Cooling hole arrangements in jet engine components exposed to hot gas flow

A jet engine component, comprising:

• (a) a body having a wall portion with an external surface exposed to a hot gas flow and an internal surface exposed to a cooling air flow;
• and
• (b) a cooling hole arrangement including means defining a plurality of separate holes formed in spaced non-communicative flow relation to one another through said wall portion of said body to permit flow of the cooling air through said wall portion from said internal surface to said external surface thereof;
• (c) each of said separate holes including at least one flow inlet formed at said internal surface of said wall portion for receiving the cooling air flow, at least a pair of flow outlets formed at said external surface of said wall portion for discharging the cooling air flow, and at least a pair of flow branches extending through said wall portion and between said flow inlet and said flow outlets for permitting passage of the cooling air flow from said flow inlet to said flow outlets.

In a turbine airfoil having leading and trailing edges and opposite side walls defining pressure and suction sides and merging together at said leading and trailing edges to define a hollow interior chamber for supplying cooling air flow, said side walls extending generally in the direction of gas flow past said airfoil from said leading edge to said trailing edge of said airfoil, a film cooling hole arrangement comprising:

• (a) a portion of at least one of said side walls, said side wall portion having an external surface extending in the direction of gas flow past said airfoil and an internal surface spaced from said external surface and exposed to flow communication with said hollow interior chamber;
• and
• (b) means defining a plurality of separate multi-outlet holes formed in spaced non-communicative flow relation to one another through said side wall portion to permit flow of cooling air from said hollow interior chamber to said external surface of said side wall;
• (c) each of said separate multi-outlet holes including a flow inlet defined at said internal surface and communicating with said hollow interior chamber, at least a pair of flow outlets defined at said exterior surface, and at least a pair of flow branches extending through said side wall portion between said flow inlet and said flow outlets, said flow branches merging and intersecting with one another at said flow inlet.

In a turbine airfoil having leading and trailing edges and opposite side walls defining pressure and suction sides and merging together at said leading and trailing edges to define a hollow interior chamber for supplying cooling air flow, said side walls extending generally in the direction of gas flow past said airfoil from said leading edge to said trailing edge of said airfoil, a film cooling hole arrangement comprising:

• (a) a portion of at least said trailing edge, said trailing edge portion having an external surface and an internal surface spaced from said external surface and exposed to flow communication with said hollow interior chamber;
• and
• (b) means defining a plurality of separate multi-outlet holes formed in spaced non-communicative flow relation to one another through said trailing edge portion to permit flow of cooling air from said hollow interior chamber to said external surface of said trailing edge portion;
• (c) each of said separate multi-outlet holes including a flow inlet defined at said internal surface and communicating with said hollow interior chamber, at least a pair of flow outlets defined at said exterior surface, and at least a pair of flow branches extending through said trailing edge portion between said flow inlet and said flow outlets, said flow branches merging and intersecting with one another at said flow inlet.

In a turbine airfoil having an outer tip end wall and opposite side walls connected to said outer tip end wall and defining pressure and suction sides and merging together at leading and trailing edges to define a hollow interior chamber for supplying cooling air flow, said side walls extending generally in the direction of gas flow past said airfoil from said leading edge to said trailing edge of said airfoil, a film cooling hole arrangement comprising:

• (a) a portion of at least said outer tip end wall, said outer end wall portion having an external surface and an internal surface spaced from said external surface and exposed to flow communication with said hollow interior chamber;
• and
• (b) means defining a plurality of separate multi-outlet holes formed in spaced non-communicative flow relation to one another through said outer end wall portion to permit flow of cooling air from said hollow interior chamber to said external surface of said outer end wall portion;
• (c) each of said separate multi-outlet holes including a flow inlet defined at said internal surface and communicating with said hollow interior chamber, at least a pair of flow outlets defined at said exterior surface, and at least a pair of flow branches extending through said outer end wall portion between said flow inlet and said flow outlets, said flow branches merging and intersecting with one another at said flow inlet.