SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COOLING A TURBINE BUCKET

• US 20120114480A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Amaral, Sergio Daniel Marques, Itzel, Gary Michael, Zhang, Xiuzhang James, Sampayo, Camilo Andres
• Granted Patent: US 8,657,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/12 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/081 Cooling fluid being directed on the side of the rotor disc or at the roots of the blades F01D5/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/22 Blade-to-blade connections, e.g. for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/57 Leaf seals
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise

Abstract

A turbine bucket includes an airfoil, a platform adjacent to the airfoil, and a shank adjacent to the platform. The shank defines a shank cavity, and a divider in the shank cavity creates a pressure differential across the shank cavity. A method for cooling a turbine bucket includes directing a fluid to a forward shank cavity and creating a pressure differential between the forward shank cavity and an aft shank cavity.

Claims

1. A turbine bucket comprising:

a. an airfoil;

b. a platform adjacent to the airfoil;

c. a shank adjacent to the platform, wherein the shank defines a shank cavity;

d. a divider in the shank cavity, wherein the divider creates a pressure differential across the shank cavity.

2. The turbine bucket as in claim 1, wherein the divider is disposed substantially perpendicular to the platform.

3. The turbine bucket as in claim 1, wherein the divider is disposed at an acute angle to the platform.

4. The turbine bucket as in claim 1, wherein the divider is connected to the platform.

5. The turbine bucket as in claim 1, wherein the divider comprises a seal pin.

6. The turbine bucket as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of dividers in the shank cavity, wherein the plurality of dividers create a plurality of pressure differentials across the shank cavity.

7. The turbine bucket as in claim 1, further comprising an aperture through the divider, wherein the aperture allows a fluid to flow through the divider.

8. The turbine bucket as in claim 7, wherein the aperture is angled to impinge the fluid on the platform.

9. A turbine bucket comprising:

a. an airfoil;

b. a platform adjacent to the airfoil; and

c. a shank adjacent to the platform, wherein the shank defines a forward shank cavity and an aft shank cavity with a pressure differential between the forward shank cavity and the aft shank cavity.

10. The turbine bucket as in claim 9, further comprising a divider between the forward shank cavity and the aft shank cavity.

11. The turbine bucket as in claim 10, wherein the divider is disposed substantially perpendicular to the platform.

12. The turbine bucket as in claim 10, wherein the divider is disposed at an acute angle to the platform.

13. The turbine bucket as in claim 10, wherein the divider is connected to the platform.

14. The turbine bucket as in claim 10, wherein the divider comprises a seal pin.

15. The turbine bucket as in claim 9, further comprising an aperture between the forward shank cavity and the aft shank cavity, wherein the aperture allows a fluid to flow from the forward shank cavity to the aft shank cavity.

16. The turbine bucket as in claim 15, wherein the aperture is angled to impinge the fluid on the platform.

17. A method for cooling a turbine bucket comprising:

a. directing a fluid to a forward shank cavity; and

b. creating a pressure differential between the forward shank cavity and an aft shank cavity.

18. The method as in claim 17, further comprising dividing the forward shank cavity from the aft shank cavity.

19. The method is in claim 17, further comprising allowing a portion of the fluid to flow from the forward shank cavity to the aft shank cavity.

20. The method as in claim 17, further comprising impinging a portion of the fluid in the aft shank cavity onto a turbine platform.