Turbomachine rotor blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10590777-B2
Application number	US-201715638571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade that includes an airfoil defining a cooling passage and a tip shroud coupled to the airfoil. The tip shroud and the airfoil define a cooling core in fluid communication with the cooling passage. The cooling core includes a first cooling channel and a second cooling channel. The first cooling channel is radially spaced apart from the second cooling channel. Coolant flows in a first direction through the first cooling channel and in a second direction through the second cooling channel. The first direction is different than the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor blade for a turbomachine, the rotor blade comprising:
an airfoil defining a cooling passage; and
a tip shroud coupled to the airfoil, the tip shroud including a radially outer wall, the tip shroud and the airfoil defining a cooling core in fluid communication with the cooling passage, the cooling core including a first cooling channel and a second cooling channel, the first cooling channel being radially spaced apart from the second cooling channel, the tip shroud further including a first interior wall positioned within the cooling core and extending radially inward from the radially outer wall and a second interior wall positioned within the cooling core and coupled to the first interior wall such that the radially outer wall, the first interior wall, and the second interior wall at least partially define the second cooling channel,
wherein coolant flows in a first direction through the first cooling channel before flowing in a second direction through the second cooling channel, the first direction being different than the second direction.

2. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is opposite of the second direction.

3. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the second interior wall at least partially defines the first cooling channel.

4. The rotor blade of claim 2 , wherein the tip shroud further comprises a fillet wall that partially defines the first cooling channel.

5. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the second interior wall is radially spaced apart from the radially outer wall.

6. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the first cooling channel is at least partially aligned along a camber line of the airfoil with the second cooling channel.

7. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the cooling core comprises a third cooling channel and a fourth cooling channel, the third cooling channel being radially spaced apart from the fourth cooling channel, and wherein the coolant flows in the first direction through the third cooling channel and in the second direction through the fourth cooling channel.

8. The rotor blade of claim 7 , wherein the first and third cooling channels define a radially inner row of cooling channels and the second and fourth cooling channels define a radially outer row of cooling channels.

9. The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the first cooling channel is in fluid communication with the second cooling channel.

10. A turbomachine, comprising:
a turbine section including one or more rotor blades, each rotor blade including:
an airfoil defining a cooling passage; and
a tip shroud coupled to the airfoil, the tip shroud including a radially outer wall, the tip shroud and the airfoil defining a cooling core in fluid communication with the cooling passage, the cooling core including a first cooling channel and a second cooling channel, the first cooling channel being radially spaced apart from the second cooling channel, the tip shroud further including a first interior wall positioned within the cooling core and extending radially inward from the radially outer wall and a second interior wall positioned within the cooling core and coupled to the first interior wall such that the radially outer wall, the first interior wall, and the second interior wall at least partially define the second cooling channel,
wherein coolant flows in a first direction through the first cooling channel before flowing in a second direction through the second cooling channel, the first direction being different than the second direction.

11. The turbomachine of claim 10 , wherein the first direction is opposite of the second direction.

12. The turbomachine of claim 10 , wherein the second interior wall at least partially defines the first cooling channel.

13. The turbomachine of claim 11 , wherein the tip shroud further comprises a fillet wall that partially defines the first cooling channel.

14. The turbomachine of claim 10 , wherein the second interior wall is radially spaced apart from the radially outer wall.

15. The turbomachine of claim 10 , wherein the first cooling channel is at least partially aligned along a camber line of the airfoil with the second cooling channel.

16. The turbomachine of claim 10 , wherein the cooling core comprises a third cooling channel and a fourth cooling channel, the third cooling channel being radially spaced apart from the fourth cooling channel, and wherein the coolant flows in the first direction through the third cooling channel and in the second direction through the fourth cooling channel.

17. The turbomachine of claim 16 , wherein the first and third cooling channels define a radially inner row of cooling channels and the second and fourth cooling channels define a radially outer row of cooling channels.

18. The turbomachine of claim 10 , wherein the first cooling channel is in fluid communication with the second cooling channel.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Brittingham Robert Alan

Classifications

• F01D5/18

  Hollow blades, {i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities (structure of hollow blades in general F01D5/147)}; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades · CPC title

• F05D2260/202

  by film cooling · CPC title

• F01D5/20

  Specially-shaped blade tips to seal space between tips and stator {(F01D5/225 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• 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

• F01D5/187 Primary

  Convection cooling · CPC title