Tip ramp turbine blade

• US 8,512,003 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Klasing, Kevin Samuel, Lee, Ching-Pang, Vitt, Paul Hadley, Keith, Brian David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiehe, Nathaniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELLIS, RYAN H
• Application Number:
  US11/507,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20080044289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,556 Days
• Field of Search: 415/173.1, 415/173.4, 415/174.4, 416/228
• US Class Current: 416/228
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/20 Specially-shaped blade tips to seal space between tips and stator F01D5/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/307 related to the tip of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/292 tapered
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/70 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/711 convex
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/712 concave
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/20 Heat transfer, e.g. cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A turbine blade includes first and second tip ribs extending from a tip floor to define a tip cavity. An exit ramp bridges the ribs and rises in elevation aft from the floor.

Claims

1. A turbine blade comprising:

a hollow airfoil, platform, and integral dovetail;

said airfoil including transversely opposite pressure and suction sides extending chordally between opposite leading and trailing edges, and longitudinally in span from root to tip, wherein said pressure side is concave and said suction side is convex and converge together aft toward said trailing edge;

said tip including first and second tip ribs extending outwardly from a tip floor along said pressure and suction sides between said leading and trailing edges to define a tip cavity, and said tip floor enclosing an internal cooling circuit, wherein said first and second tip ribs are integral with said pressure and suction sides, respectively, and bound said tip cavity to converge aft in width to said rib junction; and

an exit ramp bridging said first and second ribs at an aft junction thereof near said trailing edge and rising in elevation aft from said tip floor, wherein said ramp converges aft in width and includes a forward land blending forwardly with said tip floor, an aft land blending with said aft junction of said ribs, and a middle land sloping outwardly from said forward land to said aft land, wherein said forward land is chordally concave, and said aft land is chordally convex.

2. A blade according to claim 1 wherein said ramp has a length greater than the depth of said tip cavity.

3. A blade according to claim 1 wherein said ramp rises aft at a shallow inclination angle.

4. A blade according to claim 1 wherein said forward and aft lands blend differently with said tip floor and rib junction.

5. A blade according to claim 1 wherein said middle land is longer than said forward land and blends smoothly therewith, and is longer than said aft land and blends smoothly therewith.

6. A blade according to claim 1 wherein said middle land is chordally straight.

7. A blade according to claim 1 wherein said first and second tip ribs bound said pressure and suction sides to define a single tip cavity converging aft into a single exit ramp.

8. A hollow turbine blade comprising first and second tip ribs extending outwardly from a tip floor along pressure and suction sides between leading and trailing edges to define a tip cavity therebetween, said tip floor enclosing an internal cooling circuit, and an exit ramp bridging said ribs and rising in elevation aft from said tip floor, wherein said ramp includes a forward land extending forward toward said leading edge and blending with said tip floor, and an aft land extending aft toward said trailing edge and blending with the junction of said ribs, and a middle land sloping outwardly from said forward land to said aft land wherein said forward and aft lands blend differently with said tip floor and rib junction, and wherein said forward land is chordally concave.

9. A blade according to claim 8 wherein said ramp has a length greater than the depth of said tip cavity.

10. A blade according to claim 8 wherein said ramp rises aft at a shallow inclination angle.

11. A blade according to claim 8 wherein said aft land is chordally convex.

12. A blade according to claim 8 wherein said middle land is longer than said forward and aft lands.

13. A blade according to claim 8 wherein said middle land is chordally straight.

14. A blade according to claim 8 wherein said middle land is chordally convex.

15. A blade according to claim 8 wherein:

said pressure side is concave and said suction side is convex and converge together aft toward said trailing edge;

said first and second tip ribs are integral with said pressure and suction sides, respectively, and bound said tip cavity to converge aft in width to said rib junction; and

said ramp converges aft in width between said forward and aft lands.

16. A blade according to claim 8 wherein said first and second tip ribs bound said pressure and suction sides to define a single tip cavity converging aft into a single exit ramp.

17. A blade according to claim 8 further comprising a tip baffle transversely bridging said first and second ribs forward of said exit ramp.

18. A blade according to claim 8 further comprising a tip baffle extending chordally from said second rib near said leading edge to said second rib forward of said trailing edge to define a first tip cavity along said pressure side and a second tip cavity along said suction side, and each of said tip cavities includes one of said exit ramps at the aft end thereof.

19. A blade according to claim 8 further comprising a tip baffle extending chordally from said second rib near said leading edge to said first rib forward of said trailing edge to define a first tip cavity along said pressure side and a second tip cavity along said suction side, and each of said tip cavities includes one of said exit ramps at the aft end thereof.