COOLED AIRFOIL TRAILING EDGE AND METHOD OF COOLING THE AIRFOIL TRAILING EDGE

• US 20150147158A1
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wang, Guanghua, Bunker, Ronald Scott, Bailey, Jeremy Clyde, DeLancey, James Peter, Helmer, David Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 9,732,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/115
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/186 Film cooling F01D5/187 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/187 Convection cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/041 using blades F01D5/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/065 Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/304 related to the trailing edge of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/13 trapezoidal
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/131 polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/14 elliptical
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/141 circular
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/324 divergent
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/2212 by creating turbulence vortex generators, turbulators or the like for mixing F05D2240/127
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An airfoil and method of cooling a airfoil including a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side, a pressure side and at least one internal cooling channel configured to convey a cooling fluid, is provided. A plurality of trailing edge bleed slots are in fluid communication with the at least one internal cooling channel, wherein a downstream edge of the pressure side of the airfoil lies upstream of a downstream edge of the suction side to expose the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots proximate to the trailing edge of the airfoil. The at least one internal cooling channel is configured to supply the cooling fluid from a source of cooling fluid towards the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots. A plurality of obstruction features are disposed within the at least one internal cooling channel and at a downstream edge of the remaining pressure side. The one or more obstruction features are configured having a predefined substantially polygon shape, to distribute a flow of the cooling fluid and provide distributed cooling to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots.

Claims

1. An airfoil comprising:

a leading edge;

a trailing edge;

a suction side, a pressure side, at least one internal cooling channel defined between the suction side and the pressure side and configured to convey a cooling fluid;

a plurality of trailing edge bleed slots in fluid communication with the at least one internal cooling channel, wherein a downstream edge of the pressure side of the airfoil lies upstream of a downstream edge of the suction side to expose the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots proximate to the trailing edge of the airfoil, the at least one cooling channel configured to supply the cooling fluid towards the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots; and

one or more obstruction features disposed within the at least one internal cooling channel and at a downstream edge of the pressure side, the one or more obstruction features configured to distribute a flow of the cooling fluid and provide distributed cooling to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots.

2. The airfoil of claim 1, further comprising a pin array positioned within the at least one internal cooling channel to distribute the flow of the cooling fluid towards the trailing edge.

3. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the one or more obstruction features comprise a predefined substantially polygon shape.

4. The airfoil of claim 3, wherein the one or more obstruction features are configured as substantially elliptical obstruction features.

5. The airfoil of claim 3, wherein the one or more obstruction features are configured as substantially circular obstruction features.

6. The airfoil of claim 3, wherein the one or more obstruction features are disposed laterally offset within the at least one internal cooling channel, relative to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots, to asymmetrically distribute the flow of the cooling fluid to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots.

7. The airfoil of claim 3, wherein the one or more obstruction features are disposed centrally within the at least one internal cooling channel, relative to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots, to symmetrically distribute the flow of the cooling fluid relative to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots.

8. The airfoil of claim 3, wherein the one or more obstruction features are each configured as a multi-element obstruction feature.

9. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the airfoil comprises a gas turbine blade airfoil.

10. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the airfoil comprises a gas turbine vane airfoil.

11. An airfoil comprising:

a leading edge;

a trailing edge;

a suction side, a pressure side, at least one internal cooling channel disposed between the suction side and the pressure side of the airfoil and configured to convey a cooling fluid;

a plurality of trailing edge bleed slots in fluid communication with the at least one internal cooling channel, wherein a downstream edge of the pressure side of the airfoil lies upstream of a downstream edge of the suction side to expose the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots proximate to the trailing edge of the airfoil, the at least one cooling channel configured to supply the cooling fluid from a source of cooling fluid towards the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots;

a pin array positioned within the at least one internal cooling channel to distribute the flow of the cooling fluid towards the trailing edge; and

one or more obstruction features disposed within the at least one internal cooling channel at a downstream edge of the remaining pressure side, the one or more obstruction features comprising a predefined substantially polygon shape and configured to distribute a flow of the cooling fluid and provide distributed cooling to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots.

12. The airfoil of claim 11, wherein the one or more obstruction features are configured as substantially elliptical obstruction features, substantially circular obstruction features, substantially polygon shaped features mimicing a shape of one of the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots, or a combination of substantially elliptical obstruction features, substantially circular obstruction features and substantially polygon shaped features.

13. The airfoil of claim 12, wherein the one or more obstruction features are disposed laterally offset within the at least one internal cooling channel, relative to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots, to asymmetrically distribute the flow of the cooling fluid to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots.

14. The airfoil of claim 12, wherein the one or more obstruction features are disposed centrally within the at least one internal cooling channel, relative to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots, to symmetrically distribute the flow of the cooling fluid to the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots.

15. The airfoil of claim 11, wherein the one or more obstruction features are each configured as a multi-element obstruction feature.

16. The airfoil of claim 11, wherein the airfoil comprises one of a gas turbine blade airfoil or a gas turbine vane airfoil.

17. A method of cooling an airfoil comprising a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side, a pressure side and at least one internal cooling channel configured to convey a cooling fluid, the method comprising:

supplying the cooling fluid from the at least one internal cooling channel toward a plurality of trailing edge bleed slots in fluid communication with the at least one internal cooling channel,

wherein a downstream edge of the pressure side of the airfoil lies upstream of a downstream edge of the suction side to expose the plurality of trailing edge bleed slots proximate to the trailing edge of the airfoil,

wherein the at least one internal cooling channel includes a plurality of obstruction features disposed within the at least one internal cooling channel at a downstream edge of the remaining pressure side, the plurality of obstruction features configured to distribute a flow of the cooling fluid; and

distributing the flow of the cooling fluid via the plurality of obstruction features to form a channeled film of the cooling fluid on the trailing edge bleed slots for cooling the trailing edge via the plurality of obstruction features.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more obstruction features are configured as substantially elliptical obstruction features, substantially circular obstruction features, substantially polygon shaped features, laterally offset substantially elliptical obstruction features, laterally offset substantially circular obstruction features, laterally offset substantially polygon shaped features, multi-element obstruction features, or combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein cooling the airfoil comprises cooling a gas turbine blade airfoil.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein cooling the airfoil comprises cooling a gas turbine vane airfoil.