Cooling systems for gas turbine engine airfoil

• US 6,238,183 B1
• Filed: 06/17/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Williamson, Robert P E, Emery, Martin A J, Self, Kevin P
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McAleenan, James M
• Application Number:
  US09/334,933
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 415/115, 415/116, 415/121.2, 416/96 R, 416/96 A, 416/97 R, 416/97 A
• US Class Current: 416/96.00A
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/189 the insert having a tubular cross-section, e.g. airfoil shape
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/607 Preventing clogging or obstruction of flow paths by dirt, dust, or foreign particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Means for reducing blockage of cooling apertures in a hollow gas turbine guide vane by sand or other particles entrained in cooling air, is provided by a partition within the vane for dividing the hollow region into first and second regions, the first region having a flow of high pressure cooling air, the second region being at a pressure lower than the first region. The partition is provided with a channel on the high pressure side. Apertures are located in the base of the channel providing flow between the first and second regions and directing cooling air at the inside surface of the vane. The inlet area of the channel is greater than the total cross-section area of the apertures, and the width of the channel distal to its base is less than or equal to the diameter of the apertures, thus trapping in the channel entrained particles larger than the diameter of the apertures.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine airfoil having an internal air system including air delivery impingement holes having a certain predetermined width, wherein, in use, the air system may carry particles of sufficiently large size to block the air delivery impingement holes, the airfoil including a partition member having an inlet area through which the internal air passes via at least one of said air delivery impingement holes comprised of an impingement hole exit aperture of said predetermined width in the downstream surface of the partition member, and a non-circular impingement hole entry aperture formed in the upstream surface of the partition member which has a minor dimension less than or equal to the impingement hole exit aperture width whereby to exclude particles of greater size and a substantially larger major dimension such that the passage of air into the air delivery impingement hole is largely unaffected by particles which becomes trapped in the impingement hole entry aperture.

2. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 1 wherein each air delivery impingement hole is supplied through an individual non-circular impingement hole entry aperture having major and minor dimensions.

3. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 1 wherein each air delivery impingement hole is supplied from a base of a channel formed in the upstream side of the partition member and the dimension constituting the width of the channel is less than the width of the air delivery impingement hole.

4. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 3 wherein the depth of the channel is greater than its width.

5. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 3 wherein the inlet area of the channel is greater than the total cross-section area of those air delivery impingement holes supplied by the channel.

6. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 3 wherein the partition member has the plurality of air delivery impingement holes formed in the base of the channel.

7. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 3 wherein the partition member passes a branch flow of the total internal air flow.

8. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 3 wherein the partition member is removable from the airfoil.

9. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 8 wherein it is arranged for the movable partition member to be slidingly fit into the interior of the airfoil.

10. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 3 wherein the partition member divides an internal volume of the airfoil into an upstream region of high pressure and a downstream region of relatively lower pressure and the channel is formed in the high pressure side of the partition member.

11. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 4 wherein the partition member has the plurality of air delivery impingement holes formed in the base of the channel.

12. A gas turbine engine airfoil as claimed in claim 5 wherein the partition member has the plurality of air delivery impingement holes formed in the base of the channel.