ROTOR BLADE

• US 20150292335A1
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: DAWSON, John, MILLI, Andrea, SELLERS, Paul Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/658,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20150292335A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/145 Means for influencing boundary layers or secondary circulations for compressors F04D29/68
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/187 Convection cooling
• 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 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/307 related to the tip of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/52 Outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A turbine blade has a trailing end and a leading end and a tip. A gutter is formed in the tip and extends to an exit defined in a region of the trailing end of the blade. The gutter is defined at least in part by a floor, and the floor defines a decreased depth in a region proximal to the exit than in a region distal to the exit.

Claims

1. A turbine blade having:

a trailing end and a leading end;

a tip; and

a gutter formed in the tip and extending to an exit defined in a region of the trailing end of the blade;

wherein the gutter is defined at least in part by a floor, and the floor defines a decreased depth portion of the gutter in a region proximal to the exit of the gutter.

2. The turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the gutter has a minimum gutter depth at the exit.

3. The turbine blade according to claim 1, comprising a cover positioned over a conduit that extends to a cooling passage of the turbine blade, wherein the cover is provided in the gutter, and wherein the decreased depth portion extends in a region between the cover and the exit.

4. The turbine blade according to claim 3, wherein the cover is defined by a welded region.

5. The turbine blade according to claim 1 comprising a winglet on a pressure side and/or a suction side of the blade.

6. The turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the gutter gradually decreases towards the exit.

7. The turbine blade according to claim 6, wherein the floor is inclined to define the gradually decreasing depth of the gutter.

8. The turbine blade according to claim 6, wherein the floor is curved to define the gradually decreasing depth of the gutter.

9. The turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein the floor defines a step, the step defining a change in depth of the gutter.

10. The turbine blade according to claim 1 comprising a cooling gallery extending from a cooling passage of the turbine to an opening in a trailing end of the blade.

11. The turbine blade according to claim 10, wherein the cooling gallery is substantially parallel to the floor of the gutter in a region proximal to the exit.

12. The turbine blade according to claim 1, wherein a region of the gutter towards a leading end of the blade is laterally wider than a region of the gutter towards a trailing end of the blade.

13. The turbine blade according to claim 12, wherein the gutter comprises a necked portion in a region proximal to the exit.

14. A gas turbine engine comprising a turbine having the turbine blade according to claim 1.