Turbomachine blade tip attachment
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsSrikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Jon Conrad Schaeffer, Brian Lee Tollison
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A blade for a turbomachine, a tip for a blade of a turbomachine and a related method are disclosed. The blade may include a tip body having a shape at least partially configured for coupling to an airfoil body of the blade; at least one coolant passage in the tip body configured for fluid communication with at least one coolant passage in the airfoil body; and a retention member extending from the tip body for coupling to a tip retention member seat in the airfoil body. The tip can be replaced, allowing for changes in the coolant passages in the tip of a blade.
Claims17
A blade for a turbomachine, the blade comprising:
- an airfoil body including at least one first coolant passage, and an opening in the airfoil body having a tip retention member seat in or on an inner surface of the at least one first coolant passage of the airfoil body, and a tip having a shape at least partially configured for coupling to the opening in the airfoil body, the tip including:
- a tip body, at least one second coolant passage in the tip body configured for fluid communication with the at least one first coolant passage in the airfoil body, and a retention member extending from the tip body for coupling to the tip retention member seat in the at least one first coolant passage of the airfoil body, wherein the tip retention member seat includes a first tip retention member seat at a first lengthwise position on the airfoil body, and a second tip retention member seat at a second, different lengthwise position on the airfoil body, lengthwise indicating a length of the airfoil body from the tip toward a root of the airfoil body, and a lengthwise separation between the first tip retention member seat and the second tip retention member seat is sufficient for coupling of the retention member to the second tip retention member seat after removing a portion of the airfoil body having the first tip retention member seat.
A method of forming a blade for a turbomachine, the method comprising:
- providing an airfoil body including at least one first coolant passage therein and an opening in the airfoil body having at least one tip retention member seat in or on an inner surface of the at least one first coolant passage of the airfoil body, wherein providing the airfoil body includes:
- providing the at least one tip retention member seat with a first tip retention member seat at a first lengthwise position of the airfoil body and a second tip retention member seat at a second, different lengthwise position of the airfoil body, and cutting away a distal end of the airfoil body, the distal end including the first tip retention member seat;
- providing a first tip having a shape at least partially configured for coupling to the opening in the airfoil body, the first tip including:
- a tip body, at least one second coolant passage in the tip body, and at least one retention member extending from the tip body and shaped for coupling to the first tip retention member seat or the second tip retention member seat in the at least one first coolant passage of the airfoil body;
- and
- coupling the first tip to the airfoil body such that the at least one second coolant passage is in fluid communication with the at least one first coolant passage in the airfoil body, and the at least one retention member couples to the second tip retention member seat in the airfoil body.
A tip for a blade of a turbomachine, the tip comprising:
- a tip body having a shape at least partially configured for coupling to at least one first coolant passage within an airfoil body of the blade;
- at least one second coolant passage in the tip body configured for fluid communication with the at least one first coolant passage in the airfoil body;
- and a retention member extending from the tip body for coupling to a tip retention member seat in at least one first coolant passage formed within the airfoil body, wherein a length of the retention member extending from the tip body is configured for mounting on the tip retention member seat at a lengthwise position on the airfoil body that is horizontally distal to a different tip retention member seat, after removing a portion of the airfoil body having the different tip retention member seat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.