US 6,099,251 AGranted

Coolable airfoil for a gas turbine engine

AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation

InventorRonald Samuel LaFleur

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A hollow airfoil is provided having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a wall including a suction side portion and a pressure side portion. The wall, which includes an interior surface and an exterior surface, surrounds a first cavity and a second cavity, separated from one another by a rib extending between the suction side and pressure side wall portions. The first cavity is contiguous with the leading edge. The airfoil further includes a coolant flow splitter attached to the wall interior surface within the first cavity, and at least one metering orifice disposed in the rib. The metering orifice(s) are substantially aligned with the coolant flow splitter, such that cooling air passing through the metering orifice(s) encounters the flow splitter. The flow splitter splits the cooling air flow and directs it along the wall interior surface.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A hollow airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge, said airfoil comprising:

a wall having a suction side portion, a pressure side portion, an interior surface, and an exterior surface, said wall surrounding a first cavity and a second cavity, said cavities separated from one another by a rib extending between said suction side wall portion and said pressure side wall portion, wherein said first cavity is contiguous with the leading edge;
a coolant flow splitter attached to said interior surface within said first cavity, said flow splitter substantially aligned with and extending along with the leading edge;
at least one metering orifice disposed in said rib and substantially aligned with said coolant flow splitter, such that cooling air passing through said metering orifice encounters said flow splitter;
a trench disposed in said wall, substantially aligned with the leading edge and extending spanwise along the leading edge;
and
a plurality of cooling orifices disposed within said wall extending between said trench and said first cavity through said flow splitter, thereby providing a cooling air passage between said internal cavity and said trench.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/110,532Filed 6 Jul 1998
Granted: 8 Aug 2000
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F01D 5/147
Form or construction: construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades
F01D 5/186
Hollow blades, i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities ; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades: film cooling
F01D 5/187
Hollow blades, i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities ; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades: convection cooling
F05D 2240/121
Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes: related to the leading edge of a stator vane