TURBINE AIRFOILS WITH MICRO COOLING FEATURES

• US 20170030199A1
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Barker, Brett J., Rhodes, Jeffrey F.
• Granted Patent: US 10,329,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/12 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/147 Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/187 Convection cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/189 the insert having a tubular cross-section, e.g. airfoil shape
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/041 using blades F01D5/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/201 by impingement of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/202 by film cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/2212 by creating turbulence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A blade used in a gas turbine engine includes a pair of pedestals and an airfoil coupled between the pedestals. The airfoil includes cooling features to cool the airfoil.

Claims

1. An airfoil for use in a gas turbine engine and having a pressure side and a suction side, the airfoil comprising

a spar formed to define a cooling air plenum adapted to receive a flow of cooling air, and

a skin coupled to an exterior surface of the spar and positioned to at least partially cover the spar along the pressure side and the suction side,

wherein at least one axially extending groove is formed in the exterior surface of the spar on the pressure side that defines at least one cooling passageway between the spar and the skin, at least one inlet port is formed in the spar adjacent a trailing edge of the spar, the at least one inlet port is in fluid communication with the cooling air plenum and the at least one cooling passageway to pass the flow of cooling air into the at least one cooling passageway from the cooling air plenum, at least one outlet port is formed through the skin on the pressure side and axially forward of the at least one inlet port, the at least one outlet port is configured to pass the flow of cooling air from the at least one cooling passageway to an exterior of the airfoil, and at least one turbulator is positioned within the at least one cooling passageway.

2. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the at least one axially extending groove includes a plurality of axially extending grooves formed in the exterior surface of the spar on the pressure side and radially spaced apart from one another to define a plurality of stand-offs therebetween, wherein the plurality of axially extending grooves define a plurality of cooling passageways between the spar and the skin, and wherein the at least one inlet port includes a plurality of inlet ports formed in the spar adjacent a trailing edge of the spar.

3. The airfoil of claim 2, wherein the skin is bonded to at least the plurality of stand-offs such that the flow of cooling air in one cooling passageway is separated from the flow of cooling air in an adjacent cooling passageway.

4. The airfoil of claim 3, wherein a height of each cooling passageway is defined between the spar and the skin and a width of each cooling passageway is defined between adjacent stand-offs.

5. The airfoil of claim 4, wherein each cooling passageway has a constant height and constant width along a length of the cooling passageway.

6. The airfoil of claim 4, wherein at least some cooling passageways have a variable height and variable width along a length of the cooling passageways.

7. The airfoil of claim 2, wherein each cooling passageway has a single inlet port associated therewith.

8. The airfoil of claim 2, wherein the at least one outlet port includes a plurality of outlet ports formed through the skin on the pressure side and axially forward of the inlet ports.

9. The airfoil of claim 8, wherein the outlet ports are positioned axially aft of a leading edge of the airfoil.

10. The airfoil of claim 2, wherein each cooling passageway has at least two inlet ports associated therewith.

11. The airfoil of claim 2, wherein each cooling passageway has at least two outlet ports associated therewith.

12. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling passageway includes a plurality of inlet ports and a plurality of turbulators positioned between the plurality of inlet ports.

13. The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling passageway includes a plurality of inlet ports positioned toward an aft end of the airfoil and a plurality of turbulators positioned toward a fore end of the airfoil.

14. An airfoil for use in a gas turbine engine and having a pressure side and a suction side, the airfoil comprising

a spar formed to define a cooling air plenum adapted to receive a flow of cooling air, and

a skin coupled to an exterior surface of the spar and positioned to at least partially cover the spar along the pressure side and the suction side,

wherein at least one axially extending groove is formed in the exterior surface of the spar on the suction side that defines at least one cooling passageway between the spar and the skin, at least one inlet port is formed in the spar adjacent a trailing edge of the spar, the at least one inlet port is in fluid communication with the cooling air plenum and the at least one cooling passageway to pass the flow of cooling air into the at least one cooling passageway from the cooling air plenum, at least one outlet port is formed through the skin on the suction side and axially forward of the at least one inlet port, the at least one outlet port is configured to pass the flow of cooling air from the at least one cooling passageway to an exterior of the airfoil, and at least one turbulator is positioned within the at least one cooling passageway.

15. The airfoil of claim 14, wherein the at least one axially extending groove includes a plurality of axially extending grooves formed in the exterior surface of the spar on the suction side and radially spaced apart from one another to define a plurality of stand-offs therebetween, wherein the plurality of axially extending grooves define a plurality of cooling passageways between the spar and the skin, and wherein the at least one inlet port includes a plurality of inlet ports formed in the spar adjacent a trailing edge of the spar.

16. The airfoil of claim 15, wherein the skin is bonded to at least the plurality of stand-offs such that the flow of cooling air in one cooling passageway is separated from the flow of cooling air in an adjacent cooling passageway.

17. The airfoil of claim 15, wherein each cooling passageway has a single inlet port associated therewith.

18. The airfoil of claim 15, wherein the at least one outlet port includes a plurality of outlet ports formed through the skin on the suction side and axially forward of the inlet ports and wherein the outlet ports are positioned substantially at a leading edge of the airfoil.

19. An airfoil for use in a gas turbine engine and having a pressure side and a suction side, the airfoil comprising

a spar formed to define a cooling air plenum adapted to receive a flow of cooling air, the spar having an axially forward body section and an axially aft tail section, and

a skin coupled to an exterior surface of the spar and positioned to at least partially cover the body section and tail section of the spar along the pressure side and the suction side,

wherein a first plurality of axially extending grooves are formed in the exterior surface of the body section of the spar and define a first plurality of cooling passageways between the spar and the skin, a second plurality axially extending grooves are formed in the exterior surface of the tail section of the spar and define a second plurality of cooling passageways between the spar and skin, a first plurality of inlet ports are formed in the spar and in fluid communication with the cooling air plenum and the first plurality of cooling passageways to pass the flow of cooling air into the first plurality of cooling passageways from the cooling air plenum, a second plurality of inlet ports are formed in the spar and in fluid communication with the cooling air plenum and the second plurality of cooling passageways to pass the flow of cooling air into the second plurality of cooling passageways from the cooling air plenum, a radially extending separator wall is defined between the first plurality of cooling passageways and the second plurality of cooling passageways and configured to separate the flow of cooling air within the first plurality of cooling passageways from the flow of cooling air within the second plurality of cooling passageways, a plurality of outlet ports are formed through the skin to pass the flow of cooling air from the first plurality of cooling passageways to an exterior of the airfoil, and a plurality of outlet slots are defined between the spar and the skin and configured to pass the flow of cooling air from the second plurality of cooling passageways to an exterior of the airfoil.

20. The airfoil of claim 19, further comprising at least one turbulator positioned within each of the first plurality of cooling passageways and each of the second plurality of cooling passageways, and

wherein the skin includes a suction-side panel coupled to the exterior surface of the spar and positioned to at least partially cover the body section and tail section of the spar along the suction side and a pressure-side panel coupled to the exterior surface of the spar and positioned to at least partially cover the body section and tail section of the spar along the pressure side.