Turbulator on the underside of a turbine blade tip turn and related method
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJohn Alan Eastman, Matthew Findlay, Jon Ebacher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbine blade includes a shank portion and an airfoil portion with leading and trailing edges and a radially outer tip. An internal closed-loop cooling circuit is formed within the airfoil portion and includes at least one radial outflow passage and at least one radial inflow passage connected by at least one respective tip turn at the radially outer end of the airfoil portion. At least one tip turn is provided with a single turbulence-enhancement device on an underside of the radially outer tip, projecting into the tip turn.
Claims27
A turbine blade having a shank portion and an airfoil portion with leading and trailing edges and a radially outer tip;
- an internal closed-loop cooling circuit within the airfoil portion including at least one radial outflow passage and at least one radial inflow passage connected by at least one respective tip turn at the radially outer end of the airfoil portion adjacent said radially outer tip, said at least one tip turn having a single turbulence-enhancement device formed on an underside of the radially outer tip and projecting into said tip turn.
A turbine blade having a shank portion and an airfoil portion with leading and trailing edges and a radially outer tip;
- an internal closed-loop serpentine cooling circuit within the airfoil portion including plural radial outflow passages and plural radial inflow passages connected by plural respective tip turns at the radially outer end of the airfoil portion, and including a plurality of core support holes in said radially outer tip, each hole closed by a plug having not more than one elongated rib on an underside of the plug, projecting into a respective one of said tip turns.
A turbine blade having a shank portion and an airfoil portion with leading and trailing edges and a radially outer tip;
- an internal closed-loop serpentine cooling circuit within said airfoil portion including plural radial outflow passages and plural radial inflow passages connected by plural respective tip turns at said radially outer tip, and including a plurality of core support holes in said radially outer tip, each hole closed by a single plate covering a plurality of said core support holes having a plurality of ribs on an underside of said plate, but not more than one elongated rib on the underside of the plate projecting into a respective one of said tip turns.
A method of enhancing heat transfer in a respective, closed-loop cooling circuit formed within an airfoil portion of a gas turbine blade, said circuit including a plurality of radiant outflow passages and a plurality of radial inflow passages connected by respective tip turns adjacent an airfoil tip having core support holes therein, the method comprising:
- a) closing said core support holes with respective plugs;
- and
- b) forming a single elongated rib on an underside of each plug, such that said rib projects into said tip turn.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.