Cooled shroud

• US 5,584,651 A
• Filed: 10/31/1994
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wright, Carl D., Pietraszkiewicz, Edward F., Frey, David A., Ackerman, Robert I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Michael S.
• Application Number:
  US08/331,401
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 415/115, 415/173.1, 415/173.3
• US Class Current: 415/115
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/08 for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator specially-shaped blade tips therefor F01D5/20
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/12 Cooling
• 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 shroud includes a panel having leading and trailing edges and inner and outer surfaces extending therebetween. A cooling passage extends through the panel from adjacent the leading edge to an intermediate location and is generally parallel to the inner and outer surfaces. The cooling passage has an inlet for receiving cooling air from adjacent the panel outer surface, a plurality of spaced apart turbulators disposed adjacent to the panel inner surface, and an outlet disposed at the leading edge for discharging the cooling air from the passage.

Claims

1. A shroud for providing a flowpath boundary for hot combustion gas in a turbine of a gas turbine engine comprising:

a panel having a leading edge for first receiving said combustion gas, a trailing edge at an opposite end thereof from which said combustion gas flows downstream therefrom, an inner surface extending between said leading edge and said trailing edge defining said flowpath boundary, and an outer surface extending between said leading edge and said trailing edge and spaced from said panel inner surface;

said panel further including a cooling passage extending from an intermediate location between said leading and trailing edges toward one of said leading and trailing edges;

said cooling passage having an inlet disposed at said intermediate location for receiving cooling air from adjacent said panel outer surface, a plurality of spaced apart turbulators disposed adjacent to said panel inner surface for enhancing heat transfer, and an outlet disposed at said one edge for discharging said cooling air from said cooling passage and along said panel inner surface at least a portion of said passage between said inlet and said outlet being generally parallel to said panel inner surface.

2. A shroud according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of spaced apart impingement holes disposed between said passage outlet and said turbulators in said cooling passage for dividing said cooling passage into an inlet plenum extending aft to said inlet and an outlet plenum extending forward to said one edge to impinge said cooling air against an inside surface of said one edge for impingement cooling thereof prior to discharge from said passage outlet.

3. A shroud according to claim 2 wherein said cooling passage extends to said leading edge, and said cooling passage outlet comprises a plurality of film cooling holes extending from said outlet plenum to said leading edge for discharging said cooling air as a film along said panel inner surface.

4. A shroud according to claim 3 further comprising a plurality of said cooling passages, adjacent ones having an elongate rib extending between said impingement holes and said passage inlets to effect a flow barrier between adjacent inlet plenums.

5. A shroud according to claim 4 wherein said rib ends at said impingement holes, and adjacent outlet plenums are disposed together in flow communication.

6. A shroud according to claim 4 wherein said rib extends to said leading edge to provide a flow barrier between adjacent outlet plenums for effecting independent channeling of said cooling air through adjacent cooling passages.

7. A shroud according to claim 4 further comprising a plurality of said ribs including:

a first rib ending at said impingement holes, with adjacent outlet plenums being disposed together in flow communication; and

a second rib extending to said leading edge to provide a flow barrier between adjacent outlet plenums for effecting independent channeling of said cooling air through adjacent cooling passages.

8. A shroud according to claim 7 wherein:

said second rib is disposed along a center of said panel and extends from said leading edge to adjacent said trailing edge; and

a pair of said first ribs are disposed on respective sides of said second rib for effecting four of said cooling passages disposed in parallel flow for separately channeling said cooling air from respective inlets thereof to respective film cooling outlet holes thereof.

9. A shroud according to claim 8 further comprising:

a forward hook extending outwardly from said panel above said cooling passages;

an aft hook extending outwardly from said panel adjacent to said trailing edge;

said forward and aft hooks being configured for supporting said shroud above a turbine blade; and

wherein said cooling passage inlets are disposed between said forward and aft hooks for receiving said cooling air.

10. A shroud according to claim 9 in combination with a turbine nozzle disposed upstream therefrom, said nozzle including a stator vane having a trailing edge aligned with said center second rib.