Component with cooling passage for a turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11988109-B2
Application number	US-202217973976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2022
Priority date	Oct 1, 2021
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus and method for an engine component for a turbine engine. The engine component having an outer wall defining an interior and extending between a root and a tip to define a radial direction, a tip wall spanning the first side and second sides to close the interior at the tip. A tip rail extending from the tip wall and having an inner tip rail surface, an outer tip rail surface extending from at least one of the first or the second side, and radially terminating in an upper tip rail surface connecting the inner tip rail surface and the outer tip rail surface. A tip rim formed in at least one of the outer surface or the inner tip rail surface and spaced from the upper tip rail surface in the radial direction, and multiple cooling passages formed in the outer wall and fluidly coupling the at least one cooling conduit to the tip rim at corresponding passage outlets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine component for a turbine engine having a working airflow separated into a cooling airflow and a combustion airflow, the engine component comprising:
an outer wall defining an interior and having an outer surface over which flows the combustion airflow, the outer surface defining a first side and a second side extending between an upstream edge and a downstream edge to define a streamwise direction and extending between a root and a tip to define a radial direction;
a tip wall spanning the first side and the second side to close the interior at the tip;
a tip rail extending from the tip wall and having an inner tip rail surface, which in combination with the tip wall, at least partially bounds a region defining a plenum, the tip rail having an outer tip rail surface extending from at least one of the first or the second sides, and radially terminating in an upper tip rail surface connecting the inner tip rail surface and the outer tip rail surface;
a tip rim formed in at least one of the outer surface or the inner tip rail surface and spaced from the upper tip rail surface in the radial direction,
at least one cooling conduit provided in the interior;
a trench outlet defining at least a portion of the tip rim; and
multiple cooling passages formed in the outer wall and fluidly coupling the at least one cooling conduit to the trench outlet, wherein the multiple cooling passages terminate in corresponding passage outlets, which are merged together to form the trench outlet.

2. The engine component of claim 1 wherein the tip rim is formed in the outer tip rail surface.

3. The engine component of claim 2 wherein the tip rim terminates in an edge wall extending toward the downstream edge and the upper tip rail surface.

4. The engine component of claim 3 wherein the edge wall terminates at the upper tip rail surface.

5. The engine component of claim 3 further comprising a cavity extending in the streamwise direction and spaced from the tip, at least a portion of the cavity defining the tip rim.

6. The engine component of claim 5 wherein at least one of the cavity or the tip rim comprises a rounded geometry.

7. The engine component of claim 1 wherein the tip rim is formed in the inner tip rail surface.

8. The engine component of claim 6 wherein the tip rim is located between the tip wall and the upper tip rail surface.

9. The engine component of claim 1 wherein each cooling passage in the multiple cooling passages comprise a diffusion slot extending along a flow direction toward the tip between a rear and the corresponding passage outlets, the diffusion slot defining a slot centerline along which a diffuser vector extends between the rear and the corresponding passage outlet.

10. The engine component of claim 9 wherein a diffuser length varies amongst the multiple cooling passages.

11. The engine component of claim 9 further comprising at least one metered passage having an inlet fluidly connected to the at least one cooling conduit and an intermediate outlet fluidly coupled to the diffusion slot at a junction proximate the rear of the diffusion slot, and defining a first centerline, which forms an angle relative to the slot centerline.

12. The engine component of claim 11 wherein the intermediate outlet is spaced from the rear to define a pocket.

13. The engine component of claim 12 wherein an impingement surface is located opposite the intermediate outlet along a portion of the diffusion slot.

14. The engine component of claim 1 , further comprising a second set of cooling passages formed in the outer wall and fluidly coupling the at least one cooling conduit to the outer surface, at least one of the cooling passages in the second set of cooling passages comprising a diffusion slot extending in a flow direction toward the tip and terminating in a passage outlet opening onto the upper tip rail surface.

15. A method for cooling an airfoil extending between a root and a tip to define a radial direction and having a cooling passage, the method comprising:
receiving at an inlet of the cooling passage a cooling fluid flow;
flowing the cooling fluid flow through the cooling passage and into multiple cooling passages; and
emitting the cooling fluid flow from the multiple cooling passages at corresponding passage outlets opening into a trench outlet along an exterior surface of a tip rail of the airfoil, wherein the multiple cooling passages terminate in corresponding passage outlets, which are merged together to form the trench outlet.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein flowing the cooling fluid flow through the cooling passage further comprises flowing the cooling fluid flow into a diffusion slot.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising turning the cooling fluid flow from a first passage to the diffusion slot.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising directing the cooling fluid flow in a primarily radial direction within the diffusion slot; expanding the cooling fluid flow in a direction perpendicular to the primarily radial direction within the diffusion slot; and impinging the cooling fluid flow on an impingement surface within the cooling passage.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising emitting the cooling fluid flow at a passage outlet opening along a tip rim in the tip rail.

20. An engine component for a turbine engine having a working airflow separated into a cooling airflow and a combustion airflow, the engine component comprising:
an outer wall defining an interior and having an outer surface over which flows the combustion airflow, the outer surface defining a first side and a second side extending between an upstream edge and a downstream edge to define a streamwise direction and extending between a root and a tip to define a radial direction;
a tip wall spanning the first side and the second side to close the interior at the tip;
a tip rail extending from the tip wall and having an inner tip rail surface, which in combination with the tip wall, at least partially bounds a region defining a plenum, the tip rail having an outer tip rail surface extending from at least one of the first or the second sides, and radially terminating in an upper tip rail surface connecting the inner tip rail surface and the outer tip rail surface;
a tip rim formed in at least one of the outer surface or the inner tip rail surface and spaced from the upper tip rail surface in the radial direction;
a cavity located in the tip rim;
multiple diffusion slots having corresponding outlets which merge together to form a trench outlet fluidly coupled to the cavity;
at least one cooling conduit provided in the interior;
multiple cooling passages formed in the outer wall and fluidly coupling the at least one cooling conduit to the diffusion slots.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Webster Zachary Daniel
• Osgood Daniel Endecott
• Gallier Kirk Douglas

Classifications

• F01D25/12

  Cooling · CPC title

• F01D5/081 Primary

  Cooling fluid being directed on the side of the rotor disc or at the roots of the blades (F01D5/087 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D5/187 Primary

  Convection cooling · CPC title

• F01D5/087

  in the radial passages of the rotor disc · CPC title

• F05D2240/307

  related to the tip of a rotor blade · CPC title