# US 10,119,405 B2 · Cooling circuit for a multi-wall blade > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,119,405 B2 - Document ID: US10119405B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/977,078 - Filed: 2015-12-21 - Published: 2017-06-22 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-21 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: David Wayne Weber; Brendon James Leary; Jacob Charles Perry, II; Joseph Anthony Weber - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119405B2 ## CPC - F01D 5/187: {Convection cooling} - F01D 5/147: {Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades (F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18)} - F02C 3/04: having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16) - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2240/307: related to the tip of a rotor blade - F05D 2240/35: Combustors or associated equipment - F05D 2260/202: by film cooling - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A cooling system according to an embodiment includes: a forked passage cooling circuit, the forked passage cooling circuit including a first leg and a second leg; and an air feed cavity for supplying cooling air to the first leg and the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit; wherein the first leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends radially outward from and at least partially covers at least one central plenum of a multi-wall blade, and wherein the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends radially outward from and at least partially covers a first set of near wall cooling channels in the multi-wall blade. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cooling system for a multi-wall blade, the multi-wall blade including at least one central plenum and a first set of near wall cooling channels, comprising: a forked passage cooling circuit, the forked passage cooling circuit including a first leg and a second leg; and an air feed cavity for supplying cooling air to the first leg and the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit; wherein the first leg and the second leg of the forked cooling circuit are located at a radial position along the multi-wall blade that is closer to a tip area of the multi-wall blade than the at least one central plenum and the first set of near wall cooling channels, wherein the first leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends radially outward from and at least partially over the at least one central plenum of the multi-wall blade, and wherein the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends radially outward from and at least partially over the first set of near wall cooling channels in the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the first leg and the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extend from the air feed cavity toward a trailing edge of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the first leg and the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extend from the air feed cavity toward a leading edge of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the first set of near wall cooling channels is located adjacent a pressure side of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the first leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends over and at least partially over a second set of near wall cooling channels in the multi-wall blade, wherein the first leg of the forked cooling circuit is located at a radial position along the multi-wall blade that is closer to the tip area of the multi-wall blade than the second set of near wall cooling channels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The cooling system of claim 5, wherein the second set of near wall cooling channels is located adjacent a suction side of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first leg or the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit includes at least one tip film channel for directing the cooling air to a tip of the multi-wall blade to provide tip film. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit includes at least one pressure side film channel for directing the cooling air to a pressure side of the multi-wall blade to provide pressure side film. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the cooling air is supplied to the air feed cavity from the at least one central plenum or the first set of near wall cooling channel of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 10 A multi-wall turbine blade, comprising: a cooling system disposed within the multi-wall turbine blade, the multi-wall blade including at least one central plenum and a first set of near wall cooling channels, the cooling system including: a forked passage cooling circuit, the forked passage cooling circuit including a first leg and a second leg; and an air feed cavity for supplying cooling air to the first leg and the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit; wherein the first leg and the second leg of the forked cooling circuit are located at a radial position along the multi-wall blade that is closer to a tip area of the multi-wall blade than the at least one central plenum and the first set of near wall cooling channels, wherein the first leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends radially outward from and at least partially over the at least one central plenum of the multi-wall blade, and wherein the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends radially outward from and at least partially over the first set of near wall cooling channels in the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The multi-wall turbine blade of claim 10, wherein the first leg and the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extend from the air feed cavity toward a trailing edge of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The multi-wall turbine blade of claim 10, wherein the first leg and the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extend from the air feed cavity toward a leading edge of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The multi-wall turbine blade of claim 10, wherein the first set of near wall cooling channels is located adjacent a pressure side of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The multi-wall turbine blade of claim 10, wherein the first leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends over and at least partially over a second set of near wall cooling channels in the multi-wall blade, wherein the first leg of the forked cooling circuit is located at a radial position along the multi-wall blade that is closer to the tip area of the multi-wall blade than the second set of near wall cooling channels. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The multi-wall turbine blade of claim 14, wherein the second set of near wall cooling channels is located adjacent a suction side of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The multi-wall turbine blade of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first leg or the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit includes at least one tip film channel for directing the cooling air to a tip of the multi-wall blade to provide tip film. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The multi-wall turbine blade of claim 10, wherein the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit includes at least one pressure side film channel for directing the cooling air to a pressure side of the multi-wall blade to provide pressure side film. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The multi-wall turbine blade of claim 10, wherein the cooling air is supplied to the air feed cavity from the at least one central plenum or the first set of near wall cooling channel of the multi-wall blade. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The multi-wall turbine blade of claim 10, wherein the multi-wall turbine blade forms a portion of a turbine bucket, and wherein the turbine bucket includes a shank coupled to the multi-wall turbine blade. ### Claim 20 A turbomachine, comprising: a gas turbine system including a compressor component, a combustor component, and a turbine component, the turbine component including a plurality of turbine buckets, and wherein at least one of the turbine buckets includes a multi-wall blade; and a cooling system disposed within the multi-wall blade, the multi-wall blade including at least one central plenum and a first set of near wall cooling channels, the cooling system including: a forked passage cooling circuit, the forked passage cooling circuit including a first leg and a second leg; and an air feed cavity for supplying cooling air to the first leg and the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit; wherein the first leg and the second leg of the forked cooling circuit are located at a radial position along the multi-wall blade that is closer to a tip area of the multi-wall blade than the at least one central plenum and the first set of near wall cooling channels, wherein the first leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends radially outward from and at least partially over the at least one central plenum of the multi-wall blade, and wherein the second leg of the forked passage cooling circuit extends radially outward from and at least partially over the first set of near wall cooling channels in the multi-wall blade.