Airfoils for reducing secondary flow losses in gas turbine engines

• US 10,107,104 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Bloxham, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edgar, Richard
• Application Number:
  US15/011,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20170218774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/145 Means for influencing boundary layers or secondary circulations for compressors F04D29/68
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/041 using blades F01D5/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/542 Bladed diffusers fixing blades to stators F01D9/042
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/682 by fluid extraction
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/684 by fluid injection
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/123 related to the pressure side of a stator vane
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/124 related to the suction side of a stator vane
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/305 related to the pressure side of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/306 related to the suction side of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Airfoils for gas turbine engines are disclosed herein. The airfoils each include a pressure side and a suction side. Vortex-reduction passageways extend from the pressure side to the suction side.

Claims

1. An airfoil for a gas turbine engine, the airfoil comprising

a pressure side that extends radially from a radially-outer point to a radially-inner point arranged opposite the radially-outer point,

a suction side arranged opposite the pressure side that extends radially from the radially-outer point to the radially-inner point,

a first vortex-reduction passageway arranged to extend directly from the pressure side to the suction side to provide fluid communication from the pressure side to the suction side and located near one of the radially-outer point of the airfoil and the radially-inner point of the airfoil such that the first vortex-reduction passageway is configured to conduct gas from the pressure side to the suction side during use of the airfoil in a gas turbine engine in order to inhibit radial migration of a secondary-flow vortex that may form along a radially-outer portion or a radially-inner portion of the suction side,

an inlet slot formed in the pressure side separately from the first vortex-reduction passageway that is fluidly coupled to the first vortex-reduction passageway to direct gas passing along the pressure side during use of the airfoil in the gas turbine engine into the first vortex-reduction passageway, and

an outlet slot formed in the suction side separately from the first vortex-reduction passageway that is fluidly coupled to the first vortex-reduction passageway to direct gas passing through the first vortex-reduction passageway during use of the airfoil in the gas turbine engine along the suction side,

wherein the first vortex-reduction passageway is spaced apart from a radially-middle portion of the airfoil located between the radially-outer portion of the airfoil and the radially-inner portion of the airfoil, the radially-middle portion sized to make up at least a third of a distance between the radially-outer point and the radially inner point of the airfoil, and the radially-middle portion is devoid of passageways that provide fluid communication directly from the pressure side to the suction side of the airfoil, and wherein the inlet slot extends partway through the airfoil from one of the radially-outer point and the radially-inner point toward the other of the radially-outer point and the radially-inner point.

2. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the pressure side and the suction side interconnect with one another at a leading edge of the airfoil and at a trailing edge of the airfoil positioned aft of the leading edge and the first vortex-reduction passageway is located closer to the leading edge than the trailing edge.

3. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the airfoil has an aspect ratio of less than 1.0.

4. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the first vortex-reduction passageway extends radially partway through the airfoil from one of the radially-outer point and the radially-inner point toward the other of the radially-outer point and the radially-inner point.

5. The airfoil of claim 4, further comprising a second vortex-reduction passageway arranged to extend directly from the pressure side to the suction side to provide fluid communication from the pressure side to the suction side and located between the first vortex-reduction passageway and the radially-middle portion such that the second vortex-reduction passageway is spaced apart from the first vortex-reduction passageway and the radially-middle portion.

6. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the outlet slot extends partway through the airfoil from the one of the radially-outer point and the radially-inner point toward the other of the radially-outer point and the radially-inner point.

7. An airfoil for a gas turbine engine, the airfoil comprising

a pressure side,

a suction side,

a first vortex-reduction passageway arranged to extend directly from the pressure side to the suction side to provide fluid communication from the pressure side to the suction side, wherein the first vortex-reduction passageway is spaced apart from a middle portion of the airfoil that is located about midway along a height of the airfoil, sized to make up at least a third of the height of the airfoil, and devoid of any passageways that provide fluid communication directly from the pressure side to the suction side of the airfoil,

an inlet slot separate from the first vortex-reduction passageway that is fluidly coupled to the first vortex-reduction passageway to direct gas passing along the pressure side during use of the airfoil in the gas turbine engine into the first vortex-reduction passageway, and

an outlet slot separate from the first vortex-reduction passageway that is fluidly coupled to the first vortex-reduction passageway to direct gas passing through the first vortex-reduction passageway during use of the airfoil in the gas turbine engine along the suction side,

wherein the pressure side and the suction side interconnect with one another at a leading edge of the airfoil and at a trailing edge of the airfoil positioned aft of the leading edge and the first vortex-reduction passageway is located closer to the leading edge than the trailing edge.

8. The airfoil of claim 7, wherein the first vortex-reduction passageway is configured to conduct gas from the pressure side to the suction side during use of the airfoil in a gas turbine engine in order to inhibit radial migration of a secondary-flow vortex that may form along a radially-outer portion or a radially-inner portion of the suction side.

9. The airfoil of claim 8, wherein the airfoil has an aspect ratio of less than 1.0.

10. A vane adapted for use in a gas turbine engine, the vane comprising

an outer end wall,

an inner end wall spaced from the outer end wall, and

an airfoil that extends from the outer end wall to the inner end wall, the airfoil having a pressure side, a suction side, a first vortex-reduction passageway arranged to extend from the pressure side to the suction side to provide fluid communication from the pressure side to the suction side, an inlet slot formed in the pressure side separately from the first vortex-reduction passageway that is fluidly coupled to the first vortex-reduction passageway, and an outlet slot formed in the suction side separately from the first vortex-reduction passageway that is fluidly coupled to the first vortex-reduction passageway, wherein the inlet slot extends partway through the airfoil from one of the outer end wall and the inner end wall toward the other of the outer end wall and the inner end wall.

11. The vane of claim 10, wherein the first vortex-reduction passageway is configured to conduct gas from the pressure side to the suction side during use of the vane in a gas turbine engine in order to inhibit radial migration of a secondary-flow vortex that may form along a radially-outer portion or a radially-inner portion of the suction side.

12. The vane of claim 10, wherein the first vortex-reduction passageway is spaced apart from a middle portion of the vane that is located about midway along a height of the vane, sized to make up at least a third of the height of the vane, and devoid of any passageways that provide fluid communication directly from the pressure side to the suction side of the vane.

13. The vane of claim 10, wherein the airfoil has an aspect ratio of less than 1.0.