Gas turbine engine and cooled flowpath component therefor

• US 10,060,264 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Moga, Corina, Layne, Jerry, Rhodes, Jeffrey F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bomberg, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Delrue, Brian
• Application Number:
  US13/337,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20120201653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,439 Days
• Field of Search: 415115, 415166, 415178, 416 90 R, 416 96 A, 416 97 R, 416226
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/147 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 Class Codes: F01D 5/186 Film cooling F01D5/187 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/187 Convection cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/122 related to the trailing edge of a stator vane
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/126 Baffles or ribs
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/304 related to the trailing edge of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/18 patterned
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/202 by film cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/22141 using fins or ribs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Apparatus and systems for a cooled gas turbine engine flowpath component are disclosed. In some embodiments, the flowpath component includes a spar and a coversheet. The spar may include a suction-side wall extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge and a pressure-side wall extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, each wall having an outer surface. The coversheet may be positioned on the spar to at least partially enclose the spar, the coversheet having an engagement surface positioned to face the outer surface of the suction-side wall and the outer surface of the pressure-side wall. The spar and the coversheet cooperate to form a number of passageways configured to cool the flowpath component.

Claims

1. A turbine flowpath component for a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a spar having a suction-side wall extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge and a pressure-side wall extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, each wall having an outer surface;

a coversheet positioned on the spar to at least partially enclose the spar, the coversheet having an exterior surface and an engagement surface opposite the exterior surface, the exterior surface being an outermost surface of the turbine flowpath component, the engagement surface positioned to face the outer surface of the suction-side wall of the spar and the outer surface of the pressure-side wall of the spar, the engagement surface of the coversheet and the outer surface of the suction-side wall of the spar cooperate to define a suction-side gap therebetween, and the engagement surface of the coversheet and the outer surface of the pressure-side wall of the spar cooperate to define a pressure-side gap therebetween;

a plurality of spacers positioned between the spar and the coversheet in the suction-side gap and in the pressure-side gap; and

a hollow pin extending between a first opening formed in the outer surface of the suction-side wall and a second opening formed in the outer surface of the pressure-side wall, wherein the hollow pin provides fluid communication between the suction-side gap and the pressure-side gap,

wherein the turbine flowpath component is defined by a pressure side and a suction side, the coversheet defines at least a portion of a third opening that is located on the pressure side of the turbine flowpath component, and the third opening provides fluid communication between the pressure-side gap and a core flow surrounding the turbine flowpath component to allow fluid in the pressure-side gap to exit the turbine flowpath component on the pressure side through the third opening.

2. The turbine flowpath component of claim 1, wherein the coversheet is configured for engagement with the spar on the suction side.

3. The turbine flowpath component of claim 1, further comprising a first plurality of cooling air passages interleaved with a second plurality of cooling air passages, wherein the first plurality of cooling air passages delivers cooling air to a first location;

and wherein the second plurality of cooling air passages delivers cooling air to a second location different from the first location.

4. The turbine flowpath component of claim 3, wherein the first plurality of cooling air passages is configured to deliver cooling air to a cooling circuit defined by the spacers.

5. The turbine flowpath component of claim 3, wherein the second plurality of cooling air passages is configured to transfer cooling air from the suction side to the pressure side of the turbine flowpath component.

6. The turbine flowpath component of claim 5, wherein the second plurality of cooling air passages are configured to discharge cooling air for film cooling on the pressure side.

7. The turbine flowpath component of claim 1, wherein the coversheet includes a plurality of pedestals bonded to the spar.

9. The turbine flowpath component of claim 7, further comprising a trailing edge portion, wherein the pedestals are formed in the trailing edge portion.

10. The turbine flowpath component of claim 7, wherein the pedestals extend toward the spar from a base to a plateau in contact with the spar.

11. The turbine flowpath component of claim 7, further comprising a trailing edge portion, wherein the pedestals are configured to form a cooling circuit for flow of cooling air to the trailing edge portion.

12. The turbine flowpath component of claim 11, wherein adjacent pedestals at a trailing edge of the trailing edge portion form exit slots therebetween, and wherein the cooling circuit is operative to discharge cooling air from the trailing edge via the exit slots.

13. The turbine flowpath component of claim 1, wherein a cooling circuit is defined between the coversheet, the spar, and the spacers.

20. The turbine flowpath component of claim 1, wherein each wall of the spar includes an inner surface positioned opposite the outer surface, the inner surface of the suction-side wall and the inner surface of the pressure-side wall cooperating to define a cavity configured to include cooling fluid;

and the hollow pin bridges the cavity.

21. The turbine flowpath component of claim 3, wherein the second plurality of cooling air passages are arranged to extend between the coversheet and the suction-side wall of the spar.

8. A flowpath component for a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a spar having a suction-side wall extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge, a pressure-side wall extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and a cooling air supply cavity formed between the suction-side wall and the pressure-side wall;

a coversheet positioned on the spar to at least partially enclose the spar;

a cooling circuit extending from the trailing edge and formed between the coversheet and the suction-side wall of the spar;

a first plurality of passages formed in the trailing edge of the spar and extending between the cooling air supply cavity and a first opening formed in the suction-side wall of the spar for providing cooling air to the cooling circuit extending from the trailing edge; and

a second plurality of passages formed in the trailing edge of the spar, the second plurality of passages extend between the suction-side wall of the spar and the pressure-side wall of the spar for providing cooling air to the trailing edge at a location different from the cooling circuit,

wherein the second plurality of passages and the first plurality of passages are interleaved along a direction between a tip and a hub of the flowpath component.

14. A turbine flowpath component for a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a spar including a wall having an outer surface;

a coversheet positioned on the spar to at least partially enclose the spar, the coversheet having an inner surface configured to partially engage the outer surface of the spar; and

a plurality of pedestals extending from the inner surface of the coversheet to form a cooling circuit configured to receive cooling fluid, each pedestal having a sidewall that extends from the inner surface to a plateau configured to engage the outer surface of the wall of the spar, wherein the plurality of pedestals are positioned to form (i) a first plurality of passageways extending in a first direction between the inner surface of the coversheet and the outer surface of the spar and (ii) a second plurality of passageways extending for a length in a second direction between the inner surface of the coversheet and the outer surface of the spar;

wherein the first plurality of passageways intersect the second plurality of passageways to form the cooling circuit,

wherein the wall of the spar further includes a suction-side wall that extends from a leading edge to a trailing edge and a pressure-side wall that extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge, the suction-side wall and the pressure-side wall cooperate to form a cavity therein, the coversheet extends around the wall of the spar from the trailing edge of the suction-side wall around the leading edge and toward the trailing edge of the pressure-side wall without enclosing a length of the pressure-side wall of the spar, and the plurality of pedestals are located between the suction-side wall of the spar and the coversheet in a trailing edge portion of the spar.

15. The turbine flowpath component of claim 14, wherein adjacent pedestals at the trailing edge form exit slots therebetween that are operative to discharge cooling air from the cooling circuit to the trailing edge.

16. The turbine flowpath component of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of internal cooling air passages formed in the spar and configured to direct cooling air from a cooling air supply cavity of the spar to the cooling circuit.

17. The turbine flowpath component of claim 14, wherein the plurality of pedestals extend toward the spar from a base to a plateau in contact with the spar.

18. The turbine flowpath component of claim 14, wherein the plurality of pedestals extend from the trailing edge along the suction-side wall of the spar.

19. The turbine flowpath component of claim 14, wherein each passageway of the first plurality of passageways does not intersect with any other passageway of the first plurality of passageways and each passageway of the second plurality of passageways does not intersect with other passageways of the second plurality of passageways.