CMC airfoil with cooling channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9915151-B2
Application number	US-201514721164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

An airfoil may be provided that includes a CMC body and a support piece. The CMC body has an inner surface that defines a chamber within the CMC body. The support piece may be positioned within the chamber of the CMC body. The support piece comprises a channel in a surface of the support piece, the surface being in contact with the inner surface of the CMC body. The channel and the inner surface of the CMC body define a passageway for a cooling fluid. The passageway may wind about the circumference of the CMC body and extend along the span of the airfoil. Outlets may be positioned through the CMC body allowing fluid communication between the passageway and the outer surface of the CMC body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airfoil comprising:
a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) body having an inner surface and a strut that define a leading edge chamber and a second chamber within the CMC body, the leading edge chamber and the second chamber separated by the strut; and
a support piece positioned in the leading edge chamber of the CMC body, the support piece including an interior cavity,
wherein the support piece comprises a channel in a surface of the support piece,
wherein the surface of the support piece is in contact with the inner surface of the CMC body,
wherein the channel and the inner surface of the CMC body define a passageway for a cooling fluid,
wherein the passageway includes a first section and a second section,
wherein the first section of the passageway is configured to guide the cooling fluid in a first direction along a circumference of the support piece and the second section of the passageway is configured to guide the cooling fluid in a second direction that is substantially opposite of the first direction, wherein the second direction is also along the circumference of the support piece, and
wherein the support piece includes an inlet configured to provide the cooling fluid to the passageway, and the inlet is in communication with the interior cavity included in the support piece.

2. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the passageway winds around the support piece in a corkscrew pattern.

3. The airfoil of claim 2 , wherein the corkscrew pattern of the passageway extends along a span of the support piece.

4. The airfoil of claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of outlets in the passageway, wherein each of the plurality of outlets is positioned at a common circumferential point along the span of the airfoil.

5. The airfoil of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of outlets has an outlet diameter, wherein each of the plurality of outlets is separated from one another by a span-wise spacing, and wherein the ratio between the span-wise spacing of the plurality of outlets and the outlet diameter is greater than 2.50.

6. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the passageway further comprises an outlet configured to release the cooling fluid from the passageway, and the outlet passes through the CMC body.

7. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the passageway further comprises an outlet configured to release the cooling fluid from the passageway, and the outlet is arranged at an end of a span of the support piece.

8. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the inlet further comprises a substantially tangential connection into the passageway.

9. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the passageway is arranged circumferentially about a portion the surface of the support piece and extends in a serpentine pattern along a span of the airfoil.

10. The airfoil of claim 9 , wherein the serpentine pattern is defined by a plurality of leading bends and a plurality of trailing bends.

11. The airfoil of claim 10 , wherein the passageway comprises a plurality of outlets, wherein each of the plurality of outlets is at each of either the plurality of leading bends or the plurality of trailing bends.

12. The airfoil of claim 1 , further comprising a second support piece positioned in the chamber of the CMC body, wherein a surface of the second support piece is in contact with the inner surface of the CMC body, and wherein the second support piece is offset from the support piece along a length of the airfoil.

13. The airfoil of claim 12 , wherein the second support piece comprises a second channel in the surface of the second support piece, and wherein the second channel and the inner surface of the CMC body define a second passageway for the cooling fluid.

14. The airfoil of claim 12 , wherein the CMC body comprises a rib positioned between the support piece and the second support piece.

15. The airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the CMC body and the surface of the support piece are in contact so that no gap of greater than 0.003 inches exists between the inner surface of the CMC body and the surface of the support piece.

16. A method comprising:
providing a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) body having an inner surface and a strut that define a leading edge chamber and a second chamber within the CMC body, the leading edge chamber and the second chamber separated by the strut;
forming a channel in a surface of a support piece, the support piece including an interior cavity; and
positioning the support piece in the leading edge chamber of the CMC body, wherein the surface of the support piece contacts the inner surface of the CMC body, wherein the channel and the inner surface of the CMC body define a passageway, the passageway includes a first section and a second section arranged circumferentially along the support piece, the first section of the passageway is configured to guide cooling fluid in a first direction circumferentially along the support piece and the second section of the passageway is configured to guide the cooling fluid circumferentially along the support piece in a second direction that is opposite of the first direction, and wherein the support piece includes an inlet configured to provide the cooling fluid to the passageway, and the inlet is in communication with the interior cavity included in the support piece.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing a cooling fluid into the passageway from an interior cavity in fluid communication with the passageway through an inlet, wherein a fluid pressure in the interior cavity is higher than a fluid pressure in the passageway.

18. A vane or a blade for a gas turbine engine, the vane or the blade comprising:
a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) shell having an inner surface that defines a chamber within the CMC shell; and
a strut positioned in the chamber of the CMC shell, the strut defining an interior cavity of the strut, wherein the strut comprises a channel in a surface of the strut, wherein the surface of the strut is in contact with the inner surface of the CMC shell, and wherein the channel and the inner surface of the CMC shell define a passageway,
wherein the passageway winds around the strut in a corkscrew pattern and includes a first section and a second section,
wherein the first section of the passageway is configured to guide a cooling fluid in a first cordwise direction along an outer surface of the strut and the second section of the passageway is configured to guide the cooling fluid in a second cordwise direction different than the first cordwise direction, wherein the second cordwise direction is also along the outer surface of the strut, and
wherein the strut includes an inlet configured to provide the cooling fluid to the passageway from the interior cavity defined by the strut.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Weaver John Alan
• Kwon Okey

Classifications

• F01D9/02

  Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits {, e.g. individual nozzles (nozzle boxes F01D9/047)} · CPC title

• F01D5/189

  the insert having a tubular cross-section, e.g. airfoil shape · CPC title

• F05D2260/221

  Improvement of heat transfer · CPC title

• F05D2300/6033

  Ceramic matrix composites [CMC] · CPC title

• F01D5/282

  Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments · CPC title