Airfoil with reduced heat load
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRonald Scott Bunker, Nesim Abuaf
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An airfoil with a reduced heat load for use in either a turbine or a compressor of a gas turbine engine comprises having at least one heat reducing dimple on the body of the airfoil or on the associated endwall of the airfoil. The body of the airfoil is comprised of a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side and a suction side. The length of the heat reducing dimple in the expected direction of hot gas stream flow is at least equal to or greater than the width transverse to such direction. The heat reducing dimple is located on the airfoil or endwall so as to reduce the heat load as the hot gas stream flow passes from the leading edge to the trailing edge.
Claims20
An airfoil with a reduced heat load for use in either a turbine or a compressor through which a hot gas stream flow passes, said airfoil comprising a body having a leading edge and a trailing edge and said body having an exterior surface shaped from the leading edge to the trailing edge so as to have a suction area which will experience relatively low gas pressure as a hot gas stream flow passes thereover from the leading edge to the trailing edge and a pressure area which will experience a relatively high gas pressure as a hot gas stream flow passes thereover from the leading edge to the trailing edge, said body having at least one heat reducing dimple whose length in the expected direction of hot gas stream flow is at least equal to or greater than its width transverse to such direction wherein said at least one heat reducing dimple is located on said suction area adjacent to said leading edge of said airfoil and said suction area has a curved area and said at least one heat reducing dimple is located on said curved area.
A method of reducing heat load on an airfoil for use in either a turbine or a compressor through which a hot gas stream flow passes comprising the steps of:
- providing said airfoil with a body having a leading edge and a trailing edge, said body having a suction area which will experience a relatively low pressure as a hot gas stream flow passes thereover from the leading edge to the trailing edge and a pressure area which will experience a relatively high pressure as a hot gas stream flow passes thereover from the leading edge to the trailing edge;
- and
- forming at least one heat reducing dimple in said body, the length of said at least one heat reducing dimple in the expected direction of hot gas stream flow being at least equal to or greater than its width transverse to such direction, wherein said at least one heat reducing dimple is located on said suction area adjacent to said leading edge of said airfoil, wherein said suction area has a curved area and said at least one heat reducing dimple is formed in said curved area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.