Methods and apparatus for extending gas turbine engine airfoils useful life
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJohn Peter Heyward, Roger Dale Wustman, Timothy Lane Norris, Richard Clay Haubert, Paul John Fink
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas turbine engine includes a blade including a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first sidewall extending in radial span between a blade root and blade tip, and a second sidewall connected to the first sidewall at the leading edge and at the trailing edge. The first and second sidewalls each include an outer surface and an inner surface. A cooling cavity is defined by the first sidewall inner surface and the second sidewall inner surface. At least a portion of the cooling cavity is coated with an oxidation resistant environmental coating that has a thickness less than 0.0015 inches.
Claims18
A method for manufacturing a blade for a gas turbine engine, said method comprising the steps of:
- defining a cavity in the blade with a wall including a concave portion and a convex portion connected at a leading edge and at a trailing edge;
- dividing the cavity into at least a leading edge chamber and a trailing edge chamber, such that the leading edge chamber is bordered by the blade leading edge, and the trailing edge chamber is bordered by the trailing edge;
- coating at least a first portion of an inner surface of the wall with a layer of an oxidation resistant environmental coating having a first thickness;
- and
- coating at least a second portion of an inner surface of the wall with a layer of an oxidation resistant environmental coating having a second thickness that is less than said first thickness, said second portion second thickness less than 0.0015 inches.
A blade for a gas turbine engine, said blade comprising:
- a leading edge;
- a trailing edge;
- a first sidewall extending in radial span between a blade root and a blade tip, said first sidewall comprising an outer surface and an inner surface;
- a second sidewall connected to said first sidewall at said leading edge and said trailing edge, said second sidewall comprising an outer surface and an inner surface;
- and
- a cooling cavity defined by said first sidewall inner surface and said second sidewall inner surface, at least a first portion of said cooling cavity coated with an oxidation resistant environmental coating having a first thickness and at least a second portion of said cooling cavity coated with an oxidation resistant environmental coating having a second thickness that is less than 0.0015 inches.
A gas turbine engine comprising a plurality of blades, each said blade comprising a cooling cavity and an airfoil, said airfoil comprising a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a wall, said cooling cavity defined by said wall, said cooling cavity comprising at least two chambers, a first of said chambers bounded by said leading edge, a second of said chambers bounded by said trailing edge, a first portion of said cooling cavity coated with an oxidation resistant environmental coating having a first thickness, a second portion of said cooling cavity coated with an oxidation resistant environmental coating having a second thickness that is less than said first portion first thickness, said second portion second thickness less than 0.0015 inches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.