Turbine blade leading edge cooling system

A turbine blade, comprising:

• a generally elongated blade having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip section at a first end, a root coupled to the blade at an end generally opposite the first end for supporting the blade and for coupling the blade to a disc, and at least one cavity forming a cooling system in the blade;
• the generally elongated blade formed from at least one outer wall and at least one inner wall, whereby the at least one inner wall and the at least one outer wall are separated by the at least one cavity forming the cooling system;
• an airfoil core cooling chamber in the generally elongated blade that is defined by the inner wall;
• at least one leading edge impingement cooling channel positioned in the at least one cavity and in close proximity to the leading edge of the generally elongated blade and formed from a first suction side rib extending spanwise and a first pressure side rib extending spanwise;
• at least one impingement orifice in the inner wall creating a cooling fluid pathway for cooling fluids to impinge on an inner surface of the outer wall at the leading edge of the generally elongated blade;
• at least two suction side impingement chambers positioned between the inner and outer walls, coupled together in series with at least one impingement orifice, and in communication with the at least one leading edge impingement cooling channel through at least one impingement orifice in the first suction side rib for directing cooling fluids into a first suction side impingement chamber of the at least two suction side impingement chambers;
• and
• at least two pressure side impingement chambers positioned between the inner and outer walls, coupled together in series with at least one impingement orifice, and in communication with the at least one leading edge impingement cooling channel through at least one impingement orifice in the first pressure side rib for directing cooling fluids into a first pressure side impingement chamber of the at least two pressure side impingement chambers.

A turbine blade, comprising:

• a generally elongated blade having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip section at a first end, a root coupled to the blade at an end generally opposite the first end for supporting the blade and for coupling the blade to a disc, and at least one cavity forming a cooling system in the blade;
• the generally elongated blade formed from at least one outer wall and at least one inner wall, whereby the at least one inner wall and the at least one outer wall are separated by the at least one cavity forming the cooling system;
• an airfoil core cooling chamber in the generally elongated blade that is defined by the inner wall;
• at least one leading edge impingement cooling channel positioned in the at least one cavity and in close proximity to the leading edge of the generally elongated blade and formed from a first suction side rib extending spanwise and having at least one impingement orifice and a first pressure side rib extending spanwise and having at least one impingement orifice;
• at least one impingement orifice in the inner wall creating a cooling fluid pathway for cooling fluids to impinge on an inner surface of the outer wall at the leading edge of the generally elongated blade;
• at least two suction side impingement chambers positioned between the inner and outer walls, coupled together in series with at least one impingement orifice, and in communication with the at least one leading edge impingement cooling channel through at least one impingement orifice in the first suction side rib for directing cooling fluids into a first suction side impingement chamber of the at least two suction side impingement chambers;
• at least two pressure side impingement chambers positioned between the inner and outer walls, coupled together in series with at least one impingement orifice, and in communication with the at least one leading edge impingement cooling channel through at least one impingement orifice in the first pressure side rib for directing cooling fluids into a first pressure side impingement chamber of the at least two pressure side impingement chambers;
• a pressure side mid-chord cooling channel formed from a plurality of elongated channels coupled together in series with impingement orifices and positioned between the inner and outer walls on the pressure side of the generally elongated blade proximate to the at least two pressure side impingement chambers, wherein at least one impingement orifice provides a cooling fluids pathway between the airfoil core cooling chamber and the pressure side mid-chord cooling channel;
• a suction side mid-chord cooling channel formed from a plurality of elongated channels coupled together in series with impingement orifices and positioned between the inner and outer walls on the suction side of the generally elongated blade proximate to the at least two suction side impingement chambers, wherein at least one impingement orifice provides a cooling fluids pathway between the airfoil core cooling chamber and the pressure side mid-chord cooling channel;
• and
• a trailing edge cooling chamber formed from at least one cooling fluid supply chamber and at least one trailing edge impingement cooling chamber extending spanwise along the trailing edge and separated from the cooling fluid supply chamber by a rib containing at least one impingement orifice.