Chambered airfoil cooling

• US 8,393,867 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Chon, Young H., Propheter-Hinckley, Tracy A., Couch, Eric L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDOWELL, LIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/058,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20090246023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 415/115, 416/96.A, 416/96.R, 416/97.R
• US Class Current: 416/96.A
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/188 with an insert in the blade cavity to guide the cooling fluid, e.g. forming a separation wall
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/201 by impingement of a fluid

Abstract

An airfoil assembly includes an airfoil with at least one cavity that is in communication with a source of cooling air. A baffle is disposed within that cavity and includes a plurality of openings for directing cooling air against the hot wall. A plurality of dividers extends between the baffle walls and the internal cavity to direct cooling air toward one of a leading edge chamber and a trailing edge chamber.

Claims

1. An airfoil assembly comprising:

an airfoil defining at least one internal cavity in communication with a source of cooling air;

a baffle disposed within the at least one internal cavity including a plurality of openings for directing cooling air; and

a plurality of dividers extending between the baffle and walls of the at least one internal cavity to define a plurality of chambers, wherein each of the plurality of chambers include a first open end opening to a leading edge chamber and a second open end opening to a trailing edge chamber and the plurality of openings include at least some openings into each of the plurality of chambers between the leading edge chamber and the trailing edge chamber.

2. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of open ended chambers direct airflow transverse to impingement airflow expelled from the plurality of openings within the baffle.

3. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the leading edge chamber and the trailing edge chamber extend an entire length of the internal cavity.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of dividers are part of the walls of the internal cavity and extend inwardly into direct contact with the baffle.

5. The assembly as recited in claim 1, including mixing members extending from one of the baffle and the wall of the internal cavity partially into at least one of the plurality of chambers to generate turbulent cooling airflow.

6. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of dividers includes a chevron shape including ends that are angled toward an exhaust opening.

7. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of dividers are part of the baffle and extend outwardly from the baffle into direct contact with the walls of the internal cavity.

8. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of dividers are compliant to exert a biasing force against both the baffle and the walls of the internal cavity.

9. A method of cooling a turbine airfoil assembly comprising the steps of:

a) communicating a cool air flow into an inlet opening of a baffle disposed within an internal cavity of an airfoil;

b) directing air out of a plurality of openings of the baffle to impinge upon a hot wall of the airfoil, wherein the plurality of openings includes at least some openings for directing air to impinge on a portion of the hot wall of the airfoil between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil;

c) directing cooling air after impingement on the hot wall of the airfoil, transversely with a plurality of dividers defining a corresponding plurality of chambers between the baffle and the hot walls of the airfoil, wherein each of the plurality of chambers include a first open end opening to a leading edge chamber and a second open end opening to a trailing edge chamber; and

d) warming the dividers with the transverse flow of air to reduce a difference in temperature between the plurality of dividers and the hot wall.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, including the step of directing cooling air transversely toward an exhaust chamber extending a length of the airfoil.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the exhaust chamber is disposed at a leading edge portion of the internal cavity and another chamber is disposed at a trailing edge portion of the internal cavity.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, including the step of generating turbulent flow within at least one of the plurality of chambers with a trip strip that extends partially into the space between the baffle and the hot walls of the internal cavity.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, including the step of forming the plurality of dividers in the walls of the internal cavity.

14. The method as recited in claim 9, including the step of forming the plurality of dividers in the baffle.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of dividers are compliant to accommodate relative thermal expansion between the baffle and the airfoil.

16. An airfoil assembly comprising:

an airfoil defining at least one internal cavity in communication with a source of cooling air;

a baffle disposed within the at least one internal cavity including a plurality of openings for directing cooling air; and

a plurality of dividers extending between the baffle and walls of the at least one internal cavity to define a plurality of chambers transverse to the flow of cooling air into the baffle, each of the chambers including a first opening open to a leading edge chamber and a second opening open to a trailing edge chamber, wherein the plurality of openings include at least some openings into each of the plurality of chambers transverse to the flow of cooling air into the baffle and each of the plurality of dividers are compliant to accommodate relative thermal expansion between the baffle and the airfoil.

17. The airfoil assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the baffle comprise a cylinder to which the plurality of dividers are attached.

18. The airfoil assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of dividers is chevron shaped with a tapered portion extending away from a center of the baffle for directing airflow towards one of the leading edge chamber and the trailing edge chamber.