branch, a second branch, and a flow divider.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airfoil assembly for a turbine engine comprising:
a platform having first and second opposing surfaces;
an airfoil extending from the first surface;
a base extending from the second surface;
an airfoil cooling circuit passing through the base, platform and into an interior of the airfoil; and
a platform cooling circuit comprising first and second branches supplied by a common feed tube, with a flow divider comprising an apex confronting the feed tube and dividing fluid from the feed tube between the first and second branches.

2. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 wherein the flow divider evenly divides the fluid from the feed tube between the first and second branches.

3. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 wherein the flow divider unevenly divides the fluid from the feed tube between the first and second branches.

4. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 wherein the flow divider comprises a wedge having the apex confronting the feed tube.

5. The airfoil assembly of claim 4 wherein the wedge has opposing sides extending from the apex.

6. The airfoil assembly of claim 5 wherein at least one of the opposing sides is angled relative to a centerline of the feed tube.

7. The airfoil assembly of claim 6 wherein the at least one of the opposing sides has a curvilinear profile.

8. The airfoil assembly of claim 7 wherein both the opposing sides has a curvilinear profile.

9. The airfoil assembly of claim 6 wherein the centerline intersects the apex.

10. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second branches extend along different portions of the platform.

11. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 wherein the first branch extends along a leading edge of the platform.

12. The airfoil assembly of claim 11 wherein the second branch extends along a side of the platform.

13. The airfoil assembly of claim 12 wherein at least one of the first and second branches also extends along a trailing edge of the platform.

14. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 further comprising film holes in the first surface, with the film holes fluidly coupled to one of the first and second branches.

15. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 wherein the feed tube is fluidly coupled to the airfoil cooling circuit.

16. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 wherein the base comprises a dovetail.

17. The airfoil assembly of claim 1 wherein the airfoil has an outer wall bounding the interior of the airfoil and defining a pressure side and a suction side extending axially between a leading edge to a trailing edge to define a chord-wise direction and extending radially between a root and a tip to define a span-wise direction, with the root being adjacent the platform.

18. The airfoil assembly of claim 17 wherein the airfoil cooling circuit comprises a serpentine cooling circuit located within the interior of the airfoil.

19. The airfoil assembly of claim 17 wherein the flow divider comprises opposing sides extending from the apex.

20. The airfoil assembly of claim 19 wherein the opposing sides are angled relative to a centerline of the feed tube.

21. The airfoil assembly of claim 20 wherein the opposing sides have a curvilinear profile.

22. The airfoil assembly of claim 21 wherein the centerline intersects the apex.

23. A method of cooling a platform of an airfoil assembly having a platform supporting an airfoil, the method comprising:
supplying cooling air from a feed tube to at least two cooling branches within the platform; and
dividing the supplied cooling air between the at least two cooling branches by directing the cooling air onto an apex formed by opposing curved surfaces.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein supplying cooling air further comprises supplying air from the curved surfaces and into the corresponding cooling branches.

25. An airfoil assembly for a turbine engine comprising:
a platform having first and second opposing surfaces;
an airfoil extending from the first surface;
a base extending from the second surface;
an airfoil cooling circuit passing through the base, platform and into an interior of the airfoil;
a platform cooling circuit comprising first and second branches supplied by a common feed tube, with a flow divider confronting the feed tube and dividing fluid from the feed tube between the first and second branches; and
at least one film hole in the first surface fluidly coupled to at least one of the first or second branches.

26. The airfoil assembly of claim 25 wherein the flow divider evenly divides the fluid from the feed tube between the first and second branches.

27. The airfoil assembly of claim 25 wherein the flow divider unevenly divides the fluid from the feed tube between the first and second branches.

28. The airfoil assembly of claim 25 wherein the flow divider comprises a wedge having an apex confronting the feed tube.

29. The airfoil assembly of claim 28 wherein the wedge has opposing sides extending from the apex.

30. The airfoil assembly of claim 29 wherein at least one of the opposing sides is angled relative to a centerline of the feed tube.

31. The airfoil assembly of claim 30 wherein the at least one of the opposing sides has a curvilinear profile.

32. The airfoil assembly of claim 31 wherein both the opposing sides has a curvilinear profile.

33. The airfoil assembly of claim 30 wherein the centerline intersects the apex.

34. The airfoil assembly of claim 25 wherein the first and second branches extend along different portions of the platform.

35. The airfoil assembly of claim 25 wherein the first branch extends along a leading edge of the platform.

36. The airfoil assembly of claim 35 wherein the second branch extends along a side of the platform.

37. The airfoil assembly of claim 36 wherein at least one of the first and second branches also extends along a trailing edge of the platform.

38. The airfoil assembly of claim 25 wherein the feed tube is fluidly coupled to the airfoil cooling circuit.

39. The airfoil assembly of claim 25 wherein the base comprises a dovetail.

40. The airfoil assembly of claim 25 wherein the airfoil has an outer wall bounding the interior of the airfoil and defining a pressure side and a suction side extending axially between a leading edge to a trailing edge to define a chord-wise direction and extending radially between a root and a tip to define a span-wise direction, with the root being adjacent the platform.

41. The airfoil assembly of claim 40 wherein the airfoil cooling circuit comprises a serpentine cooling circuit located within the interior of the airfoil.

42. The airfoil assembly of claim 40 wherein the flow divider comprises an apex confronting the feed tube.

43. The airfoil assembly of claim 42 wherein the flow divider comprises opposing sides extending from the apex.

44. The airfoil assembly of claim 43 wherein the opposing sides are angled relative to a centerline of the feed tube.

45. The airfoil assembly of claim 44 wherein the opposing sides have a curvilinear profile.

46. The airfoil ass

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Hoffman James Michael
• Dooley Weston Nolan
• Smith Aaron Ezekiel
• Brassfield Steven Robert

Classifications

• F05D2250/313

  the axes being perpendicular to each other · CPC title

• F05D2250/314

  the axes being inclined in relation to each other · CPC title

• F05D2250/75

  given by its similarity to a letter, e.g. T-shaped · CPC title

• F05D2240/81

  Cooled platforms · CPC title

• F05D2260/202

  by film cooling · CPC title