Method and system for cooling rotor blade angelwings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528377-B2
Application number	US-201313972667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2013
Priority date	Aug 21, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A system for cooling an angelwing coupled to a rotor blade in a gas turbine engine is provided. An angelwing coupled to a shank of a rotor blade includes at least one cooling passage extending from at least one inlet opening coupled in flow communication with a gas turbine engine inner wheelspace to at least one outlet opening coupled in flow communication with a gas turbine engine outer rotor/stator cavity. The at least one outlet opening is located in an upper surface of the angelwing. The at least one cooling passage receives pressurized cooling air channeled from the inner wheelspace, such that the pressurized cooling air is channeled into the at least one inlet opening and discharged from the at least one outlet opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for cooling an angelwing in a gas turbine engine, said method comprising:
coupling an angelwing to a shank of a rotor blade of a gas turbine engine, the rotor blade coupled for rotation in a first direction about an axis of rotation, wherein the shank includes a shank wall including an outer face, the angelwing includes a body portion extending from a root portion to an opposite tip portion, the root portion coupled to the outer face of the shank wall radially inward from a platform of the rotor blade, the body portion including a radially outer surface that extends between the root portion and the tip portion, the radially outer surface extending substantially parallel to the first direction;
defining at least one cooling passage extending through the shank wall and the angelwing, from at least one inlet opening defined in the outer face and radially inward from the root portion of the angelwing to at least one outlet opening defined in the radially outer surface of the body portion and offset from the tip portion, such that the at least one inlet opening is coupled in flow communication with an inner wheelspace of the gas turbine engine and the at least one outlet opening is coupled in flow communication with an outer rotor/stator cavity of the gas turbine engine; and
supplying pressurized cooling air to the inner wheelspace, such that the pressurized cooling air is channeled into the at least one inlet opening and discharged from the at least one outlet opening forming a cooling air film layer adjacent to the radially outer surface.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , said method comprising orienting the at least one outlet opening such that the pressurized cooling air is discharged in one of a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation, towards the first direction, and towards a second direction away from the first direction.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a flow of combustion gases is channeled through the outer rotor/stator cavity, said method comprising orienting the at least one outlet opening such that the pressurized cooling air is discharged in one of an upstream direction relative to the flow of combustion gases and a downstream direction relative to the flow of combustion gases.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein defining at least one cooling passage comprises:
defining a plurality of separate cooling passages; and
coupling an inlet opening and an outlet opening to each separate cooling passage.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein defining at least one cooling passage comprises:
defining at least one cooling passage;
coupling a plurality of branch passages to the at least one cooling passage; and
coupling at least one of an inlet opening and an outlet opening to each branch passage.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein coupling an angelwing to a shank of the rotor blade further comprises coupling the angelwing to a portion of the shank wall that is oriented one of towards a flow of combustion gases channeled through the gas turbine engine and away from a flow of combustion gases channeled through the gas turbine engine.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling passage defines a first cooling passage and the rotor blade includes an airfoil coupled to the shank, said method comprising defining a second cooling passage extending through the shank to the airfoil.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 , said method comprising orienting the at least one outlet opening in a downstream portion of the radially outer surface proximate the root of the angelwing.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the rotor blade includes an airfoil coupled to the shank, said method comprising orienting the at least one outlet opening in substantial circumferential alignment with a leading edge of the airfoil.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 , said method further comprising orienting a plurality of outlet openings in the radially outer surface of the angelwing such that the outlet openings are circumferentially spaced apart from each other along the upper surface of the angelwing.

11. A system for cooling an angelwing in a gas turbine engine, said system comprising:
a rotor blade comprising a shank, said shank comprising a shank wall comprising an outer face, said rotor blade coupled for rotation in a first direction about an axis of the gas turbine engine;
an angelwing coupled to said shank wall, said angelwing comprising a body portion extending from a root portion to an opposite tip portion, said root portion coupled to said outer face of said shank wall radially inward from a platform of the rotor blade, said body portion comprising a radially outer surface that extends between said root portion and said tip portion, said radially outer surface extending substantially parallel to the first direction; and
at least one cooling passage defined within said shank wall and said angelwing, said at least one cooling passage extending from at least one inlet opening to at least one outlet opening, said at least one inlet opening located in said outer face and radially inward from said root portion of said angelwing, said at least one outlet opening located in said radially outer surface of said body portion and offset from said tip portion, such that said at least one inlet opening is coupled in flow communication with an inner wheelspace of the gas turbine engine and said at least one outlet opening is coupled in flow communication with an outer rotor/stator cavity of the gas turbine engine;
said at least one cooling passage configured for use in receiving pressurized cooling air from the inner wheelspace, such that the pressurized cooling air is channeled into said at least one inlet opening and discharged from said at least one outlet opening, said at least one outlet opening configure to form a cooling air film layer adjacent said radially outer surface.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11 , said system comprising said at least one outlet opening oriented such that the pressurized cooling air is discharged in one of a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation, towards the first direction, and a second direction away from the first direction.

13. A system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein a flow of combustion gases is channeled through the outer rotor/stator cavity, said system comprising said at least one outlet opening oriented such that the pressurized cooling air is discharged in one of an upstream direction relative to the flow of combustion gases and a downstream direction relative to the flow of combustion gases.

14. A system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said at least one cooling passage comprises:
a plurality of distinct separate cooling passages; and
an inlet opening and an outlet opening coupled to each separate cooling passage.

15. A system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said at least one cooling passage comprises:
a plurality of branch passages coupled to said at least one cooling passage; and
at least one of an inlet opening and an outlet opening coupled to each branch passage.

16. A system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said angelwing is coupled to said shank wall that is oriented one of toward a flow of combustion gases channeled through the gas turbine engine and away from a flow of combustion gases channeled through the gas turbine engine.

17. A system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said at least one cooling passage defines a first cooling passage, said rotor blade comp

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Fedor Michael James
• Johns David Richard
• Johnson Richard William

Classifications

• F01D5/088

  in a closed cavity · CPC title

• F01D5/085

  cooling fluid circulating inside the rotor · 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

• F01D5/08

  Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means {(specially adapted for radial flow machines or engines F01D5/04)} · CPC title

• F01D5/082

  on the side of the rotor disc · CPC title