# US 10,309,252 B2 · System and method for cooling turbine shroud trailing edge

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- Number: US 10,309,252 B2
- Document ID: US10309252B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/971,478
- Filed: 2015-12-16
- Published: 2017-06-22
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-16
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Marc Lionel Benjamin; Benjamin Paul Lacy; Dipankar Pal; San Jason Nguyen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309252B2

## CPC

- F01D 25/12: Cooling
- F01D 9/00: Stators
- F01D 9/04: forming ring or sector
- F01D 11/08: for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator (specially-shaped blade tips therefor F01D5/20)
- F01D 11/24: by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components
- F01D 25/246: {Fastening of diaphragms or stator-rings}
- F02C 3/04: having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16)
- F01D 11/005: {Sealing means between non relatively rotating elements}
- F01D 11/04: using sealing fluid, e.g. steam
- F05D 2230/12: by spark erosion methods
- F05D 2230/237: Brazing
- F05D 2240/11: Shroud seal segments
- F05D 2250/185: serpentine-like
- F05D 2260/204: by the use of microcircuits
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- 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
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A shroud segment that includes a body including a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first side edge, a second side, and a pair of opposed lateral sides. A first lateral side is configured to interface with a cavity having a cooling fluid, and a second lateral side is oriented toward a hot gas flow path. The shroud segment includes at least one channel disposed within the body, wherein the at least one channel includes a first portion extending from upstream of the trailing edge towards the trailing edge in a first direction from the leading edge to the trailing edge, a second portion extending from the trailing edge to upstream of the trailing edge in a second direction from the trailing edge to the leading edge, and a third portion extending from upstream of the trailing edge towards the trailing edge in the first direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A shroud segment for use in a turbine section of a gas turbine engine, the shroud segment comprising:
a body including a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, a first side edge, a second side edge opposite the first side edge, and a pair of opposed lateral sides between the leading and trailing edges and the first and second side edges, wherein a first lateral side of the pair of opposed lateral sides is configured to interface with a cavity having a cooling fluid, and a second lateral side of the pair of opposed lateral sides is oriented toward a hot gas flow path;
a first flow passage extending radially inward from an inlet in the first lateral side; and
a first channel disposed within the body on the second lateral side adjacent the trailing edge, wherein the first channel comprises a second flow passage in fluid communication with the first flow passage; a third flow passage in fluid communication with the second flow passage; and a fourth flow passage defining an outlet in the trailing edge;
wherein the second flow passage extends from upstream of the trailing edge towards the trailing edge in a first direction from the leading edge to the trailing edge, the fourth flow passage extends in the first direction from upstream of the trailing edge to the outlet in the trailing edge, and the third flow passage is a single linear passage laterally disposed between the second flow passage and the fourth flow passage and extends in a second direction different from the first direction; and
wherein the first flow passage and the first channel are configured to convey the cooling fluid from the cavity to the trailing edge to cool the trailing edge.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The shroud segment of claim 1, wherein the second and fourth flow passages are linear.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The shroud segment of claim 2, wherein the first channel comprises a first curved portion coupling the second flow passage to the third flow passage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The shroud segment of claim 3, wherein the first channel comprises a second curved portion upstream of the trailing edge coupling the single linear portion of the third flow passage to the fourth flow passage including the outlet.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The shroud segment of claim 1, wherein the second flow passage, the third flow passage, and the fourth flow passage are parallel with respect to each other, and the first channel is arranged in a serpentine pattern.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The shroud segment of claim 1, wherein the first channel is arranged in a zigzag pattern with the single linear portion of the third flow passage being disposed perpendicularly to the second flow passage and the fourth flow passage.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The shroud segment of claim 1, wherein the second flow passage is located closer than the third flow passage and the fourth flow passage to a central axis of the body, the central axis extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The shroud segment of claim 1, further comprising a fifth flow passage and a second cooling channel, the fifth flow passage extending radially inward from an additional inlet in the first lateral side to the second cooling channel, the second cooling channel being disposed within the body on the second lateral side adjacent the trailing edge, wherein the second cooling channel comprises a sixth flow passage in fluid communication with the fifth flow passage and extending in the second direction and a seventh flow passage extending in the first direction to an additional outlet on the trailing edge; and wherein the sixth flow passage is located closer than the seventh flow passage to the central axis.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The shroud segment of claim 1, wherein the first channel is electrical discharge machined into the body.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The shroud segment of claim 1, wherein the body has a length from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and the first channel is disposed in its entirety within a last quarter of the length.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The shroud segment of claim 1, comprising a pre-sintered preform layer brazed onto the second lateral side, wherein the pre-sintered preform layer comprises a first surface configured to interface with the hot gas flow path and a second surface that together with the body defines the first channel.

### Claim 12

A gas turbine engine comprising:
a compressor;
a combustion system; and
a turbine section comprising:
an outer casing;
an outer shroud segment coupled to the outer casing;
an inner shroud segment coupled to the outer shroud segment to form a cavity between the outer shroud segment and the inner shroud segment, the cavity being configured to receive a cooling fluid from the compressor, wherein the inner shroud segment comprises:
a body including a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, a first side edge, a second side edge opposite the first side edge, and a pair of opposed lateral sides between the leading and trailing edges and the first and second side edges, wherein a first lateral side of the pair of opposed lateral sides is configured to interface with the cavity, and a second lateral side of the pair of opposed lateral sides is oriented toward a hot gas flow path;
a plurality of channels disposed within the body, wherein each channel comprises a first flow passage extending radially inward from an inlet in the first lateral side, a second flow passage in fluid communication with the first flow passage, a fourth flow passage parallel to and laterally offset from the second flow passage and defining an outlet, and a third flow passage defining a single linear portion disposed between the second flow passage and the fourth flow passage;
wherein the second flow passage, the third flow passage, and the fourth flow passage are disposed on the second lateral side adjacent the trailing edge;
wherein the second flow passage and the fourth flow passage define cooling flow paths in a first direction, and the third flow passage defines a cooling flow path in a second direction different from the first direction; and
wherein the plurality of channels is configured to convey the cooling fluid from the cavity to the trailing edge to cool the trailing edge.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The gas turbine engine of claim 12, wherein the body has a length from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and the entirety of the second flow passage, the third flow passage, and the fourth flow passage of each channel are disposed within a last quarter of the length.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The gas turbine engine of claim 12, comprising a pre-sintered preform layer brazed onto the second lateral side, wherein the pre-sintered preform layer comprises a first surface configured to interface with the hot gas flow path and a second surface that together with the body defines the second flow passage, the third flow passage, and the fourth flow passage of each respective channel of the plurality of channels.

### Claim 15

A shroud segment for use in a turbine section of a gas turbine engine, the shroud segment comprising:
a body including a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first side edge, a second side edge, and a pair of opposed lateral sides between the leading and trailing edges and the first and second side edges, wherein a first lateral side of the pair of opposed lateral sides is configured to interface with a cavity having a cooling fluid, and a second lateral side of the pair of opposed lateral sides is oriented toward a hot gas flow path;
a plurality of channels disposed within the body, wherein each channel comprises a first flow passage extending radially inward from an inlet in the first lateral side, a second flow passage in fluid communication with the first flow passage, a fourth flow passage parallel to and laterally spaced from second flow passage and defining an outlet, and a third flow passage defining a single linear portion disposed between the second flow passage and the fourth flow passage; and wherein the second flow passage and the fourth flow passage define cooling flow paths in a first direction, and the third flow passage defines a cooling flow path in a second direction different from the first direction;
wherein the second flow passage, the third flow passage, and the fourth flow passage are disposed on the second lateral side adjacent the trailing edge; and
wherein the plurality of channels is configured to convey the cooling fluid from the cavity to the trailing edge to cool the trailing edge.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The shroud segment of claim 15, wherein the body has a length from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and the entirety of the second flow passage, the third flow passage, and the fourth flow passage of each channel are disposed within a last quarter of the length.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The shroud segment of claim 15, comprising a pre-sintered preform layer brazed onto the second lateral side, wherein the pre-sintered preform layer comprises a first surface configured to interface with the hot gas flow path and a second surface that together with the body defines the second flow passage, the third flow passage, and the fourth flow passage of each respective channel of the plurality of channels.