Turbine airfoil with outer wall thickness indicators
AssigneeSiemens Energy, Inc.
InventorsJohn J. Marra, Allister W. James, Gary B. Merrill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbine airfoil usable in a turbine engine and including a depth indicator for determining outer wall blade thickness. The airfoil may include an outer wall having a plurality of grooves in the outer surface of the outer wall. The grooves may have a depth that represents a desired outer surface and wall thickness of the outer wall. The material forming an outer surface of the outer wall may be removed to be flush with an innermost point in each groove, thereby reducing the wall thickness and increasing efficiency. The plurality of grooves may be positioned in a radially outer region of the airfoil proximate to the tip.
Claims20
A turbine airfoil, comprising:
- a generally elongated airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, a root at a first end of the airfoil and a tip at a second end opposite to the first end;
- wherein the outer wall includes at least one groove in an outer surface of the outer wall, wherein the at least one groove in the outer wall has a depth that represents a desired outer surface and wall thickness of the outer wall.
A turbine airfoil, comprising:
- a generally elongated airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, a root at a first end of the airfoil and a tip at a second end opposite to the first end;
- wherein the outer wall includes a plurality of grooves in the outer surface of the outer wall, wherein each of the grooves of the plurality of grooves in the outer wall has a depth that represents a desired outer surface and wall thickness of the outer wall;
- and
- wherein the plurality of grooves are positioned in a region of the airfoil defined as a radially outer 50 percent of a distance from the root to the tip.
A method of forming a turbine airfoil using an investment casting technique, comprising:
- a mold with at least one chamber formed from a wall that is configured to form a generally elongated airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, a root at a first end of the airfoil, a tip at a second end opposite to the first end, and at least one groove in an outer surface of the outer wall, wherein the at least one groove in the outer wall has a depth that represents a desired outer surface and wall thickness of the outer wall;
- filling the mold with molten metal, thereby producing the generally elongated airfoil with at least the at least one groove in the outer wall having a depth that represents a desired outer surface and wall thickness of the outer wall of the generally elongated airfoil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.