Blade for a rotor

• US 20100098554A1
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Diamond, Stephen C., Cheong, Brian C.Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,246,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/97.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/20 Specially-shaped blade tips to seal space between tips and stator F01D5/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/314 the axes being inclined in relation to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/201 by impingement of a fluid

Abstract

A blade for a rotor, such as a turbine rotor of a gas turbine engine, has a squealer tip comprising a peripheral wall which defines a cavity. A first region of the peripheral wall extends radially, with its outer surface forming a continuation of the adjacent aerofoil surface of the blade. A second region extends obliquely with respect to the radial direction and the adjacent part of the aerofoil surface. The second region defines a winglet, and serves to increase the width of the chamber towards the trailing edge of the blade.

Claims

1. A blade for a rotor, the blade having an aerofoil surface comprising pressure and suction sides extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the aerofoil surface, and having a squealer tip comprising a peripheral wall surrounding a cavity which is open at a radial end of the blade and at the trailing edge of the blade, wherein the peripheral wall comprises at least one first region which extends radially and has an outer surface which is a continuation of the aerofoil surface, and at least one second region which is inclined outwardly of the cavity with respect to the radial direction and has an outer surface which extends obliquely outwardly of the blade from the aerofoil surface along part of at least one of the pressure side and suction side.

2. A blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second region or at least one of the second regions, comprises a pressure side winglet extending along part of the pressure side.

3. A blade as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pressure side winglet extends from a leading end positioned between the leading edge and the trailing edge, to a trailing end situated at the opening of the cavity at the trailing edge.

4. A blade as claimed in claim 3, wherein the leading end is positioned approximately midway between the leading edge and the trailing edge.

5. A blade as claimed in claim 3, wherein the leading end of the winglet is positioned approximately 20% of the chordwise distance from the leading edge and the trailing end is disposed approximately 70% of the chordwise width from the leading edge.

6. A blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second region or at least one of the second regions, is a suction side winglet extending along part of the suction side.

7. A blade as claimed in claim 6, wherein the suction side winglet extends from a leading end positioned approximately 60% of the chordwise distance from the leading edge, to the trailing edge.

8. A blade as claimed in claim 6, wherein the suction side winglet extends from a leading end positioned approximately in the range of about 40% to about 90% of the chordwise distance from the leading edge, to the trailing edge.

9. A blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transition region extends between the first region and the leading end of the winglet in which transition the peripheral wall has a radially inner portion extending radially and having an outer surface which is a continuation of the aerofoil surface, and a radially outer portion which is inclined outwardly of the cavity with respect to the radial direction, and has an outer surface which extends obliquely outwardly of the blade from the aerofoil surface.

10. A blade as claimed in claim 2, wherein the or each winglet and the first portion of the peripheral wall terminate at their radially outer ends in end surfaces which lie in a common plane.

11. A blade as claimed in claim 10, wherein the end surface of the or each winglet varies in circumferential width along the length of the winglet.

12. A blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall extends from a partition defining the base of the cavity.

13. A blade as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ratio of the width to the depth of the cavity is not less than 1 and not more than 5.

14. A blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blade is provided with a cooling passage which has an extension projecting into the peripheral wall on one side of the cavity, the extension communicating through at least one duct with a chamber extending into the peripheral wall on the other side of the cavity, the duct, or at least one of the ducts, being configured to admit cooling fluid to the chamber in a manner to effect impingement cooling of an internal surface of the chamber.

15. A blade as claimed in claim 14, wherein the chamber communicates with the exterior of the blade through film cooling holes.

16. A blade as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one of the film cooling holes emerges into the cavity.

17. A blade as claimed in claim 14, wherein the extension projects into a pressure side winglet and the chamber extends into a suction side winglet.

18. A rotor provided with a blade in accordance claim 1.

19. A gas turbine engine provided with a rotor in accordance with claim 18.