Turbine blade with trailing edge cooling

• US 7,980,821 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• 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): Bryant; Kiesha
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORNOW, MARK W
• Application Number:
  US12/335,410
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 416/96.R, 416/97.R, 416/228, 416/235, 416/236.R, 416/238, 415/173.1
• US Class Current: 416/97.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/187 Convection cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/122 related to the trailing edge of a stator vane
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/304 related to the trailing edge of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/202 by film cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/2214 by increasing the heat transfer surface

Abstract

A turbine rotor blade with a trailing edge cooling circuit in which cooling air from an impingement cavity located adjacent to the trailing edge region is connected to a plurality of metering channels that open onto the pressure side wall of the trailing edge region of the airfoil to discharge the cooling air. A row of submerged slots that open onto the suction side wall of the airfoil are connected to the metering channels by a row of small holes that bleed off the cooling air in the metering channel in a progressive manner and discharge the air into the slot. The trailing edge cooling circuit allows for a thinner trailing edge airfoil, reduces the metal temperature and reduces the shear mixing between the cooling air and the mainstream hot gas flow.

Claims

1. A turbine airfoil comprising:

A leading edge and a trailing edge;

A pressure side wall and a suction side wall extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge;

An impingement cavity located adjacent to a trailing edge region of the airfoil;

A metering channel extending through the trailing edge region and having an inlet opening into the impingement cavity and an outlet opening onto the pressure side wall of the trailing edge region;

A submerged slot opening onto the suction side wall of the trailing edge from a location near to the impingement cavity and extending to the trailing edge of the airfoil; and

,

A row of small holes connecting the metering channel to the submerged slot.

2. The turbine airfoil of claim 1, and further comprising:

A plurality of metering channels connected to the impingement cavity;

A plurality of submerged slots; and

,

A row of small holes connecting each of the submerged slots to the metering channels.

3. The turbine airfoil of claim 2, and further comprising:

Each submerged slot is associated with one metering channel.

4. The turbine-airfoil of claim 1, and further comprising:

The metering channel outlet is a short break-out slot.

5. The turbine airfoil of claim 1, and further comprising:

The row of small holes extends from near a forward end of the submerged slot to near an aft end of the metering channel.

6. The turbine airfoil of claim 1, and further comprising:

The row of small holes is slanted in a direction toward the trailing edge of the airfoil.

7. The turbine airfoil of claim 6, and further comprising:

The slant is at around 60 degrees from the chordwise axis of the airfoil.

8. The turbine airfoil of claim 1, and further comprising:

The submerged slot is a half-circular cross sectional shaped opening.

9. The turbine airfoil of claim 2, and further comprising:

The metering channels and the submerged slots extend along the entire spanwise length of the airfoil.

10. The turbine airfoil of claim 1, and further comprising:

The airfoil is a turbine rotor blade.

11. The turbine airfoil of claim 1, and further comprising:

The metering channel and the submerged slot are parallel to one another.

12. The turbine airfoil of claim 1, and further comprising:

The opening of the metering channel is formed by a pressure side lip on the forward end.