Gas turbine engine airfoil with auxiliary flow channel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016245091-A1
Application number	US-201415029802-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 7, 2014
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A component for a gas turbine engine, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, an airfoil that includes a pressure side surface and a suction side surface that join together at a leading edge and a trailing edge and a flow channel that extends between the pressure side surface and the suction side surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A component for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
an airfoil that includes a pressure side surface and a suction side surface that join together at a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a flow channel that extends between said pressure side surface and said suction side surface.

2 . The component as recited in claim 1 , wherein said component is a vane or a blade.

3 . The component as recited in claim 1 , wherein said component is a mid-turbine frame, an exit guide vane or a fan blade.

4 . The component as recited in claim 1 , wherein said flow channel includes an inlet at said pressure side surface and an outlet at said suction side surface.

5 . The component as recited in claim 1 , wherein said flow channel includes a radial dimension that is less than a total span of said airfoil.

6 . The component as recited in claim 1 , wherein said flow channel includes an outlet positioned upstream from a throat area that extends between said airfoil and an adjacent airfoil.

7 . The component as recited in claim 1 , wherein said flow channel includes an outlet positioned downstream from a throat area that extends between said airfoil and an adjacent airfoil.

8 . The component as recited in claim 1 , wherein said flow channel defines a flow passage that extends from a tip toward a root of said airfoil.

9 . The component as recited in claim 1 , wherein said flow channel defines a flow passage that extends from a root toward a tip of said airfoil.

10 . The component as recited in claim 1 , wherein said flow channel extends along a curved path.

11 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a variable area section; a variable vane disposed within said variable area section; a blade downstream from said variable vane; and at least one of said variable vane and said blade including a flow channel having an inlet at a pressure side surface and an outlet at a suction side surface of an airfoil of either said variable vane or said blade.

12 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 11 , wherein said variable area section is a variable area turbine section.

13 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 11 , wherein said variable area section is a variable area compressor section.

14 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 11 , wherein both said variable vane and said blade include said flow channel.

15 . The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 11 , wherein said flow channel extends in each of a chordwise and a spanwise direction of said airfoil.

16 . A method of operating a gas turbine engine, comprising:
communicating a portion of core airflow through a flow channel that extends between a pressure side surface and a suction side surface of at least one airfoil of the gas turbine engine.

17 . The method as recited in claim 16 , comprising the step of rotating a variable vane prior to the step of communicating.

18 . The method as recited in claim 16 , comprising:
communicating the portion of airflow into an inlet of the flow channel located along the pressure side surface; and expelling the portion of airflow through an outlet of the flow channel located along the suction side surface.

19 . The method as recited in claim 16 , comprising the step of influencing incidence angle variation of a downstream component with the portion of core airflow.

20 . The method as recited in claim 19 , comprising the step of communicating a second portion of core airflow through a flow channel of the downstream component.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Kupratis Daniel Bernard
• Schwarz Frederick M

Classifications

• F05D2240/306

  related to the suction side of a rotor blade · CPC title

• F05D2240/123

  related to the pressure side of a stator vane · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F01D5/147 Primary

  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

• F05D2240/124

  related to the suction side of a stator vane · CPC title