Parallel serpentine cooled blade

• US 20070128032A1
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lee, Ching-Pang, Wadia, Aspi, Brassfield, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,296,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/97.R
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/187 Convection cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/185 serpentine-like
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/202 by film cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A turbine blade includes an airfoil having opposite pressure and suction sidewalls joined together at opposite leading and trailing edges and extending longitudinally from root to tip. A plurality of independent cooling circuits are disposed inside the airfoil correspondingly along the pressure and suction sidewalls thereof. A first serpentine circuit is disposed along the pressure sidewall. A second serpentine circuit is disposed along the suction sidewall in parallel with the first circuit. And a third impingement circuit is disposed at the leading edge forward of the first and second circuits.

Claims

1. A turbine blade comprising:

an airfoil integrally joined to a mounting dovetail;

said airfoil including opposite pressure and suction sidewalls joined together at chordally opposite leading and trailing edges and extending longitudinally in span from root to tip;

a first serpentine cooling circuit disposed inside said airfoil along said pressure sidewall;

a second serpentine cooling circuit disposed inside said airfoil along said suction sidewall in parallel with said first circuit, and sharing common partitions therewith;

a third cooling circuit disposed between said leading edge and said first and second circuits, and separated from each other by imperforate partitions in independent circuits; and

each of said first, second, and third circuits terminates in a corresponding row of outlet holes extending through said airfoil in flow communication with a corresponding outlet channel thereof.

2. A blade according to claim 1 wherein:

each of said circuits includes an inlet channel collectively grouped together in the maximum width region of said airfoil; and

each of said circuits further includes multiple channels joined in series flow from said inlet channels, and extending forward to said leading edge and aft to said trailing edge, respectively, in flow communication with said outlet holes thereof.

3. A blade according to claim 2 wherein said first and second serpentine circuits each includes three legs extending along said airfoil span, and corresponding legs thereof adjoin each other at common imperforate partitions.

4. A blade according to claim 3 wherein:

said first and second serpentine circuits are separated from said leading edge by said third circuit; and

said common imperforate partitions from said first and second circuits divide said airfoil substantially equally, and are coplanar with a perforate partition in said third circuit joined to said suction sidewall.

5. A blade according to claim 4 wherein said third circuit comprises multiple cascade channels separated by corresponding perforate partitions, each including a row of impingement holes for cascade impingement cooling the inner surface of said airfoil chordally therealong.

6. A blade according to claim 5 wherein said second circuit further includes multiple cascade channels joined in series flow communication with the last serpentine leg thereof, and separated from each other by corresponding perforate partitions, each including a row of impingement holes for cascade impingement cooling the inner surface of said airfoil chordally therealong.

7. A blade according to claim 6 wherein said first circuit further includes an array of pins arranged in a mesh in flow communication with the last leg thereof.

8. A blade according to claim 7 wherein said first and second circuits share a common imperforate partition between said mesh pins and one of said cascade channels.

9. A blade according to claim 8 wherein said pressure and suction sidewalls are imperforate along said inlet channels.

10. A blade according to claim 9 wherein said pressure and suction sidewalls are imperforate along said three cooling circuits except at the corresponding last channels thereof having said rows of outlet holes.

11. A turbine blade comprising:

an airfoil integrally joined to a mounting dovetail;

said airfoil including opposite pressure and suction sidewalls joined together at chordally opposite leading and trailing edges and extending longitudinally in span from root to tip;

a first serpentine cooling circuit disposed inside said airfoil along said pressure sidewall;

a second serpentine cooling circuit disposed inside said airfoil along said suction sidewall in parallel with said first circuit, and sharing common partitions therewith; and

a third cooling circuit disposed between said leading edge and said first and second circuits, and separated from each other by imperforate partitions in independent circuits.

12. A blade according to claim 11 wherein:

each of said circuits includes an inlet channel collectively grouped together in the maximum width region of said airfoil; and

each of said circuits further includes multiple channels joined in series flow from said inlet channels, and extending forward to said leading edge and aft to said trailing edge, respectively.

13. A blade according to claim 12 wherein said first and second serpentine circuits each includes three legs extending along said airfoil span, and corresponding legs thereof adjoin each other at common imperforate partitions.

14. A blade according to claim 13 wherein said first and second serpentine circuits are separated from said leading edge by said third circuit.

15. A blade according to claim 14 wherein each of said first, second, and third circuits terminates in a corresponding row of outlet holes extending through said airfoil.

16. A blade according to claim 15 wherein said third circuit comprises multiple cascade channels separated by corresponding perforate partitions, each including a row of impingement holes for cascade impingement cooling the inner surface of said airfoil chordally therealong.

17. A blade according to claim 15 wherein said second circuit further includes multiple cascade channels joined in series flow communication with the last serpentine leg thereof, and separated from each other by corresponding perforate partitions, each including a row of impingement holes for cascade impingement cooling the inner surface of said airfoil chordally therealong.

18. A blade according to claim 15 wherein said first circuit further includes an array of pins arranged in a mesh in flow communication with the last leg thereof.

19. A blade according to claim 15 wherein said pressure and suction sidewalls are imperforate along said inlet channels.

20. A blade according to claim 15 wherein said pressure and suction sidewalls are imperforate along said three cooling circuits except at the corresponding last channels thereof having said rows of outlet holes.