# US 10,871,074 B2 · Blade/vane cooling passages > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,074 B2 - Document ID: US10871074B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/289,341 - Filed: 2019-02-28 - Published: 2020-09-03 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-28 - Assignees: Raytheon Technologies Corporation - Applicants: United Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Brandon W Spangler; David R Pack - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871074B2 ## CPC - F01D 5/181: {Blades having a closed internal cavity containing a cooling medium, e.g. sodium} - 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)} - F01D 5/187: {Convection cooling} - F01D 25/12: Cooling - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2240/301: Cross-sectional characteristics - F05D 2250/13: trapezoidal - F05D 2260/221: Improvement of heat transfer - F05D 2260/22141: using fins or ribs - 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) - 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 An airfoil for use with a gas turbine engine includes a pressure side wall and a suction side wall. The suction side wall is configured to be exposed to less pressure than the pressure side wall during operation of the gas turbine engine. The blade also includes a plurality of ribs forming a plurality of trapezoidal shaped cavities to receive a cooling airflow. The plurality of ribs being shaped in a way to allow for thermal growth of the airfoil, while minimizing stress in the airfoil. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An airfoil, comprising: a leading edge; a trailing edge; a pressure side wall; a suction side wall; a first plurality of ribs, comprising: a first pressure side rib extending from the pressure side wall away from the leading edge; a first suction side rib extending from the suction side wall away from the leading edge and forming a first vertex with the first pressure side rib; a second pressure side rib aft of the first pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the trailing edge; a second suction side rib disposed aft of the first suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the trailing edge and forming a second vertex with the second pressure side rib; and a first internal rib extending from the first vertex to the second vertex; and a second plurality of ribs, the second plurality of ribs comprising: a third pressure side rib disposed aft of the second pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the leading edge; a third suction side rib disposed aft of the second suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the leading edge and forming a third vertex with the third pressure side rib; a fourth pressure side rib disposed aft of the third pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the trailing edge; a fourth suction side rib disposed aft of the third suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the trailing edge and forming a fourth vertex with the fourth pressure side rib; and a second internal rib extending from the third vertex to the fourth vertex, wherein the second pressure side rib, the second suction side rib, the third pressure side rib, the third suction side rib, the pressure side wall, and the suction side wall form a hexagonal shaped cavity in a radial airfoil cross section of the airfoil. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The airfoil of claim 1, wherein the first pressure side rib, the second pressure side rib, the first internal rib, and the pressure side wall define a discrete quadrilateral shaped cavity in the radial airfoil cross section of the airfoil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The airfoil of claim 2, wherein the discrete quadrilateral shaped cavity is trapezoidal shaped in the radial airfoil cross section. ### Claim 4 A blade, comprising: an attachment having a radial attachment plane; an airfoil disposed radially outward from the attachment, the airfoil comprising: a leading edge; a trailing edge; a pressure side wall; a suction side wall; a first plurality of ribs, comprising: a first pressure side rib extending from the pressure side wall away from the leading edge; a first suction side rib extending from the suction side wall away from the leading edge and forming a first vertex with the first pressure side rib; a second pressure side rib aft of the first pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the trailing edge; a second suction side rib disposed aft of the first suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the trailing edge and forming a second vertex with the second pressure side rib; and a first internal rib extending from the first vertex to the second vertex; and a second plurality of ribs, the second plurality of ribs comprising: a third pressure side rib disposed aft of the second pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the leading edge; a third suction side rib disposed aft of the second suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the leading edge and forming a third vertex with the third pressure side rib; a fourth pressure side rib disposed aft of the third pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the trailing edge; a fourth suction side rib disposed aft of the third suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the trailing edge and forming a fourth vertex with the fourth pressure side rib; and a second internal rib extending from the third vertex to the fourth vertex, wherein a first end of the second pressure side rib and a first end of the third pressure side rib intersect in a radial airfoil plane and separate as the second pressure side rib and the third pressure side rib transition from the radial airfoil plane to the radial attachment plane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The blade of claim 4, wherein the first pressure side rib, the second pressure side rib, the first internal rib, and the pressure side wall define a discrete quadrilateral shaped cavity in a radial airfoil cross section of the airfoil. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The blade of claim 5, wherein the discrete quadrilateral shaped cavity is trapezoidal shaped in the radial airfoil cross section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The blade of claim 4, wherein the second pressure side rib, the second suction side rib, the third pressure side rib, and the third suction side rib form a quadrilateral shaped cavity in a radial airfoil cross section of the airfoil. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The blade of claim 4, wherein the second pressure side rib, the second suction side rib, the third pressure side rib, the third suction side rib, the pressure side wall, and the suction side wall form a hexagonal shaped cavity in a radial airfoil cross section of the airfoil. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The blade of claim 4, wherein the first pressure side rib and the first internal rib form a first angle, wherein the first angle transitions from an obtuse angle in the radial airfoil plane to a right angle in the radial attachment plane. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The blade of claim 4, wherein the third pressure side rib and third suction side rib form a second angle that increases to 180 degrees as the third pressure side rib and the third suction side rib transition from the radial airfoil plane to the radial attachment plane. ### Claim 11 A gas turbine engine, comprising: a turbine rotor comprising: a blade comprising: an attachment having a radial attachment plane; an airfoil disposed radially outward from the attachment, the airfoil comprising: a leading edge; a trailing edge; a pressure side wall; a suction side wall; a first plurality of ribs, comprising: a first pressure side rib extending from the pressure side wall away from the leading edge; a first suction side rib extending from the suction side wall away from the leading edge and forming a first vertex with the first pressure side rib; a second pressure side rib aft of the first pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the trailing edge; a second suction side rib disposed aft of the first suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the trailing edge and forming a second vertex with the second pressure side rib; and a first internal rib extending from the first vertex to the second vertex, wherein the first pressure side rib and the first internal rib form a first angle, wherein the first angle transitions from an obtuse angle in a radial airfoil plane to a right angle in the radial attachment plane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein the airfoil further comprises a second plurality of ribs, the second plurality of ribs comprising: a third pressure side rib disposed aft of the second pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the leading edge; a third suction side rib disposed aft of the second suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the leading edge and forming a third vertex with the third pressure side rib; a fourth pressure side rib disposed aft of the third pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the trailing edge; a fourth suction side rib disposed aft of the third suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the trailing edge and forming a fourth vertex with the fourth pressure side rib; and a second internal rib extending from the third vertex to the fourth vertex. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The gas turbine engine of claim 11, wherein the first pressure side rib, the second pressure side rib, the first internal rib, and the pressure side wall define a discrete quadrilateral shaped cavity in a radial airfoil cross section of the airfoil. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The gas turbine engine of claim 12, wherein the second pressure side rib, the second suction side rib, the third pressure side rib, and the third suction side rib form a hexagonal shaped cavity in a radial airfoil cross section of the airfoil. ### Claim 15 A blade, comprising: an attachment having a radial attachment plane; an airfoil disposed radially outward from the attachment, the airfoil comprising: a leading edge; a trailing edge; a pressure side wall; a suction side wall; a first plurality of ribs, comprising: a first pressure side rib extending from the pressure side wall away from the leading edge; a first suction side rib extending from the suction side wall away from the leading edge and forming a first vertex with the first pressure side rib; a second pressure side rib aft of the first pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the trailing edge; a second suction side rib disposed aft of the first suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the trailing edge and forming a second vertex with the second pressure side rib; and a first internal rib extending from the first vertex to the second vertex; and a second plurality of ribs, the second plurality of ribs comprising: a third pressure side rib disposed aft of the second pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the leading edge; a third suction side rib disposed aft of the second suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the leading edge and forming a third vertex with the third pressure side rib; a fourth pressure side rib disposed aft of the third pressure side rib and extending from the pressure side wall away from the trailing edge; a fourth suction side rib disposed aft of the third suction side rib and extending from the suction side wall away from the trailing edge and forming a fourth vertex with the fourth pressure side rib; and a second internal rib extending from the third vertex to the fourth vertex, wherein the third pressure side rib and third suction side rib form a second angle that increases to 180 degrees as the third pressure side rib and the third suction side rib transition from the radial airfoil plane to the radial attachment plane.