Turbine airfoil with near-wall impingement and vortex cooling

• US 7,497,655 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liang, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Kershteyn; Igor
• Application Number:
  US11/508,008
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 415/1, 415/115, 416/1, 416/95, 416/96.R, 416/96.A, 416/97.R, 416/97.A, 416/232, 416/229.R, 416/229.A, 416/233
• US Class Current: 415/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/189 the insert having a tubular cross-section, e.g. airfoil shape

Abstract

An apparatus and method for impingement cooling of a turbine vane, in which the vane includes an insert having a plurality of impingement cavities formed therein and in series such that cooling air flows from a first impingement cavity onto the wall for impingement cooling, and is then directed into the second impingement cavity and redirected for impingement cooling on another part of the wall. Supports for the insert form seals that direct cooling air from one impingement cavity into the next impingement cavity in the series. A trailing edge impingement cavity directs cooling air through holes to provide impingement cooling to the trailing edge region, the cooling air passing through a trailing edge discharge passage to cool the trailing edge. The insert is formed as a single piece, and has from 3 to 5 impingement cavities separated by ribs.

Claims

1. An insert for use in a turbine airfoil, comprising:

a first rib extending from a pressure side to a suction side of the insert and forming a first impingement cavity;

a second rib extending from the pressure side to the suction side of the insert and forming a second impingement cavity adjacent to the first impingement cavity;

a plurality of impingement cooling holes spaced along the insert in the first impingement cavity;

a first insert support member extending from an insert wall of the second impingement cavity;

at least one inlet cooling hole in the second impingement cavity wall of the insert and located between the first impingement cavity and the first insert support member; and

,

a plurality of impingement cooling holes in the second impingement cavity wall of the insert and located between the first insert support member and the second rib.

2. The insert of claim 1, and further comprising:

a third rib extending from the pressure side to the suction side of the insert and forming a third impingement cavity with the second rib;

a second insert support member extending from the insert wall of the third impingement cavity;

at least one inlet cooling hole in the third impingement cavity wall of the insert and located between the second impingement cavity and the second insert support member; and

,

a plurality of impingement cooling holes in the third impingement cavity wall of the insert and located between the second insert support member and the third rib.

3. The insert of claim 1, and further comprising:

the insert support member forms a seal between the insert and a projection of the wall of the vane.

4. The insert of claim 1, and further comprising:

the first impingement cavity is substantially the same flow area as the second impingement cavity.

5. The insert of claim 2, and further comprising:

the three impingement cavities have substantially the same flow area.

6. The insert of claim 1, and further comprising:

the flow area of the first inlet cooling hole in the second impingement cavity is substantially equal to one half the combined flow area of the film cooling holes in the first impingement cavity.

7. The insert of claim 2, and further comprising:

the flow area of the second inlet cooling hole in the third impingement cavity is substantially equal to the combined flow area of the film cooling holes in the second impingement cavity.

8. A turbine vane used in a gas turbine engine, the vane comprising:

a wall forming an airfoil surface of the vane and forming a hollow opening for passage of a cooling fluid;

a plurality of insert support members extending from the vane wall;

an insert having a first and a second rib extending from the sides to form a first impingement cavity and a second impingement cavity;

a plurality of impingement cooling holes located on an insert wall of the first impingement cavity;

a first insert support member extending from the insert wall of the second impingement cavity and engaging with the insert support member of the vane wall to provide a seal between the vane wall and the insert;

a cooling inlet hole located in the insert wall of the second impingement cavity at a location between the first insert support member and the first rib; and

,

a plurality of impingement cooling holes in the insert wall of the second impingement cavity at a location between the first insert support member and the second rib.

9. The turbine vane of claim 8, and further comprising:

a third rib extending from the insert sides and forming a third impingement cavity with the second rib;

a second insert support member extending from the insert wall in the third impingement cavity and forming a seal with the insert support member extending from the vane wall;

a second inlet cooling hole located in the insert wall of the third impingement cavity and located between the second rib and the second insert support member; and

,

a plurality of impingement cooling holes in the insert wall of the third impingement cavity at a location between the second insert support member and the third rib.

10. The turbine vane of claim 9, and further comprising:

a first impingement cooling passage formed between the vane wall and the insert wall of the first impingement cavity.

11. The turbine vane of claim 10, and further comprising:

a second impingement cooling passage formed between the vane wall and the insert wall of the second impingement cavity and including the inlet cooling hole of the third impingement cavity, and between the first insert support member and the second insert support member.

12. The turbine vane of claim 8, and further comprising:

the first and second impingement cavities have substantially the same flow areas.

13. The turbine vane of claim 9, and further comprising:

the three impingement cavities have substantially the same flow areas.

14. The turbine vane of claim 9, and further comprising:

a trailing edge impingement cavity located adjacent to the trailing edge of the vane;

a trailing edge insert support member extending from the trailing edge impingement cavity near the forward end of the cavity;

an inlet cooling hole in the insert wall of the trailing edge impingement cavity and located between the trailing edge insert support member and the foreword rib forming the trailing edge impingement cavity; and

,

a plurality of impingement cooling holes located in the insert wall of the trailing edge impingement cavity between the trailing edge insert support member and the trailing edge of the cavity.

15. A process for impingement cooling of a turbine vane, the turbine vane having an insert within a hollow section of the vane, the process comprising:

supplying cooling air to a first impingement cavity of the insert;

directing impinging air from the first impingement cavity formed in the insert onto an inner wall of the vane;

channeling the cooling air from the first impingement cavity into a second impingement cavity formed in the insert located adjacent to the first impingement cavity;

directing impinging air from the second impingement cavity onto the inner wall of the vane; and

,

channeling the cooling air from the second impingement cavity into a third impingement cavity of the insert located adjacent to the second impingement cavity.

16. The process for impingement cooling of a turbine vane of claim 15, and further comprising the step of:

supporting the insert within the vane by a seal means for directing the cooling air into the second impingement cavity and the third impingement cavity.

17. The process for impingement cooling of a turbine vane of claim 15, and further comprising the step of:

separating the impingement cavities in the insert by ribs extending from a pressure side to a suction side of the insert.

18. The process for impingement cooling of a turbine vane of claim 15, and further comprising the steps of:

channeling cooling air into a trailing edge impingement cavity;

directing impinging air from the trailing edge impingement cavity onto the inner wall of the vane on the suction side and the pressure side; and

,

discharging the cooling air from the trailing edge impingement cavity through a trailing edge discharge hole.

19. The process for impingement cooling of a turbine vane of claim 15, and further comprising the step of:

the step of directing impinging air from the first impingement cavity formed in the insert onto the inner wall of the vane includes directing the impinging air onto the inner wall surface of the leading edge of the vane.

20. The process for impingement cooling of a turbine vane of claim 15, and further comprising the steps of:

the steps of directing impinging air from the second impingement cavity onto the inner wall of the vane and, channeling the cooling air from the second impingement cavity into a third impingement cavity of the insert located adjacent to the second impingement cavity, further comprises;

directing impingement air from the second impingement cavity onto the inner wall of the suction side through suction side impingement holes and directing impingement air from the second impingement cavity onto the inner wall of the pressure side through pressure side impingement holes.