# US 2011/0236190 A1 · Turbine rotor wheel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2011/0236190 A1 - Document ID: US20110236190A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/732,729 - Filed: 2010-03-26 - Published: 2011-09-29 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-26 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: Ya-Tien Chiu; Venkata Siva Chaluvadi; Matthew Ryan Ferslew - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20110236190A1 ## CPC - F01D 5/087: {in the radial passages of the rotor disc} - F04D 29/321: {for axial flow compressors} - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) ## Abstract A rotor wheel is provided and includes a body having first and second opposing faces and portions recessed from a plane of the first face to define therein an annular groove and a plurality of tributary grooves, the annular groove being receptive of fluid from an external source and formed to direct the fluid to flow along an annular flow path, and the plurality of tributary grooves being receptive of the fluid from the annular groove and respectively formed to direct the fluid to flow sequentially along radial and axial tributary flow paths while preventing inter-tributary groove fluid communication. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rotor wheel, comprising: a body having first and second opposing faces and portions recessed from a plane of the first face to define therein an annular groove and a plurality of tributary grooves, the annular groove being receptive of fluid from an external source and formed to direct the fluid to flow along an annular flow path, and the plurality of tributary grooves being receptive of the fluid from the annular groove and respectively formed to direct the fluid to flow sequentially along radial and axial tributary flow paths while preventing inter-tributary groove fluid communication. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The rotor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the body is substantially disk-shaped with an aperture extending between the first and second faces. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The rotor wheel according to claim 2, wherein the annular groove is defined at an outer radial portion of the body and the tributary grooves extend from the outer radial portion to a mid-section between the outer radial portion and the aperture. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The rotor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the annular groove is delimited at an outer extent thereof by an annular rim having a summit recessed from the first face. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The rotor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is extracted from a compressor rotor-stator-rotor assembly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The rotor wheel according to claim 5, wherein the fluid enters the annular groove in an inwardly radial direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The rotor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the tributary grooves are spirals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The rotor wheel according to claim 1, wherein each of the tributary grooves has an inner and an outer radial portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The rotor wheel according to claim 8, wherein recess depths of the annular groove and the outer radial portions of the tributary grooves are similar. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The rotor wheel according to claim 8, wherein recess depths of the tributary grooves at the inner radial portions gradually decrease. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The rotor wheel according to claim 8, wherein a width of the inner radial portions of the tributary grooves is greater than that of the outer radial portions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The rotor wheel according to claim 1, wherein the axial tributary flow path is directed with an axial component oblique with respect to a rotation centerline about which the body is rotatable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The rotor wheel according to claim 12, wherein the axial component is directed aft from the body. ### Claim 14 A rotor wheel, comprising: a body rotatable about a rotation centerline and having first and second opposing faces, portions of the body being recessed from a plane of the first face to define therein outer and inner annular grooves and a plurality of tributary grooves, the outer annular groove being receptive of a fluid from an external source and formed to direct the fluid to flow about the rotation centerline, the plurality of tributary grooves being receptive of the fluid from the annular groove and respectively formed to direct the fluid to flow radially inwardly, and the inner annular groove being receptive of the fluid from the tributary grooves and formed to direct the fluid to sequentially flow in radial and axial directions while substantially preventing the fluid from flowing about the rotation centerline. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The rotor wheel according to claim 14, wherein the inner annular groove is defined with flow blocking members to block the flow about the rotation centerline. ### Claim 16 A turbine engine, comprising: a compressor hub having a rotation centerline; a body rotatable about the rotation centerline and having first and second opposing faces, portions of the body being recessed from a plane of the first face to define therein an annular groove, which is receptive of compressor hub fluid and directs the fluid to flow about the rotation centerline, and a plurality of tributary grooves, which are receptive of the fluid from the annular groove and respectively direct the fluid to flow in a radial and then an axial direction while preventing inter-tributary groove fluid communication; and a downstream section, aft of and adjacent to the first face, which is formed to define holes receptive of the fluid from the tributary grooves extending along the axial direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The turbine engine according to claim 16, wherein the compressor hub comprises a rotor-stator-rotor assembly. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The turbine engine according to claim 17, wherein the compressor hub fluid comprises coolant extracted from the rotor-stator-rotor assembly. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The turbine engine according to claim 16, wherein the holes are substantially straight. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The turbine engine according to claim 16, wherein the holes extend in a radial direction from the tributary grooves toward the rotation centerline.