Turbine airfoil with enhanced heat transfer
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsFrank J. Cunha, Young H. Chon, Bryan P. Dube
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbine airfoil section having an internal cavity and a plurality of indentations on the inner surface of the internal cavity is described. The indentations provide enhanced heat transfer for cooling the internal cavity of an airfoil thereby improving the life of the airfoil and optimizing the efficiency of the engine by minimizing the amount of compressor bleed air required. Advantageously, this cooling scheme also does not restrict the cooling flow within the internal cavity. The indentations may have varying patterns and alternative geometric configurations.
Claims21
An airfoil comprising:
- a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side wall and a suction side wall, said pressure side wall connected to said suction side well at said leading edge and said trailing edge and spaced apart from each other therebetween to define a cavity extending longitudinally between a root and a tip of said airfoil into which cooling air is flowable from an end of said cavity, said cavity having an inner surface;
- and
- a plurality of discrete dimples in said inner surface.
A method of enhancing heat transfer of an airfoil comprising;
- providing said airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side wall and a suction side wall, said pressure side wall connected to said suction side wall at said leading edge and said trailing edge and spaced apart from each other therebetween to define a cavity extending longitudinally between a root and a tip of said airfoil into which cooling air is flowable from an end of said cavity, said cavity having an inner surface;
- and
- forming a plurality of discrete dimples in said inner surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.